This summer is a time of change in my life as I move from high school to university. It is also the end of my time as a Youth Speak News reporter. As I begin my new journey in life, it it a good time to reflect on what this past year has meant to me.

VATICAN – "No effort must be spared" to prevent future cases of clerical sexual abuse and "to prevent the possibility of their being covered up," Pope Francis said in a letter addressed "to the people of God."

COPAN, Honduras -- Nicaraguan bishops and clergy were attacked by armed groups aligned with the government July 9 as violence in the Central American country escalated and affected the Catholic Church, which has provided humanitarian assistance in its parishes and has tried to diffuse a worsening political crisis through dialogue.

VATICAN CITY -- God does not conform to people's expectations, and he often presents himself and his graces in surprising ways, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican has released a document that establishes norms and principles for women who dedicate their lives as consecrated virgins and their place in the life of the church.

MANCHESTER, England  -- A judge dismissed a legal challenge to quash the first "buffer zone" around a United Kingdom abortion clinic.

ADELAIDE, Australia -- Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide was sentenced to 12 months of house arrest following his conviction for failing to inform police about child sexual abuse allegations.

OTTAWA - Pope Francis is committed to contributing to the process of reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples, said the Vatican’s representative to Canada.

OTTAWA — A legal challenge of the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) pro-abortion attestation by an Ontario concrete company is only the beginning, says Ottawa-based litigation lawyer Albertos Polizogopoulos. More challenges are coming soon, he said.

OTTAWA – Thousands of pro-life Canadians participating in the National March for Life May 10 were forced to reverse course by a small counter-demonstration blocking the route.

ROME –The Catholic Church and Catholic agencies that work with migrants and refugees around the world are called to educate, advocate and seek alternative host countries in the face of a growing "refusal to welcome" newcomers, as the Vatican secretary of state defined the situation.

The schoolchildren of Toronto’s condoland, be they in the public or Catholic stream, will soon be sharing an elementary school.

FRONT ROYAL, Va. – As many parents know, all kids come into the world ready to draw, but as the years pass, each child reaches a point where they make a choice – to draw or not to draw.

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. – Two days after hundreds of people – many of them Catholic – from around the country descended on Belle Plaine to protest the installation of a Satanic memorial in the city's veterans park, the City Council voted unanimously July 17 to nix all religious symbols there.

VATICAN CITY – The dream of restoring full unity between Catholics and Orthodox can be a prophetic sign of legitimate differences coexisting rather than just simply agreeing on everything, Pope Francis said.