Excellent reporting from the bishops' meeting by Aleja Herzler-McCain at RNS:

My analysis: I'm glad the bishops spoke out about immigration but the only way to get "unity" on this issue was to be careful to still placate the Trump administration. www.commonwealmagazine.org/bishops-stat...

My new employer is doing a fundraising pitch today, on its 101st anniversary. If you're grateful they hired me, maybe throw in a few bucks. Thanks!! @commonweal.bsky.social subscribe.commonwealmagazine.org/CMW/?f=donat...

This is a good book. I read it in one afternoon this summer. Lots of insight into how today’s rad-trad Team Leonard Leo Opus Dei political Catholics came about. @heidischlumpf.bsky.social www.americamagazine.org/books/2025/1...

In honor of my new position, Commonweal is offering a FREE 1-year subscription to the magazine to my friends and family. This link is good for 24 hours, until 8 am Thursday, Nov. 6: subscribe.commonwealmagazine.org/CMW/?f=freet...

Thanks for the kind words, Steve.

Some professional news! I have so much respect for their leadership and team and look forward to contributing to their excellent content.

I was honored to be asked to write the entry on the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church for Encyclopedia Britannica: www.britannica.com/topic/Cathol...

Fantastic event tonight with Future Church listening to @heidischlumpf.bsky.social futurechurch.org/fall-event/

This is one of the most beautiful essays I've read in a long time. www.commonwealmagazine.org/gently-they-go

Congratulations to Michael O'Loughlin on being named the next executive editor of the National Catholic Reporter. www.ncronline.org/news/ncr-nam...

Fr. Dowling drew an additional conclusion about ICE’s refusal to let clergy inside: “They are afraid of people of faith." Steven Millies: "Pressure from religious groups works, but there will need to be more of it." @stevenpmillies.com religionnews.com/2025/10/15/i...

For what it's worth @heidischlumpf.bsky.social did a good job exploring some of the weird discourse about the Catholic vote a while back: www.ncronline.org/news/there-a...

Paul Lakeland's must-read review of John Gehring's book about Catholicism and Trump: www.commonwealmagazine.org/heavy-lift

RIP Sr. Jean

A reminder that you can watch tonight's lecture via Livestream at 7pm Eastern. events.fairfield.edu/event/the-25...

Thank you to Jack Jenkins for this report on religious protesters in Chicago and how they're being treated. @jackjenkins.me religionnews.com/2025/10/07/i...

Pay attention. Trump thinks he can cancel the 1st amendment.

Dan Horan on the development of doctrine and his belief that "the Holy Spirit will inevitably prevail." www.ncronline.org/opinion/can-...

What's interesting to me about this is that Leo was taking questions from a journalist --and we didn't even have to wait for a plane trip! cruxnow.com/church-in-th...

"A prominent Church leader and a U.S. senator, brought together to speak for immigrants would have brought a lot of attention to the problem. That opportunity is gone now. All the attention has been wrested away to abortion." --Steven Millies open.substack.com/pub/millies/...

New episode of the Francis Effect podcast: Heidi, Daniel and David discuss Pope Leo's first interview and the effects on free speech after recent bouts of alleged political violence. Also, my interview with sociologist Tricia Bruce about synodality. francisfxpod.com/current/2511

At a People's Mass outside a reported ICE hub, clergy and community members preached a God who stands with the oppressed. Reporting from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social: www.commonwealmagazine.org/chicago-ice-...

If you don't already subscribe to Commonweal, you should based on this essay by editor Dominic Preziosi alone: www.commonwealmagazine.org/preziosi-kir...

Scholars gathered at the sociology of religion meeting in Chicago still saw synodality as the most encouraging cause for hope in the American Church. New reporting from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social: www.commonwealmagazine.org/schlumpf-soc...

My latest reflection at US Catholic magazine, where I manage to work in decluttering for Jesus. uscatholic.org/articles/202...

CONGRATS to Elise Ann Allen of Crux for landing the first interview with Pope Leo XIV!! cruxnow.com/vatican/2025...

My essay in Commonweal: www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-maga-c...

Labor Day is for workers, not an occupation. religionnews.com/2025/08/28/l...

My latest for Commonweal: the gender gap has narrowed among Catholic and evangelical women, especially white women: www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-maga-c...

The Francis Effect podcast is back for its 17th season and its first episode dropped today. It includes an interview with Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, about nuclear disarmament. Check it out: francisfxpod.com/current/2509

Excited to be in the print edition of Commonweal!

"It seems like Republican support for religious freedom is selective. And, being selective, their commitment to “celebrate and protect religious freedom” looks insincere." So glad @stevenpmillies.com is writing for @religionnews.com.web.brid.gy ! religionnews.com/2025/08/07/a...

My colleague & friend @heidischlumpf.bsky.social is back at work here with @religionnews.com.web.brid.gy, where I also am very pleased to be contributing semi-regularly now. These are dark days and also, for things like the Dorothea Project, encouraging too. religionnews.com/2025/07/22/c...

Well done, good and faithful servant. abc7chicago.com/post/sister-...

Muito interessante - e esperançosa - esta reportagem de @heidischlumpf.bsky.social sobre o Dorothea Project, um grupo de mães católicas dos EUA que se uniram para protestar contra a política de imigração de Trump, entendendo que Jesus mesmo era um refugiado www.ncronline.org/news/catholi...

My first freelance piece for Religion News Service was published today. Read about some Catholic women who are trying to push back against the Trump administration, especially on the issue of migrant detention: religionnews.com/2025/07/22/c...

Thanks @mollieoreilly.bsky.social dor this: share.google/2nqiYvTEf77y...

And Nicole Sotelo always renews my spirit too! Thanks for the coffee and conversation!

Memes are how you do politics now. This is how you reach people. Intellectualism doesn’t have a place anymore." Frightening piece about groypers, Nick Fuentes and the racist right. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/o...

Another review of my former colleague Chris White's book about Pope Leo, this one by Austin Ivereigh. @christopherwhite.bsky.social @austeni.bsky.social @commonweal.bsky.social www.commonwealmagazine.org/brunson-chri...

My last story for NCR, written before I was laid off, about CORPUS, the group for married priests, disbanding: @ncronline.bsky.social www.ncronline.org/news/corpus-...

Interesting “award winning” analysis of Thomas Aquinas, his thought and where Team Leonard Leo gets him wrong. By @heidischlumpf.bsky.social formerly of @ncronline.bsky.social uscatholic.org/articles/202...

I'm honored that my work was recognized with 10 awards from the Catholic Media Association, both at the National Catholic Reporter and U.S. Catholic, including several first-place awards. Congrats to all my colleagues who also took home honors!!

A new group of Catholic "mom bloggers"—without the reactionary politics—are living their faith, feminism, and motherhood in bold ways. A feature for the magazine by @heidischlumpf.bsky.social: www.commonwealmagazine.org/mom-bloggers...

Masked agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement scattered in the federal courthouse building Friday morning (June 20) when they saw a group of religious leaders, including Bishop-designate Michael Pham of San Diego. www.ncronline.org/news/san-die...

RIP Roger Haight. This is from 2 years ago when he received the John Courtney Murray award from the CTSA. (Haight had actually known him.) www.ncronline.org/news/theolog...

Thank you for all the kind words yesterday. A note: I will still be writing about faith and religion as a freelancer for several outlets--and I'll be back in the fall with the Francis Effect Podcast. So I'll still be contributing to the Catholic journalism world, just not at NCR.

After 16 years with the National Catholic Reporter (as a columnist, correspondent and executive editor/VP), I have been laid off for financial reasons. I’m proud of the work I did and will be taking some time before deciding what’s next. My new contact information is in my bio.

I was at Rate Field for the Pope Leo XIV celebration Saturday. Here's my coverage: uscatholic.org/articles/202...