Returning from a visit to the Kurdish region of Iraq, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan called the Islamic State invasion "pure and simple religious cleansing and attempted genocide. What we, the five patriarchs, saw in Ankawa, Irbil and other cities of Kurdistan, was something indescribable in terms of the violation of human rights and the threat of disappearing of various communities among the vulnerable minorities of Northern Iraq," Patriarch Younan said. "It is a pure and simple religious cleansing and attempted genocide. Patriarch Younan and Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II stayed in Iraq for six days after arriving as part of a delegation of Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs who visited Irbil to give moral and spiritual support to the beleaguered Iraqis from the Ninevah Plain. The displaced minorities -- Christians, Yezidis, Shiite Muslims and Shabaks -- sought refuge there from their besieged towns and villages, which fell to Islamic State militants in early August after they were evicted for their religious affiliation. In the Kurdistan region, "we saw hundreds of families still living on the streets, exposed to an unbearable heat wave, lacking the basic needs and primarily fearing for their future," as winter approaches, Patriarch Younan said. Temperatures in the Kurdish region currently climb above 105 degrees Fahrenheit, yet winters are harsh and freezing, often with torrential rain and snow. Patriarch Younan said the most-asked question by many of the Christian refugees was, "Can we ever return? At that question, the most feared answer was: No answer could be given," he said. The patriarch said that along with the little financial assistance they could offer the displaced, the patriarchs "prayed with them, consoling, encouraging and inspiring them with Christian 'Hope against all hope,' repeatedly reminding them of the promise of the Lord: 'Do not be afraid, you little flock. ... I will be with you until the end of time.' The church's leaders committed themselves to sound the alarm of the very survival of Christians in Iraq and in the whole Middle East region and pledged to bring the plight of their people to all international arenas: the (U.N.) Security Council, the United States of America, the European Union, as well to Russia and China," Patriarch Younan said. The patriarchs met at Bkerke, north of Beirut, Aug. 27, to further address the crisis. Local media in Beirut reported that Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite patriarch, was scheduled to meet with Pope Francis the following day.

Although Christians, Muslims and Jews have struggled for hundreds of years to live peacefully alongside each other in the Middle East, "we have never seen the kind of 'religious cleansing' we are witnessing today," said the head of the region's Franciscans. "All religious communities must raise their voices against this abomination" being carried out, particularly in Iraq and Syria, by terrorists calling themselves the Islamic State, said Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, custos of the Holy Land. Speaking in Rimini, Italy, at an international meeting sponsored by the Communion and Liberation movement, Father Pizzaballa said political, economic and probably military intervention will be needed to protect the Christian and other minority communities of the Middle East. However, he added, their survival ultimately will depend on the courage and willingness of the region's inhabitants to love and protect one another. "Political solutions must be sought urgently, but they won't save Christianity in the Middle East," he said. "Their presence will be saved by the little ones, by those who courageously step up and challenge death, selflessly loving their brothers and sisters." I urge you to pray that the Lord send St. Michael to protect these and all people who are being persecuted for their faith.

Catholics Come Home, an organization based in the Atlanta suburb of Roswell, will premiere a new TV series that features individuals who have joined the Catholic Church or returned to the Catholic faith after many years away. The "Catholics Come Home" series, which was filmed in more than a dozen locations in the U.S. and Canada, will debut Sept. 4 at 10 p.m. Eastern time on the Eternal Word Television Network. The series consists of 13 30-minute episodes, each featuring an interview with someone who recently returned to the church as a result of a Catholics Come Home campaign and in response to "the call of the Holy Spirit," said a news release on the series. Catholics Come Home, whose founder and president is Tom Peterson, has worked with dozens of U.S. dioceses on TV ad campaigns, especially at Lent and Christmas, to invite inactive Catholics to get more involved in the church, fallen-away Catholics to return to the church and non-Catholics to join the church. In the series, Peterson interviews a variety of guests, including former atheists, agnostics, Protestants and fallen-away Catholics. Each of the half-hour episodes also will include segments on the Catholic Church's new evangelization, which encourages Catholics to renew their faith and be willing to share it. Episodes will air every Thursday night at 10 p.m. Eastern time, with additional airings on Sundays at 6 p.m. Eastern time. More information on the show can be found at www.catholicscomehome.org. The EWTN website, www.ewtn.com, has scheduling information.

Robin Williams' apparent suicide has placed a dark cloud on this day. He brought laughter to so many people and in a world short on joy, we need people who can lighten the mood. Many of the news stories about him note that he suffered from depression. It is a misunderstood mental health illness that many suffer from, often in silence. Robin Williams death reminds us of his comedy. His portrayal as Mrs. Doubtfire is really unmatched. The movie itself was so pro-family and it really emphasized how important relationships can be. It was a good movie that illustrated how important it is for children to have a good mother and father. So often, comedies turn the father into a irredeemable buffoon. That was not so of Mrs. Doubtfire. His passing also reminds us that we are very often our worse critics. We beat ourselves senseless over unimportant things. Jesus tells us to work on our interior and leave the rest to him. Romans 5:4-5 says, "Patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us". So often God is much more patient with us than we are with ourselves. So in honor of Robin Williams, lighten up and give yourself a break today. RIP Robin Williams.

If you have seen an artistic Facebook cover photo with a saint and a powerful quote, there's a good chance it came from Cassie Pease. The 22-year-old South Dakota native's designs have been floating around social media and phone backgrounds for over a year now. While Pease has always been interested in design, she did not realize her saint art would be so popular. The first composition she made was of Saint John Paul II, and she shared it on Facebook for her friends to enjoy. “I started putting these designs on Facebook just to kind of share with my friends so they could know what I was up to,” Pease said. “About a week later I checked it and it had over 300 shares…and I was just astonished.” Growing up, Pease said she enjoyed creating designs with characters from movies and T.V. shows. While attending college for graphic design in Sioux Falls, her art began reflecting her growing faith. “I started falling more in love with Jesus and the Catholic Church, so for different projects I would do things for the Newman Center or youth ministry office in our diocese, and I really loved that. I wanted to use my talents in design for the Church in some way,” she said. After college, Pease tried to get a job working for the Church in design, but it didn't work out. A job at a winery paid the bills, but when she got home in the evening she continued creating designs on her computer with her favorite saints. When they started taking off on Facebook, Pease looked into creating her own design business. “People started asking, 'Do you do print?' or 'Do you have your designs as posters that I can hang up?' So it was through those questions that I started looking into…could I actually do this as a job?” she said. Pease started the printing side of her business after finding a good sale on posters, which she then sold online. She now has her own design business, Cassie Pease designs, which includes free Saint designs for Facebook and computer backgrounds as well as print designs such as posters, postcards and wallets for sale among other things. Saint John Paul II is Pease's favorite saint, so there are several designs with different quotes from the late pontiff. “He’s also pretty easy to find pictures of,” Pease said. It's true – the saint was arguably one of the most photographed men in the history of the world. Other favorites of Pease include St. Jose Maria Escriva and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassatti. “He’s such a vibrant young guy, he’s really inspiring for young people,” Pease said of Frassatti. Pease said she likes to take requests from people who enjoy her designs about which saints they’d like to see. Her inspiration also comes from powerful quotes from the saints. “Every once in a while you just get those quotes that really hit home and you want to remember them and keep going back to them,” she said. Tied for the oldest of nine children (she has a twin sister), Pease said she thinks her home-schooled background has a lot to do with how artistic she and her siblings are. “(My parents) were great teachers and great examples in the faith growing up, (though) neither one of my parents are very artistic,” Pease said. “But I think being homeschooled really played a part in all my siblings’ lives,” she said. “Everyone’s kind of got their own little (creative) niche.” Pease’s twin sister, who is now a sister with The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, loves to draw with pencils. The next sister down was really into music and taught herself piano, and is now a religious sister with the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth. “It’s really cool because she can sing all the time with the sisters, their voices are all so beautiful,” Pease said. “I’d go visit her and it’s like, ‘Yeah, you fit in here.’” Another Pease sister creates her own designs and sells clothes and owl purses on Etsy. “All the rest of my siblings are pretty artsy,” Pease said. She noted that said her designs create opportunities to share her faith with others. “A mom e-mailed me through the website and she said her daughter didn’t really seem like she’s that interested in her faith, but she found my designs and she showed them to her mom and she was just really excited about them,” Pease said. “And that was a gift, because it provided them an opportunity to talk about the saints and the Catholic Church.” Pease said her design business will likely continue to grow organically as she learns more about design and receives more requests from people who love her art. She’s thinking about adding journals or diaries to her store soon, but the Facebook and computer background images will remain free for people to download and use. “Because at the end of day I really just want to share that message of the saints and let Jesus Christ work through them to touch people’s lives.”