Asian News

A Filipino bishop has taken steps to promote the Five First Saturdays Devotion in honor of the Blessed Mother Mary in his diocese, calling it the “forgotten story of Fatima.”

With vibrant processions and shared prayers, Catholics and Muslims in the Diocese of Labuan Bajo inaugurated the Golo Koe 2025 Religious-Cultural Festival with a Marian Statue Pilgrimage, held at St. Martin Parish in Bari, Flores, Indonesia.

Newly constructed and consecrated just about a month ago, St. Peter’s Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia, is now being hailed as a powerful symbol of religious harmony and unity.

In response to the urgent ecological challenges of our time, the Tamil Nadu Conference of Religious (TNCR), Southern India, has launched a transformative environmental initiative titled “Nature is Divine – A Grand Movement to Protect the Earth.”

In a significant moment for the Catholic Church in India, the National Shrine of St. Thomas in Chennai, southern India, was solemnly elevated to the dignity of a Minor Basilica by the Holy See on July 3.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), through a pastoral letter released during its 130th Plenary Assembly, called on Filipinos to uphold justice, peace, and accountability amid growing challenges in the country and across the world.

Jesuit Msgr. Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzález, widely known as the "Bishop of the Wheelchairs" for his work with the maimed and disabled, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his installation as Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, Cambodia, on July 3, 2025.

The Tamil version of The Face of the Faceless, a 2023 Hindi-language film that brings to life the inspiring story and martyrdom of Indian nun Blessed Rani Maria Vattalil, was launched on July 8, 2025.

The Beatae Maria Virginis Cathedral Parish in the Diocese of Bogor, Western Indonesia, organized a two-day youth camp on July 5–6, 2025, under the theme “Pilgrim of Hope, Humanitarian Service, and Guardian of Diversity.”

Divine Mercy Philippines is set to host two major congresses in 2025, one regional and one national, both designed to deepen devotion to the Divine Mercy during the Jubilee Year of Redemption.

On July 6, 2025, the faithful of St. Thomas Church, Singngat, in Manipur, northeastern India, celebrated Parish Day. The celebration was part of a three-day conference held from July 4 to 7, focusing on the renewal of Catholic faith in the region.

Jesuit Mission Australia has launched the "One Foot Raised" campaign, calling on Australians to take part in a national movement of solidarity on July 31, the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, to raise awareness and funds for the people of Myanmar.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake attended a civic event held to mark the golden jubilee of the priestly ordination of Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, Archbishop of Colombo, at the Maduru Auditorium of the Colombo Archbishop’s House on July 7, 2025.

On July 6, 2025, about 500 faithful, including three Catholic priests and a deacon, took part in a Thanksgiving Mass to mark the inauguration of Sugadabadi, located in Kandhamal District, in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, as a new mission station.

On June 27, 2025, Caritas Sri Lanka–Social and Economic Development Centre (SEDEC) marked a historic milestone with the blessing and inauguration of its new building, a long-awaited vision turned into reality.

An Ecumenical Youth Program held at Arunodaya Retreat Centre, Athurugiriya, Sri Lanka, on June 20–21, 2025, brought together more than 70 Christian youth from across the island nation. The event aimed to foster unity, faith, and leadership under the theme “Empowered in Christ, United to Shine in Joy and Faith.”

On July 7, 2025, Father Francesco Rapacioli, a missionary serving in Bangladesh, was elected Superior General of the Pondifical Insitiue for Foreign Mission (PIME) by the XVI General Assembly underway in Rome, Italy.

In a gesture of support for the marginalized, on July 5, Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells, Apostolic Nuncio to Thailand, along with staff from the Apostolic Nunciature, visited the St. Martin Foundation Home for Hope in Nonthaburi, northern Thailand. Nonthaburi is located about 16 kilometers north of Bangkok, the country’s capital.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, on the island of Negros in the Philippines known for his consistent advocacy for justice, peace, and environmental stewardship has been elected to lead two major ecclesiastical offices in the country: the Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice, and Peace, and Caritas Philippines.

The Catholic Church, though a minority in predominantly Buddhist Cambodia, has played a vital role in the country’s healing and reconciliation, according to the newly appointed coadjutor apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh.