Religion
The difference between “good men” and “real men”
Terry Mattingly The 18-foot granite Titanic Memorial in Washington, D.C., shows a robed man rising from the waves, his arms extended like a cross. Once a year, at the precise time on April 15, 1912, when the liner was declared doomed, the Men’s Titanic Society gathers at this statue, which is hidden behind Fort McNair…
Read MoreLocal churches hosting VBS in June
TAYLORVILLE — Davis Memorial, St. Mary’s, First Presbyterian and First United Methodist churches will be hosting Vacation Bible School from June 17-20. VBS will be from 6-7:30 each evening at Davis Memorial Church. This year we will travel with Joseph on his journey from prison to palace as God protects him. Please contact Sheryl Van…
Read MoreEvangelicals and Catholics shared tensions on immigration
Terry Mattingly Year after year, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees includes a Vatican sermon with the pope quoting the words of Jesus, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” or similar messages from Scripture. “We are called to show maximum respect for the dignity of each migrant; this entails accompanying and managing…
Read MoreRespiratory, mobility problems take toll on Pope Frances
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis again asked an aide to read his remarks and was unable to get back onto his popemobile Wednesday, as lingering respiratory and mobility problems continued to take their toll on the 87-year-old pontiff. Francis presided over his weekly general audience, held outside for the first time this year in…
Read MorePope asks an aide to read a speech aloud for him, raising further concerns over his health
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis, who has been suffering from the flu, asked an aide to read out his prepared speech at a conference in the Vatican Friday, saying he has not yet fully recovered from his latest ailment that has raised concerns about his capacity to continue leading the Roman Catholic Church. The…
Read MoreAre attacks on churches brand-new or old news?
Terry Mattingly Security cameras at St. Columba Catholic Church in Brooklyn showed five people, in the dead of night, trying to force their way inside. When they failed, the suspects settled for breaking a stained-glass window and attacking a nearby cross. Police noted that this Jan. 27 crime was the latest of many New York…
Read MoreMost Catholics have stopped worrying about saving souls
Terry Mattingly As a rule, evangelists from Texas don’t go shopping for bourbon before a speech. But that’s what Marcel LeJeune and some friends did when the Catholic Missionary Disciples leader spoke at a Franciscan University conference last summer in Steubenville, Ohio. Things turned serious while chatting with a saleswoman when he asked how she…
Read MoreAntisemitism and safety fears surge among US Jews, survey finds
TIFFANY STANLEY Associated Press Nearly two-thirds of American Jews feel less secure in the U.S. than they did a year ago, according to a new national survey. The American Jewish Committee, a prominent advocacy organization, conducted the survey last fall just as the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7. The number of American Jews who…
Read MoreAsh Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall on the same day this year. Here’s what you need to know
HOLLY MEYER Associated Press Feb. 14 is a holiday heavyweight this year due to a calendar collision of events. Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day, the fixed annual celebration of love and friendship, marked by cute couples, eager elementary school students — and critics who deride its commercialization. But it also happens to be Ash Wednesday, the…
Read MoreYes, Joe Biden is an ‘On Eagle’s Wings” American Catholic
Terry Mattingly With its lilting pop melody and sweet God talk, “On Eagle’s Wings” is the hymn that conservative Catholics love to hate and Catholic progressives often wave like a red flag. President Joe Biden loves it. “My prayer, my hope is we continue to believe our best days are ahead of us — that…
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