It’s a topic none of us want to look at, but I am convinced that her experience is not unique, or even rare. I’m honestly tired of slogging along in filth and trying to pretend the streets are clean. That sludge we’re wading through? What if much of it is due to active Satanism, opening the door? For the sake of Mother Church, not to mention innocent victims, shouldn’t we spare some attention for this phenomenon? I vote yes. If you have a squeamish turn, be assured that Rachel couches her story with such delicacy that you are not seated front-row for something that will haunt your dreams.

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

Sheryl Collmer, editor
February 4, 2026
sherylc@coracusa.com

I have never understood why some folks think Christians must be relentless pacifists. Neither Scripture nor Sacred Tradition support that idea. On the other end of the spectrum, more martial Christians often forget their duty to evangelize, to make disciples of all nations. We are not just to fight, but to convert and to treat all people of good will with respect.

I am completely opposed to Islam as an abomination and a vicious parody of real religion. Yet I have a great deal of empathy with many Muslims. Most are just trying to worship God as they were taught – and hate the initiating of violence that ideology masquerading as a religion insists on.

On my pilgrimage, walking across the country, two of the kindest people I met were Muslims who wanted to participate by praying for me and helping me along my way and by making me promise to offer prayers for them on my way. A priest friend, whose name you would all know, told me once about a credible apparition of Our Lady in which she surprised everyone, because when asked who the holiest person there was, she identified a quiet woman in the room who seldom spoke…a Muslim woman.

I have long held that the faith we embrace is like a tool box. I believe that the Catholic Church holds the fullness of the deposit of faith in trust until Christ returns. But being Catholic is not what will save me. How I use the tools my religion gives me to do the Father’s will are what reconcile me to Him. Many people, with this most refined toolbox, squander it all by strutting around thinking that the toolbox, itself, make them master carpenters. Others, with much more humble and deficient toolboxes, produce an abundance of noble work. In the end, it is those who do the Father’s will, not those who talk a good game while smugly presuming they are in like flint, who gain the Lord’s approval.

Years ago (decades, really, but who’s counting) a friend of mine was obsessed with golf. He was convinced that with the latest equipment he could become a professional on the tour. He was forever going on with this breakthrough or that in technology for putters and drivers – and how buying that hideously overpriced club would put him over the top. I finally asked him if he thought he could beat Tiger Woods if Woods was forced to use a random rummage sale set of clubs for the match. He started to respond, then his eyes widened and I think a bit of wisdom started blooming in him. Having a refined club can be useful, but only on the margins. It is the player who counts.

Being a solid Christian demands balance and prudence. We must fight to defend those under attack (not CAN fight, but MUST when we can. It is our Christian duty). We must also comport ourselves so that it is easy for people to convert when wisdom blooms. Triumphalism and presumption, so beloved by some Christians who think to aggrandize themselves, will drive the newly open away.

It will be good to keep this strongly in mind as this year unfolds. Many will be looking for what to believe after their old system collapses. Do you stand in your integrity in a way that even those who disagree with you admire? If you do, whether you know it or not, you are an evangelist.

We’ve all watched the bishops twist themselves into pretzels to support open borders, chiefly by failing to distinguish between legal and illegal immigration. In this video, whistleblower Tara Rodas explains how the unthinkable happened, how the US bishops became party to human trafficking. This isn’t a conspiracy theorist on a rogue podcast, either. Tara Lee Rodas is a Federal employee, giving testimony in Congress.

Watch here or read the transcript >

Frequent reader hint: you can listen to Jeff Childers on your phone while you’re walking or driving. Here’s how:

• • Install the Substack app on your phone. It looks like this:

• • Find the byline at the top of the daily email. Click on “READ IN APP”.

• • When the app opens to the article, you’ll see the triangle at the top. Click on it to start the recording.

You can use this same function for other Substacks, such as Elizabeth Nickson or Diane Montagna (both highly recommended.) It makes us much easier to keep up with the news you choose.

If you’re not yet following Coffee & Covid, here’s a recap of the issues covered in the last week:

THE MEANING OF ‘IS’ ☙ Tuesday, February 3
Clintons agree to sworn depositions; Musk merges SpaceX & xAI; Dems fume over Tulsi at Fulton raid; another Squad millionaire emerges; GOP cracks silent filibuster to pass SAVE Act

MAKING BANK ☙ Monday, February 2
Historic detrans verdict sinks bad doctors; Alcaraz wins, Djokovic endures; US-Iran tensions cool; Epstein files claim more scalps; Fulton County fumes and stalls; culture’s terrific inflection

AWKWARDNESS ☙ Saturday, January 31
Don Lemon arrested for church invasion; bankrupt UN; SpaceX seeks million-satellite AI datacenters; Epstein files flood out

ANNUS OPERUM ☙ Friday, January 30
Trump Accounts transform American politics forever; Mamdani thwarted by immigration expenses; blue states double down; Republicans prep for litigation surge

I, ROBOT ☙ Thursday, January 29
Democrat narrative retreat; Pretti shooting new video shifts story; momentum builds for voter-ID/SAVE Act; FBI raids Fulton County for 2020 ballots; wild Telsa shift

JUST RIBBING ☙ Wednesday, January 28
Res wins in election lawsuits; SCOTUS docket; Pfizer CEO dishes on Trump deal; Minnesota shooting victim narrative complications; Trump teases major fraud findings; AI revolution

THE GOLD PLAN ☙ Tuesday, January 27
Gold and silver hit records and Trump repricing plan; MN cools as Homan takes over; polls back mass deportations; GOP locks historic midterm convention; UK experiments with 15-minute cities

Be aware that you can subscribe for free and get daily emails, Mon-Sat. The paid subscription gives you the Sunday bonus column, and the satisfaction of supporting a more honest media.

Big fan here; I think Nickson is one of the most talented and passionate news writers operating today. Her credentials are stellar, including TIME Magazine, LIFE Magazine, the Sunday Times, the Guardian, and more. Her honesty is so brutal that she has been labelled heavily as a “conspiracy theorist.” However, she knows of which she speaks. I read/listen to her, no matter how disturbing her topics may be.

Her latest (she publishes every Saturday) is positively brilliant. She covers a wide range of topics that I have often wondered about and suspected. It’s long, but completely worth it. Listen to it when you go on a walk.

“I Didn’t Hear An Apology From the World Economic Forum. Did you?”

Those jackasses nearly brought down the world.

Ever since I visited the breathtaking Immaculata basilica in St. Mary’s, Kansas, I’ve been interested in the SSPX. The definitive biography of Archbishop Marcel LeFevbre sheds much light beyond the easy stereotypes. When I read about Lefebvre, and especially his own words, I found a priest I could admire and understand. He is someone I would have loved had I known him.

It seems the canonical validity of the SSPX has gone back and forth a number of times since the original breaking event in Écône, Switzerland. In 1988, Lefebvre consecrated four bishops for the survival of the SSPX, without papal approval. The sermon preached that day by Lefebvre is instructive for those seeking reasons.

The bank-and-forth arguments since 1988 about the canonical status of the SSPX are complex. One of my favorite authors on this subject is Kennedy Hall, who has done intense study and faithful documentation of the pertinent documents. His 2023 book, SSPX: The Defense, is a great summary of events up to that point.

Now we’re on the brink of another defining event. The SSPX must consecrate new bishops to preserve and uphold the Tradition of the Church in the Society, but the pope will not respond to their request. It is the same situation Archbishop Lefebvre found himself in, back in 1988. Now after months of papal non-response, the Society has announced they will go ahead with the episcopal consecrations.

If the Vatican imposes canonical penalties on the SSPX, it will impeach itself, having remained silent when the Chinese Communist Party repeatedly violated accords and consecrated bishops without papal approval.

More details from Diane Montagna here >

And Edward Pentin here >

Archbishop Vigano weighs in as follows:

STATEMENT REGARDING THE SOCIETY OF ST. PIUS X

“The decision of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X to consecrate new Bishops on July 1 demonstrates the impossibility of any dialogue with the Holy See. The Vatican’s refusal to comply with the Society’s requests confirms a double standard: On the one hand, synodality opens the way to schism without this constituting a problem either for those who impose it from above or for those who suffer it from below. On the other hand, a Priestly Fraternity of assured orthodoxy is denied permission to consecrate new Bishops precisely because it has not compromised with the conciliar revolution, the highest expression of which is synodality. When the Hierarchy becomes complicit in the demolition of the Church, the only solution is to appeal to the state of necessity and guarantee that Apostolic Succession continues for the good of souls. Nothing has changed since 1988, and we can even say that the situation has dramatically worsened. I therefore express my full support for the decision taken by the Society of Saint Pius X.”

I was heartened to read in Charlie’s latest blog post, Thoughts From The Texas Tundra, an endorsement of Bishop Strickland’s recent podcast, “The Watchman At The Altar.” Bishop Strickland is one of the few (the only in America) bishops willing to speak about the Church’s crisis. All the other bishops blithely walk on, as though nothing is happening that need concern our pretty little heads.

Charlie’s post:

I think it’s worthwhile to join the Pillars of Faith Fraternity, to be part of a group of likeminded Catholics who want to uphold the Faith and enthrone Jesus Christ in our lives.

Join here >

It’s only 16 days away! You may have a particular program of prayer/fasting/almsgiving that you adopt every year, or you may be someone who changes from year to year. It’s always worthwhile to pray for God’s desire for your Lent. He may not be asking you to give up coffee, but to give up YouTube instead. It’s worth asking…

Here are some resources that may help:

• • The Lord Knows Better, In Lent And Always (article on SpiritualDirection.com website)
  • How To Plan A Spiritually Enriching Lent (Dan Burke video, 2 minute video)