Angie Leventis Lourgos –

People make the sign of the cross at the start of noon Mass, which included special prayers for Pope Leo XIV, at Holy Name Cathedral on Oct. 14, 2026. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

Chicago prays for native son Pope Leo XIV as he battles lung cancer. ‘His heart is still connected to this city.’

October 14, 2026 at 5:39 p.m.

Local Catholic faithful pray for the healing of Pope Leo after physicians diagnosed him with adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.

The Erker family of St. Louis and California listen to a musical performance before the beatification Mass for Fulton Sheen at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis on Sept. 24, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/baiduhai)

Tens of thousands gather for Archbishop Fulton Sheen beatification, 1st Illinois native to reach milestone on path to sainthood

September 24, 2026 at 8:07 p.m.

The Catholic prelate and Emmy-winning TV host preached to millions on his primetime show "Life Is Worth Living" in the 1950s.

Bishop Fulton Sheen conducts the Good Friday service at Corpus Christi Catholic Church at 4920 South Park Ave. in Chicago on April 16, 1954. (Max Arthur/baiduhai)

First Illinois native to be beatified: 10 things to know about famed TV host, evangelist Fulton Sheen on his path to sainthood

September 19, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Pope Leo XIV was moved by Fulton Sheen’s words as a child, calling the famed broadcaster “a light of faith, hope and love" during a June address at the Vatican.

Sue Mladenik holds a photo of her husband, Jeffrey Mladenik, in her home in Sugar Grove on Aug. 20, 2026. Jeffrey was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11, and was killed when his plane was hijacked by terrorists and struck the World Trade Center's north yower on Sept. 11, 2001. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Local victims and heroes of 9/11 remembered 25 years later: ‘The best part of me was gone … forever’

September 5, 2026 at 7:19 a.m.

One local widow wants the world to honor the 2,977 killed, including her husband, a clergyman who kept a Bible on hand while traveling.

Freshman Matthew Erickson jumps with excitement after bringing paraprofessional Melissa Reynolds a game on the first day of school at Huntley High School on Aug. 19, 2026. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

Born with a rare and aggressive brain tumor, Huntley teen starts high school — a once-unfathomable milestone

August 22, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Dubbed the "miracle child," cancer survivor Matthew Erickson endured 16 brain surgeries and multiple rounds of chemotherapy.

Tobias Feick, from left, Nathaniel Davis and Malachi Voight bow their heads in prayer during Ogle County Cowboy Church’s “Church in the Dirt” at the Ogle County Fairgrounds in Oregon on July 12, 2026. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Salvation with a twang: Illinois ‘cowboy church’ blends worship, Western themes and equestrian culture

August 16, 2026 at 9:06 a.m.

The worship style uses cowboy culture and rural life to share the Bible, part of a broader movement of similarly themed ministries.

Surviving family members and loved ones affected by suicide visit the 20-foot Ascending Doves sculpture in the “At Peace” memorial at Queen of Heaven Cemetery on June 26, 2026, in Hillside. The memorial was organized by the Archdiocese of Chicago. They are the first archdiocese in the United States to create a memorial in a Catholic cemetery for survivors and lives lost to suicide. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

‘Sense of peace’: Archdiocese cemetery unveils memorial for suicide loss survivors, the first Catholic tribute of its kind in the nation

July 5, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The memorial at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery serves as a physical testament to church’s evolution on the matter of suicide.

Angie Leventis Lourgos

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