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Hello, I'm Gina Christian, and you're listening to our OSV Newscast for Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today we mark the feast of Saints Simon and Jude, both apostles. Not much is known about them, but they were actually quite close to Jesus, not only as apostles, but as cousins of the Lord. The two were partners in mission and both were martyred. There are a number of parishes and schools named after the pair, and Saint Jude is also known as a patron of impossible causes, and we all have a few of those. Saints Simon and Jude pray for us. Now let's catch you up on the Catholic news of the day, and here we go. Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, is very much looking forward to eventually visiting his native country, even as he prepares to head to Latin America next month. That's according to the Vatican's Foreign Minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. The Archbishop, who is the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, shared his thoughts with reporters at the Foreign Press Club in Rome on October 27th. He said, obviously a visit to the United States is very likely, I would say, in the not too distant future. Whether it will be 2027 or later, I really don't know. The Archbishop also said one of the things that will influence it is eventually the American elections. Once the midterm elections are over this fall, then the window of opportunity might open up in 2027, said the Archbishop, and he added that too late in the year will start being the vigil of the presidential election, so that may affect an eventual decision on the date. But he said, yes, there's no doubt about it. The Pope wants to go to the States. He is very much looking forward to that. Spain's Catholic Church is expressing sorrow and solidarity after a devastating high-speed train collision near Toledo on October 28th left at least 68 people dead and hundreds injured, with authorities warning the toll could rise. The Spanish Bishops' Conference offered its condolences and closeness to the families of the victims, and said bishops were praying for the eternal rest of the deceased and for the recovery of the injured. The bishops also asked Catholics to pray for all affected and for emergency crews responding to the disaster. Church leaders across the country joined civil authorities in mourning. Archbishop Francisco Cerro of Toledo and Auxiliary Bishop Cesar Garcia Magan entrusted the victims and their families to the Lord, while thanking emergency health and security personnel for their efforts. Local priests rushed to the scene to provide spiritual support. Father Jose Miguel Fernandez, pastor of Urda, said he had offered the parish facilities for whatever is needed, adding that parish caritas organizations were ready to help. The collision involved two trains carrying more than 540 people, and it's believed to have been caused by human error following a signaling failure. Spain's king and queen and political leaders also offered condolences as the nation entered a period of mourning. The canonization cause for Ruth Pacollock, a Massachusetts wife, mother, convert, and pro-life activist, has been suspended. That's according to the cause's leaders. In a brief statement posted to its website, the Ruth V. K. Pacollock Foundation said it has suspended its petition to the Bishop of Worcester to formally open Ruth's cause of beatification and canonization. The Foundation added, This decision is based on considerations that extend beyond Ruth herself, her life, or her witness. Ultimately, the matter rests in God's hands and will proceed according to the judgment of the Church. The Vatican had given the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts permission to proceed with the cause in late September of 2025, with Pacollock named a servant of God, the initial title given to a candidate for a sainthood cause. Pacollock, who died at age 41 in 1998 following a lengthy battle with cancer, was a mother of seven and an ardent pro-life advocate. A new report has found that undecided Catholic voters are a swing voting block, but reliably show up to the polls. The report was conducted by Untold Research on behalf of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby. The research concluded that Catholics are swing voters in the truest sense of the term. Just 4% of respondents who describe themselves as Catholic and as undecided, uncommitted voters in this election cycle, did not vote at all in the past three presidential elections. Laurie Carafon, Network's executive director, told OSV News the group commissioned the report because many voters, including Catholic voters, are undecided even close to the election, and we just wanted to have a better insight into what issues and factors motivate undecided Catholic voters. The report was released on October 28th, and it filtered focus group participants for those who identified as Catholics and said they were undecided in the upcoming elections. Most of the respondents reside in Michigan, a battleground state with a key Senate race ranked as a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. The midterm elections are scheduled for November 3rd. And finally, Catholic basketball fans, you have a choice, and very possibly a dilemma. The University of Notre Dame will hit the hoops against Villanova University, the alma mater of Pope Leo XIV. And what's more, the men's and women's teams from both schools will meet up on November 1st, All Saints Day, at Rome's Palazzo dello Sport. Its build is the Eternal City tip-off. The men's game begins at 9.30 a.m. Eastern on Fox, followed by the women's at 12 p.m. Eastern on FS1. The NCAA granted a special waiver allowing the teams to begin their seasons one day before the official opening of college basketball. The historic event will mix basketball, Catholic identity, and international fellowship. The team's visit includes a private mass at St. Peter's Basilica on October 31st and a planned audience with Pope Leo. Hmm, I wonder who he's rooting for. That's your OSV Newscast for today. I'm Gina Christian. Check out the show notes for a link to our website. That's where you can find the stories in this episode. As always, please make sure to subscribe to this podcast, give us a follow on social media and bookmark osvnews.com. A shout out to all of our listeners around the world. So good to see you checking in. Hope, Leo, we continue to pray for you as you get ready for your South American trip. Thanks so much for listening, and God bless.

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