National Catholic Register

Living Legends in the Lecture Hall: Tell Us About Your Favorite Catholic Professor! Who was the professor who changed the way you think, pray, or see the world? Blogs Elizabeth Ann Seton: The Saint America Needs at 250 COMMENTARY: The saint’s contribution to America would come not through politics or military triumph, but through sanctity expressed in action.

German Bishop: Vatican Case Against Lay Preaching ‘Not Entirely Consistent’ Bishop Peter Kohlgraf said the Diocese of Mainz would observe the ban but that he will also not sanction parishes where laypeople preach at Mass. World ‘A Good Place to Find a Community’: Inside the DC Residence Where Young Women Find More Than Housing From shared meals and prayer to lasting friendships and peace of mind for parents, Centro Maria is helping young women thrive during their time in the nation’s capital.

Bishop Peter Kohlgraf said the Diocese of Mainz would observe the ban but that he will also not sanction parishes where laypeople preach at Mass. St. Martin’s Cathedral in Mainz, Germany, seat of Bishop Peter Kohlgraf. (photo: Shutterstock) World August 13, 2026 Bishop Peter Kohlgraf of Mainz, Germany, who chairs the pastoral commission of the German Bishops’ Conference, said the Vatican’s reasoning on the ban on lay preaching is, in his view, “not entirely consistent” on some points.

A grant for Notre Dame’s New Horizons program, a California Catholic school replaces pride flags, a Kansas formation house to become a seminary, and more in this Catholic education news roundup. The Golden Dome and Washington Hall sit on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

From shared meals and prayer to lasting friendships and peace of mind for parents, Centro Maria is helping young women thrive during their time in the nation’s capital. Young women gather for dinner at Centro Maria, a Catholic housing residence run by Religious of Mary Immaculate sisters in Washington.

'University' (photo: witsarut sakorn / Shutterstock) We are all shaped by mentors and guides, including great professors who inspire us to new academic horizons. This week on Register Radio, we look at “Legendary Catholic Professors” with Notre Dame law professor Sherif Girgis. Then, we talk with author Peggy Stanton about her timely new book, The United “Saints” of America. Register Radio August 13, 2026 Highlights: 2:35 — Sherif Girgis on the professor who changed his life 4:16 — Robert P.

‘New Housing’ (photo: anatoliy_gleb / Shutterstock) One of the biggest political issues heading into the 2026 midterm elections is the housing shortage. This week on Register Radio, Register staff writer Jonah McKeown joins us to discuss how America’s housing shortage is becoming a moral crisis. Then, Register senior contributor Edward Pentin, just back from Tanzania, tells us about the Mothers and Missionaries of the Holy Cross and their extraordinary foundress.

Newman’s influence lives on in the countless Catholic academics who have been inspired by his vision of the professorial vocation. St. John Henry Newman's room is filled with bookshelves in the Birmingham Oratory. Newman is shown inset in a 1844 portrait by George Richmond. (photo: Public domain) Education August 13, 2026 Editor’s Note: This story is part of the Register’s special report on “Legendary Professors.” Read the first stories here and here.

From grade inflation to soaring costs, higher education faces challenges. But one thing remains true: A good professor can change your life. In this special section, we highlight the impact of legendary Catholic professors, explore their sources of inspiration, and unpack how they’re shaping the next generation of Catholic scholars.

In a new book, Elizabeth Mitchell explores how the Carmelite martyr saw all genuine beauty as a path to God — and holiness as the Divine Artist’s masterpiece. Edith Stein in her youth (photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Mitchell) Interviews August 13, 2026 For St. Edith Stein, divine beauty is “the ultimate ground or cause of everything that is beautiful” and the remedy to the emptiness and superficiality of a world that seeks beauty without recourse to God.