Between the day I started this newsletter and today, Monday April 27, the failed assassination attempt occurred. We’re still in the “hot takes” phase, waiting for some of the investigatory news to settle. We haven’t even gotten to the bottom of the first two (known) attempts. What is there to say? How do these security breaches keep happening? How long before the wives and families just can’t take it anymore? How much responsibility does the media bear, and how can we hold them accountable? On this second day after the near-catastrophe, all I have is frustration.

Opinions expressed in this newsletter, unless otherwise attributed, are my own.

Sheryl Collmer, editor
April 27, 2026
sherylc@coracusa.com

Ironically, the people who are the easiest prey for the devil are those who don’t believe anything – and those who believe everything.

I have often gotten very irate at people who think that if you talk to or see heavenly beings, life becomes easier for you and you don’t have to make such choices. Just do what the supernatural beings tell you.

In your everyday life, determining what is the good can be extraordinarily difficult. If you are honest and humble, you do the best you can, knowing that sometimes you are going to err. It is harder by a geometric ton when you have what you believe are divine conversations.

First, know that if God actually does speak plainly to you, the devil will, too. It puts a flag on you for the demons. The demons don’t come as demons: they come dressed as angels of light. If you are convinced you can always tell the difference between the two, then it would be better if God had never spoken to you directly at all, for you are too silly and vain to understand the consequence and peril of it all. There are many people who got an authentic locution and then, deciding they were special, go about seeking the next such experience the way an addict seeks his next fix. They cease worrying about right and wrong and restlessly seek more evidence that they are special. If someone starts telling me that, “God told them…” and that they must do it unquestionably or that “this is directly from heaven,” I know that whatever usefulness they may have once had is gone…or at least eclipsed in their mania that they are special. They have become prey to the devil’s malignant influence.

In truth, you must always exercise discernment and must know that the devil can easily fool you, as so many saints such as St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Padre Pio, and many more have candidly conceded happened to them for a time. God ALWAYS holds you responsible for what you say and what you do, regardless of whether you thought you were doing it at His command. You, alone, are responsible for the choices you make. You cannot abrogate your moral agency and your responsibility to God for it.

Start from this point and you may begin to understand what a terrifying thing it is to be in God’s hands directly. Yes, you are special if God decides to speak to you directly, but in a fearful way. You must NOT use God as an excuse to vent your private preferences. If God speaks to you, you must act. But you must choose how to act. You must choose whether it is authentic, you must struggle to interpret it properly, and then you must take full responsibility for whatever you choose.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 20:7-11. It expresses the genuine anguish and agony of this particular burden so beautifully – and the responsibility it requires. Yes, there is honor involved, but it is the sort of honor I would not wish on anyone. Because mostly it involves heavy responsibility. You must always choose…and God holds you to account for the choices you make. He IS a merciful God so He does not punish much for an honest error, but if you do slop work in discernment or allow your personal prejudices or vanity to interfere, you will be held stiffly to account. And heaven help you if you decide you are God’s mini-me, throwing orders and edicts around. You must always take full responsibility for what you do and what you say.

There have been many cases of people who got an authentic locution or visitation – and then promptly went off the rails because they decided they were special and God’s mini-me. This is how you become easy prey for the devil.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, trusting in the Lord in all things, taking responsibility for
everything you say and do, and the Lord will defend you. Start freelancing and you will quickly hit the rocks, however proud you might be. As we enter the run-up to the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, this becomes increasingly important for all to understand and live by.

A few recommendations for trustworthy sources of news:

Jeff Childers, news with a witty delivery in Coffee and Covid >

Elizabeth Nickson, hard-hitting in Welcome to Absurdistan >

Clandestine who looks at news hopefully >

Vigilant Fox who covers current general and health news >

Victor Davis Hanson, a historian with a long track record >

NEW: Hiraeth in Politics >

Chris Jackson is the author of Hiraeth in Exile, a daily blog about the Church. Chris is bold in his declarations, and I welcome his branching out into politics. As he explains, politics won’t save us but political outcomes do make it more possible, or more dangerous, to raise families and live the Christian life. Politics matter. The political Hiraeth is just being launched and I look forward to seeing where it goes in the future.

Many of the programs in the “personal growth” market are devoid of spiritual content, or imbued with dubious spirituality. A new series, Lectio Vitae, literally, “life lesson,” is a Catholic approach to character growth and virtue-strenthening. Hosted by MP Murray, our executive director and an extremely successful professional in the marketing field, this is a series that might be called Christian self-growth.

Ep 1 The Focus Effect >

Ep 2 The Discipline Challenge >

Ep 3 The Perseverence Test >

Ep 4 The Adaptability Advantage >

Ep 5 The Growth Mindset >

Ep 6 The Emotional Intelligence Edge >

Ep 7 The Purpose-Driven Approach >

Ep 8 The Resilience Rebound >

Ep 9 The Self-Awareness Breakthrough >

If you are a regular reader/listener of Jeff Childers, you have an idea how big this. SPLC has caused so much trouble for so many people, that to discover the scale of the fraud they’ve been perpetrating over the decades, is stunning. The SPLC has persecuted good people (conservatives and Christians) and in addition, committed bank fraud, wire fraud and broken incountable business regulations. They are going down, down, down.

You may remember that the Biden administration used the SPLC’s “hate list” to target conservatives. Groups listed as “haters” included Tradition in Action, the Fatima Crusader, the Ruth Institute and Catholic Family News. Being pro-life (anti-abortion) and pro-family (anti-LGBT) was enough to get you on the list.
Some of the best news of all is that, with all their money laundering and fraudulent fundraising, the SPLC war chest of $800 million will probably be on ice for the 2026 midterm elections.

Don’t Forget SPLC’s Anti-Catholic Legacy >

You won’t hear these from the corporate media, and it’s not because media is lazy or stupid. Trump represents the end of their well-funded, money-laundered, unaccountable-to-anyone lifestyle. The whole corporate media is facing an existential crisis… and it has orange hair. You have to go outside their cabal to get any kind of real analysis of world events. In a global chess game, Iran may be the black queen. What’s happening is not random, and it’s not small.

Elizabeth Nickson:

• • Globalism is a crime scene; Iran is the reset >

Clandestine:

• • Trump is gathering evidence in Iran >
  • The Military is the Only Way >

Sounds funny, right? But if people were regularly engaged in things that brought them joy, they’d have less time to make mischief. You already have a few hobbies, but if they’ve grown stale or are collecting dust in the guest room, maybe it’s time to try something new. The important thing is that it absorbs you and brings joy.

Sounds funny, right? But if people were regularly engaged in things that brought them joy, they’d have less time to make mischief. You already have a few hobbies, but if they’ve grown stale or are collecting dust in the guest room, maybe it’s time to try something new. The important thing is that it absorbs you and brings joy.

Creative Hobbies
Painting, even paint-by-number
Model building
Home improvement projects
Pottery
Photography
Candlemaking
Jam and jellymaking
Quilting
Crochet
Cooking, maybe exotic foods
Creative writing
Scrapbooking
Calligraphy
Woodworking
Making short videos
Home brewing

Recreational Hobbies
Gardening
Running
Swimming
Bicycling
Reading
Foraging
Weight-lifting
Hiking
Camping
Astronomy
Fishing
Hunting
Dancing
Climbing
Skiing
Archery

Educational Hobbies
Bird watching
Herbals – tincturing, teas
Radio comms
Music
Foreign languages
Genealogy

Just Plain Fun Hobbies
Escape Rooms
Role playing games (the clean, safe
ones)
Bridge
Mah Johng
Wordle / Sudoku / Crosswords
Jigsaw puzzles

There are thousands of us, but we are spread out across the country, and now, the world. How do we actually find each other and make alliances? At present, the best ways are highlighted below. We’ll keep brainstorming.

Signal – CORAC hosts multiple channels on Signal: regional general chats, regional topical chats, national team chats, and the big CORAC General Discussion thread. There is also a prayer hotline, a comms helpline, and several alert channels.

A good place for a newcomer to start is the General Discussion thread. However be ready for a lot of action. People post frequently on this channel, and you’ll want to turn your notification “pings” off. The discussion can get spirited, but leaders insist on charity so there are limits. This is a good place to get to know people. You can ask a question about CORAC or anything else, and get good input from a variety of people.

To participate in Signal channels, upload the Signal app on your device, open an account, and then search for the specific thread, “CORAC General Discussion” for example, and request entrance. If you have any trouble, contact your regional coordinator.

Your Regional Coordinator – CORAC is divided into geographical regions, each with a leader. To find your region, see the map here. Scroll down to the “Find Your Region” and hover over your state to see the email address of your regional coordinator.

Your regional coordinator can help you get plugged in. You can pick areas of interest that you may want to be more involved in, and your RC can direct you to the proper places and people. The regions have local team leads for prayer, health & wellness, sustainable living, communications. You can join one of those teams in which you have especial interest or experience. Talk to your RC about any regional Signal threads that may have been created.

You can make an appointment to host Charlie for a talk in your area which is a great occasion to gather together local CORAC members, and invite friends. Charlie is always, always interesting. I’ve been to great local events with Charlie speaking in private homes as well as public spaces. You can make it as formal or informal as you want. Charlie travels the country, so sooner or later, he will be in your area. Email Mary Lapchak, his scheduler. To see what’s possible: lapchakma@gmail.com and get your Regional Coordinator looped in so that everyone in your area can attend. Great way to meet nearby CORAC’ers.

Sign up to receive Charlie’s blog, A Sign of Hope here. The “subscribe” button is in the lower right corner. Charlie posts approximately weekly, and there’s a bonus on each post… the Comments section. Some great friendships have been formed there, just from comments, and since it’s moderated, there is never the kind of harshness you sometimes get on places like X.

Several new items have been posted to the Pillars of Faith website since the last newsletter.

The Watchman’s Lamp “When Miracle and Sin Are Redefined” (10 mins)

Pastoral Letter “The Heart of the Matter”

Both focus on our need for repentance and deeper conversion, something that never grows old, especially now, when we can be torn in so many directions.

Sue Tucker, a CORAC Region 9 local coordinator for South Dakota, passed away on April 7. Her death took CORAC leadership by surprise. Sue was integral to the first National Conference in 2022, and participated on many of the CORAC Signal threads where she was known for her kind, encouraging messages. Sue gave selflessly of herself and lived out the “Go Forth” ethic in her own way. Please remember her in prayer. Eternal rest grant unto her, and let perpetual light shine upon her.