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...

I'm looking forward to connecting with past and present colleagues US Catholic at their 90th anniversary celebration tonight. This history includes the story of our scuffle with the CDF about an article I wrote about women's ordination: @uscatholic.bsky.social uscatholic.org/articles/202...

This is the same writer who wrote the "JD Vance is wrong" piece that Pope Leo retweeted. Must-read: www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...

"This was why Cardinal Bernardin, Cardinal Cupich, and Pope Francis have seemed so threatening for many people..." wherepeteris.com/pope-leo-chi...

When I became NCR's executive editor, my first hire was to fill my previous job as national correspondent. I knew exactly who I wanted: Chris White. He has been amazing, and I'm grateful for all the ways he helped me. Good luck at Georgetown, Chris! www.ncronline.org/vatican/view...

Safe travels to everyone going to CTS this year. Wish I could be joining you!

The Francis Effect Podcast team got together yesterday to record a special, off-season episode about Pope Leo XIV. Look for it later this week! @daultradio.bsky.social

Very poignant Memorial Day commemoration at our local cemetery. The 2 politicians who spoke were both 1st-generation immigrants (from Vietnam and Guatemala) and even the DAR speaker highlighted immigrant soldiers. #memorialday

"This 'big beautiful bill' is big, but it isn't beautiful. It is unfair, cutting programs that help struggling families to provide tax cuts to rich people who don't even need it...." -Michael Sean Winters

If a foreign adversary snuck into our Federal budget and cut science research and education the way we’re cutting it ourselves — strategically undermining America’s long-term health, wealth, and security — we would likely consider it an act of war.

I was interviewed by a German radio station last week about Pope Leo and his Chicago connections: (Google translate gives you the gist of what I said!) @domradio.bsky.social www.domradio.de/artikel/us-j...

"We are called to offer God’s love to everyone, in order to achieve that unity which does not cancel out differences but values the personal history of each person and the social and religious culture of every people." --#PopeLeoXIV www.osvnews.com/full-text-ho...

If you missed last week's @newwaysministry.bsky.social conversation on Pope Leo and LGBTQ+ Catholics with @clairegiangrave.bsky.social, @heidischlumpf.bsky.social, and @stevenpmillies.com, it's now available! youtu.be/wdO3z6xP3EU?...

"I do expect — you can mark my words — that we're going to see a challenge to our tax-exempt status if we continue to speak on this issue or anything else that is contrary to actions of this administration." --Bishop Mark Seitz at Loyola's Hank Center www.ncronline.org/node/301541 via @NCRonline

Delighted to be joining this panel this Sunday with Brian Flanagan and @clairegiangrave.bsky.social. Register here: www.newwaysministry.org/2025/05/07/w...

Yesterday morning I was pulling together background from Prevost's childhood in Chicago "just in case." By afternoon, he had been elected the first US-born pope and that background ended up in one of the many pieces NCR published yesterday. www.ncronline.org/vatican/habe...

White smoke. Habemus Papam!

About 100,000 people watching Vatican News livestream right now: www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Mq...

NCR's interactive database on the cardinal electors. I wrote about their support--or not--of women's leadership. www.ncronline.org/vatican/how-...

The church is still in the official nine-day mourning period for Pope Francis. This is from the official White House Twitter.

Thanks to Fr. Jim Korda for having me on the Youngstown Diocese's radio show "Wineskins" today. (It will air later.) All the folks in Youngstown were so hospitable!

"Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us." --Cardinal Re in the funeral homily www.ncronline.org/vatican/than...