Texas Catholic Voice June 2026
In this issue:
- Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - watch livestream on Thursday
- TEFA waitlist active
- Magnifica Humanitas released
- And more!
A Message from Jennifer Allmon, Executive Director
June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and this year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has chosen to consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart in remembrance of our 250th anniversary.
Twenty-three days before the United States of America’s 250th birthday, on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the bishops will consecrate the United States for the fifth time in its history, and for the first time consecrate the country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On June 11, the day before the feast day, those gathered for the bishops’ spring plenary assembly will concelebrate a Mass with a consecration that will be livestreamed from the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando, Florida.
Parishes, families and groups of individuals can also participate in various ways, including a consecration of a home and a novena prayed in the home.
Our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is only possible because God’s Incarnation brought his Divine Love into our humanity. As we celebrate the highest ideals of our country – that all are created equal, with certain inalienable rights bestowed by God – the bishops seek to unite all of us in this powerful prayer, so that we might grow in our efforts to be a people known for loving and serving as Christ loves and serves.
Prayer of Pope Leo XIV to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Lord, I come to Your tender Heart today,
to You who have words that set my heart ablaze,
to You who pour out compassion on the little ones and the poor,
on those who suffer, and on all human miseries.
I desire to know You more, to contemplate You in the Gospel,
to be with You and learn from You
and from the charity with which You allowed Yourself
to be touched by all forms of poverty.
TEFA Updates – Students rolling off the waitlist
Families with students on the TEFA waitlist shouldn't give up hope! Several thousand students have moved off the waitlist and into the TEFA program as students began to opt out, choose homeschooling or had their special education confirmed. With those students added to the program, almost 100,000 students have been awarded TEFAs so far.
More students will be awarded accounts when the deadline for appeals passes, since 10% of the appropriation was held back for appeals and not all of that will be awarded. Right now, Texas has the honor of having the largest waitlist in the country: 150,000 students. In the next legislative session, the comptroller is required by statute to submit in the legislative appropriation request an amount that would fund that number of students for the next two years.
The Texas Comptroller has launched a new TEFA News & Updates web page with the latest announcements, lottery updates, deadlines, funding information, family stories and more. This will be a helpful resource for both Texas private schools and families participating in or on the waitlist for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program. You can find it here.
Magnifica Humanitas
Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity) is Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, released last month. In it, the Holy Father brings the light of the Church's rich social tradition to face the challenges of today, writing that the Church “recognizes history as the place where the Gospel challenges and directs human experience" (no. 2). All Catholics and people of good will are invited to join Pope Leo in discerning together the profound impacts of technological advancement and how to always place human dignity at the center of any new technology.
As we read Magnifica Humanitas, let us reflect on Pope Leo’s urgent appeal to protect the dignity of the human person in this age of AI: “With the heart of a shepherd and a father, I ask everyone to abandon the construction of yet another Tower of Babel and to join forces in building up the common good, so that humanity will never lose its beauty, and the world once again will come to recognize the human heart as the place where God desires to dwell” (no. 16).
Bishop-elect John Gomez to be ordained June 30 in Laredo
Bishop-elect John Jairo Gomez will be ordained and installed as the second bishop of Laredo on June 30 at the Sames Auto Arena in Laredo. Bishop-elect Gómez is a priest of the Tyler Diocese and currently serves as the vicar general of the diocese.
For more information, visit dioceseoflaredo.org
Interim Prayer for the Legislature
During the interim session, please pray for all our public servants and elected officials, including our governor, lt. governor, House speaker, lawmakers and their staff, that the Lord may grant them rest and refreshment from their work, bless their return home to their districts to be with their families and constituents, and give them grace and guidance in the interim.
Upcoming executions
- LeJames Norman, Sept. 16, 2026
- Ramey Ker’sean Olajuwa, Sept. 23, 2026
- Jamaal Howard, Oct. 7, 2026
- John Rubio, Nov. 12, 2026
We pray for the victims of violence and their loved ones, for those on death row and for an end to the death penalty.
Pray with Pope Leo
For the values of sports
Let us pray that sports be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.