Alligator Alcatraz Mass Request Stuck in Limbo
In a striking act of pastoral defiance against the growing cruelty of immigration policies, Archbishop Thomas Wenski, the voice of Catholic conscience in South Florida, joined 25 members of the Knights on Bikes—a ministry of the Knights of Columbus—on a solemn motorcycle pilgrimage deep into the Everglades, where they gathered in prayerful protest outside Florida’s controversial migrant detention site, ominously dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” Denied entry to offer the Holy Mass or provide direct spiritual care, the Archbishop and his fellow Catholics prayed the Rosary at the gates of the compound, publicly calling out the moral degradation of treating vulnerable migrants as nameless criminals trapped without due process or dignity. Wenski, who has been outspoken about the center’s degrading conditions and inflammatory political backing, reminded the faithful that these detainees are human beings with families—images of Christ in anguish. As state officials deny clergy access and attempt to silence concerns, this courageous display of Catholic witness stands as both a rebuke of the impersonal machinery of state detention and a prophetic call to defend the sacred dignity of every soul, especially the most forgotten.
đź“° Via Miamiherald
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This Day in History
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H. L. Hunley Becomes First Submarine to Sink an Enemy Warship (1864)February 17, 2026
The US Civil War-era submarine Hunley required an eight-man crew—seven to power the propeller with a hand-crank and one to steer. Within months of its launch, the Confederate sub had sunk and been salvaged twice, taking the lives of five crewmen the first time and the entire crew the second. Manned with a new crew, Hunley became the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, yet the achievement was marred when the sub itself sank, killing all aboard yet again. When was it recovered?
The US Civil War-era submarine Hunley required an eight-man crew—seven to power the propeller with a hand-crank and one to steer. Within months of its launch, the Confederate sub had sunk and been salvaged twice, taking the lives of five crewmen the first time and the entire crew the second. Manned with a new crew, Hunley became the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, yet the achievement was marred when the sub itself sank, killing all aboard yet again. When was it recovered?Today’s Birthday
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Isabelle Eberhardt (1877)February 17, 2026
As a Swiss explorer traveling in North Africa, Eberhardt often dressed as a man to move more freely through Arab society. Intensely independent, she took the side of Algerians fighting against colonial French rule. She converted to Islam, was initiated into a Sufi brotherhood, and married an Algerian soldier. She wrote about her travels in books and newspapers. She survived a murder attempt—in which her arm was badly injured by a saber—only to die at the age of 27 in what unlikely fashion?
As a Swiss explorer traveling in North Africa, Eberhardt often dressed as a man to move more freely through Arab society. Intensely independent, she took the side of Algerians fighting against colonial French rule. She converted to Islam, was initiated into a Sufi brotherhood, and married an Algerian soldier. She wrote about her travels in books and newspapers. She survived a murder attempt—in which her arm was badly injured by a saber—only to die at the age of 27 in what unlikely fashion?Today’s Holiday
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QuirinaliaFebruary 17, 2026
Quirinus was an ancient Roman deity who closely resembled Mars, the god of war. His name is associated with that of the Quirinal, one of the seven hills on which Rome was built. Eventually, Quirinus was identified with Romulus, one of the legendary founders of Rome, and his festival on February 17 coincided with the date on which Romulus was believed to have been deified. This festival was also associated with the advent of spring warfare, when the shields and weapons of the army, which had been purified and retired for the winter, were brought out.
Article of the Day
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Fatal HilarityFebruary 17, 2026
People can and do die of laughter. The 3rd century BCE philosopher Chrysippus, for example, is said to have laughed himself to death while watching the antics of a drunken donkey. In 1410, Martin I of Aragon succumbed to a combination of indigestion and uncontrollable laughter. More recently, a UK man died of heart failure after laughing for 25 minutes at a TV show featuring a Scotsman in a kilt battling a vicious black pudding. What other historical figures have died from laughter?
People can and do die of laughter. The 3rd century BCE philosopher Chrysippus, for example, is said to have laughed himself to death while watching the antics of a drunken donkey. In 1410, Martin I of Aragon succumbed to a combination of indigestion and uncontrollable laughter. More recently, a UK man died of heart failure after laughing for 25 minutes at a TV show featuring a Scotsman in a kilt battling a vicious black pudding. What other historical figures have died from laughter?
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