Washington, DC, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pope Leo XIV’s representative to the United States, the papal nuncio Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, will be celebrant and homilist for The Catholic University of America’s Mass for the opening of the academic year.

The Mass of the Holy Spirit, which Catholic colleges and universities have held at the start of the academic year for the past 500 years, draws together students, faculty, and staff to pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

The Mass will be held on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. 20017

Faculty will process in academic regalia at noon, with Mass starting at 12:10 p.m.

It will be broadcast live via Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). 

Classes began at Catholic University on Monday, Aug. 31, but all classes are canceled during the Mass of the Holy Spirit so students and faculty can attend.

The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., is the national university of the Catholic Church and the only higher education institution founded by the U.S. bishops. Chartered by Pope Leo XIII in 1887, Catholic University is an R1 research institution with 12 Schools and Colleges serving more than 5,500 undergraduate and graduate students. 

Media Relations
The Catholic University of America
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