Organizers of the Aug. 8 vigil said they hoped the faithful can remain solely a prayer movement so that tensions ease in the weeks long series of mass demonstrations by Hong Kong citizens opposing a controversial extradition law.

“This evil affects everyone, and all communities are affected by racism,” said Bishop Shelton J. Fabre.

Kendrick Castillo, the 18-year-old hero who charged a shooter at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Colorado, was posthumously named a Knight of Columbus.

Thousands of train passengers were stranded in different areas of the city, Indian's financial capital, and in other suburbs and towns of Maharashtra state as two days of continuous rain began to submerge rail tracks, forcing authorities to cancel or divert services.

"If the world continues to do nothing, the result will be the elimination of the Christian presence," said Bishop Laurent Dabire of Dori, president of the bishops' conference of Burkina Faso and Niger.

"We must all take responsibility to reject language that ridicules, condemns, or vilifies another person because of their race, religion, gender, age, culture or ethnic background," the archbishop said.

The country's Justice Department is set to open a preliminary investigation the week of Aug. 5 into sedition and cyber libel charges against church leaders.

The Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, Texas, burned to the ground July 29. The fire is still under investigation.

New Jersey's new law allowing assisted suicide, effective Aug. 1, "points to an "utter failure" on the part of government and indeed all society, said Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen.

"Across Alaska, thousands of low-income families now face new struggles through funding cuts to agencies that operate food pantries, shelter programs, and early childhood education," the bishops said