2026 USCCB Fall Plenary Assembly Brings National Catholic Priorities to Baltimore and Online

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will hold its 2026 Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, Maryland, from November 16 through 19, bringing the nation’s bishops together for prayer, fraternal dialogue, elections, reports, and decisions affecting Catholic ministry across the country. The public sessions on November 17 and 18 will be livestreamed through the USCCB meetings page, giving Catholics and other interested observers nationwide direct access to much of the assembly’s public work. The announced agenda begins with an address by USCCB president Archbishop Paul S. Coakley and remarks from Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the papal nuncio to the United States. The bishops are scheduled to elect a Conference secretary, chairmen for six standing committees, and a new general secretary. They are also expected to hear updates from the Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, the Committee on Migration one year after the bishops’ special message on immigration, and the Committee for Cultural Diversity in the Church concerning the Guadalupan Novena. A panel will examine reported signs of new life in the Church, including increased numbers of people entering the Church and survey indications that some young people are showing renewed interest in religion. Because the USCCB noted that the agenda remained subject to change when the announcement was published, viewers should consult the official meeting page for the final sequence of sessions, addresses, and documents. That caution also helps audiences avoid treating an anticipated agenda item as a completed decision before the bishops have actually discussed and voted on it.

Expected votes make the assembly particularly significant for parish, diocesan, educational, liturgical, pro-life, and social-ministry leaders. The bishops are slated to consider canonical consultations connected with the possible beatification and canonization causes of Maria Middleton and Thomas Steven Vander Woude; revisions to diocesan financial-reporting guidance and socially responsible investment guidelines; a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass and the Book of the Gospels; an annual Day of Prayer for Racial Justice; authorization to review and begin updating the pastoral plan for the Secretariat on Pro-Life Activities; and the USCCB budget for 2027. Following the livestream can help Catholics distinguish between preliminary discussion, formal action, and later implementation rather than relying on isolated headlines. Parish teams may wish to watch selected sessions together, note which matters require subsequent diocesan or parish guidance, and use published addresses as prompts for prayer and formation. Educators and ministry leaders can also listen for how the bishops connect doctrine, worship, human dignity, migration, cultural diversity, stewardship, and public witness. The event is not a general-attendance conference; in-person participation is limited to the bishops and approved participants. Its nationwide value comes through the public livestream and the documents released around the meeting. Viewers should approach the proceedings as an opportunity to understand how the bishops pray, deliberate, elect leaders, and set priorities for shared Catholic work in the United States. A parish discussion after the public sessions can focus on verified decisions, identify questions for diocesan follow-up, and connect national deliberation with faithful local practice without turning the meeting into partisan spectacle.