Churches & Religion

FILE - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at the state Capitol, Feb. 1, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. On Tuesday, Oct. 31, Hochul announced a probe of antisemitism policies at the City University of New York, the nation's largest urban public university system, as protests about the war between Israel and Hamas erupt at college campuses across the country.

Governors show solidarity with Israel, earning plaudits and criticism

November 5, 2023, 6:00am Churches & Religion

Eleven days after Hamas terrorists poured into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people and kidnapping more than 230, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul arrived in Israel with a photo of a Long Island native in hand to give to the president of the besieged country. Read story

Bishop Alexei, the head of the Orthodox Church in Alaska, is shown Oct. 13, 2023, speaking to others gathered at a ceremony marking the beginning of a restoration project at the old St. Nicholas Church in Eklutna, Alaska. The Orthodox church is the oldest standing building in the Municipality of Anchorage.

Anchorage’s Russian Orthodox church gets new life

November 4, 2023, 6:03am Churches & Religion

The Russian Orthodox church on the outskirts of Alaska’s biggest city is packed with treasures for the Christian faithful: religious icons gifted by Romanov czars, panels of oil paintings and jewel-studded incense burners. But outside the hand-hewn log sanctuary, dozens of miniature Alaska Native spirit houses sit by aging gravesites… Read story

Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata, in his studio in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, is the master of the glass-fusion technique.

Glass artist and making of a football field-sized church window featured in new film

November 3, 2023, 6:44am Churches & Religion

It’s as if Narcissus Quagliata is painting with light. Read story

President Joe Biden speaks during an event on protecting retirement security against what are commonly referred to as "junk fees" in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023, in Washington.

The White House is working on a strategy to combat Islamophobia. Many Muslim Americans are skeptical

November 1, 2023, 7:57am Churches & Religion

President Joe Biden’s administration is privately developing a national strategy to combat Islamophobia, according to people briefed on the matter, as it faces skepticism from many Muslim Americans for its staunch support of Israel’s military assault on Hamas in Gaza. Read story

A Mexican mascot dressed as a catrin, a masculine version of the Day of the Dead Catrina, poses for photographers at the Hermanos Rodriguez race track in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. The track is hosting the Mexico City Grand Prix which begins Friday.

With flowers, altars and candles, Mexicans are honoring deceased relatives on the Day of the Dead

November 1, 2023, 7:50am Churches & Religion

SANTA MARÍA ATZOMPA, México (AP) — Ana Martínez is eager to welcome her deceased loved ones back home. Read story

Jewish and Muslim faith leaders grapple with how to support congregants

Members of the Jewish community and supporters of Israel attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas, in Times Square, New York on Oct. 19, 2023.

Roughly two weeks into the start of a war that has claimed the lives of thousands of people across Israel and Gaza, waves of pain keep washing over Americans, especially those with personal connections to the region. Read story

Police warn shop in Pa. that tarot is illegal

In honor of spooky season, Beck Lawrence talked up their new “eclectic, metaphysical shop” in a short, upbeat interview for the “Meet the Merchant” section of a local Hanover, Pa., newsletter. They said they would be selling candles, crystals, and other witchy objects, as well as reading tarot cards, and… Read story

Pope orders Vatican to reopen case of priest accused of adult abuse but allowed to keep ministering

Pope Francis has ordered the Vatican to reopen the case of a well-known priest-artist accused of sexually, psychologically and spiritually abusing adult women, and removed the statute of limitations that had previously prevented a church trial based on their claims. Read story