A season of Scripture and dialogue: Advent study launches as migration conversations shape the Church’s path
A week of Scripture-centered formation and pastoral dialogue highlights the Church’s call to deepen faith through study and to accompany families and migrants with care.
Week of October 27–November 2, 2025
Advent prep through Scripture: Bible Across America goes nationwide
From Steubenville to parishes across the country, a new Bible study initiative is gearing up to frame the Advent and Christmas seasons around Scripture in a bold, communal way. The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology announced that its program, Bible Across America, will begin November 5 and run for seven weekly sessions. The aim is not merely personal devotion but a collective movement—“around God’s Word to prayerfully study Scripture, grow in discipleship, and build one another up in the Lord.”
The initiative builds on the center’s long-standing offerings—online courses, scholarly books, and in-person events—while inviting thousands of Catholics to organize Bible study groups among family, friends, and parish communities. The program is framed as a nationwide Catholic Bible movement, with leaders encouraged to gather groups wherever they can. Seven weekly sessions will dive into themes such as the Infancy Narratives, exorcisms, the Sermon on the Mount, the healing of the synagogue ruler’s daughter, Martha and Mary, the Lost Sheep and Luke 15, and the Transfiguration of Jesus. The aim is for participants to encounter Christ in a fresh way through Scripture and to be formed in the Catholic understanding of the Gospel.
“Bible Across America” initiative is billing itself as “a nationwide Catholic Bible movement,” encouraging Catholics to create and organize Bible study groups with their families, friends, or fellow parishioners.
— St. Paul Center
Steubenville-based, the center emphasizes that this is more than a study program; it is a coordinated effort to foster biblical literacy at the grassroots level. Leaders can register with the center to receive a discussion guide that will aid group conversations, and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible—edited by the center’s founder, Scott Hahn—will be promoted as a core resource. The project has already drawn partnership notices with Catholic organizations such as Hallow, FOCUS, and Mount St. Mary’s University, signaling a broad coalition behind this Advent initiative. The center notes that the sessions will feature insights from Benedictine Father Boniface Hicks, Heather Khym, Shane Owens, Katie McGrady, and Alex Jones, the CEO of Hallow, underscoring the collaboration across clergy, lay experts, and Catholic media platforms. The goal, as described by the center, is to empower Catholics and Christians across North America to experience a transformative “Emmaus moment” through communal Scripture study in homes and parishes.
Meeting of minds in Rome: Migration, borders, and the dignity of the family
Meanwhile in Rome, the Holy See hosted two audiences on the same day that highlighted the Church’s continuing engagement with Europe’s migration dialogue and the protection of families. Pope Leo XIV met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the morning and with European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner in the afternoon. Orbán, known for his restrictionist stance on migration, and Brunner, who supports a common EU policy, reflect a spectrum of approaches within Europe’s debate on how to balance border security, duty to protect, and humanitarian responsibility.
The Vatican did not disclose the full content of the private audiences, but the official remarks focused on the enduring importance of the family and the formation and future of young people, as well as protecting vulnerable Christian communities. The conversations also touched on broader European concerns, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, signaling that these discussions are part of a wider attempt to ground policy in pastoral realities rather than abstract politics.
Of particular note was the pope’s stance on borders framed within a moral imperative. In remarks associated with the visit, Pope Leo XIV defended each state’s right and duty to protect its borders, while emphasizing a corresponding obligation to offer refuge to those in need. He warned against “inhumane” measures that treat migrants as if they were “garbage,” insisting that policy must reflect both security and compassion. As Orbán posted about the private audience, the exchange underscored the Holy See’s commitment to safeguarding families and supporting the young as essential to the fabric of society.
“Each state’s right and duty to protect its borders must be balanced with the moral obligation to provide refuge,”
— Pope Leo XIV
“I warned against ‘inhumane’ measures that treat migrants as if they were ‘garbage,’”
— Pope Leo XIV
In practical terms, the late October meetings highlighted a two-pronged pastoral approach: nurture of the family as the primary social unit and a careful, humane stance toward those seeking refuge. The discussions underscored the Church’s desire to accompany the vulnerable with the warmth of Catholic teaching on dignity, migration, and social responsibility, even as Europe grapples with complex political realities.
Looking ahead
Advent is knocking at the door, and the Bible Across America program offers a ready-made structure for households and parish groups to begin a journey through Scripture together. Beginning November 5, seven sessions will invite Catholics to root their Christmas anticipation in the Word and in fellowship. The program’s collaborative partners and the participation of renowned Scripture scholars suggest a broad, lay-led movement that could redefine how parishes teach and live the Gospel in the weeks leading to Christmas.
On the European horizon, the Holy See’s ongoing engagement with migration policy and border realities suggests that dialogue will continue to shape how the Church ministers to migrants, families, and communities across the continent. The Vatican’s emphasis on the family, youth formation, and the moral dimensions of policy points to a holistic pastoral strategy—one that seeks to accompany people in their everyday lives, from the dinner table to the border crossing, with consistent fidelity to Catholic teaching and a hopeful vision for the common good.
As the Church enters a season of hopeful anticipation, these stories remind us that faithful living is not only about private prayer or private charity; it is about forming communities that study the Word together and welcome the stranger with mercy. The week’s events invite Catholics to walk into Advent with Scripture on their lips, families strengthened at home, and a renewed commitment to the dignity of every person who crosses the path of our shared humanity.
