Religion – Page 23 –

Christ United Methodist Church in Rockford member Mark West holds his necklace before church services on Sept. 27, 2026. The necklace was crafted from broken stained glass after a fire in February. "It gives me a connection to the church and to God. It shows that something that is broken can be resurrected," he said. (Ryan Rayburn/for the baiduhai)

A stained glass window of the crucifixion was shattered in a church fire. Worshippers transformed the broken pieces into symbols of renewal.

By Angie Leventis Lourgos

November 1, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

After a stained glass window of the crucifixion was destroyed in a church fire, worshippers...

(From right) Villanova basketball player Jasmine Bascoe along with Villanova President Peter M. Donohue presents Pope Leo XIV with a basketball in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican on Oct. 31, 2026, during an audience with some 7,000 university representatives ahead of the Eternal City Tip-Off, a men’s and women’s college basketball doubleheader in Rome on Nov. 1. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Leo tells Villanova and Notre Dame basketball teams that he is neutral, but ‘Prevost has another opinion’

By Andrew Dampf

October 31, 2026 at 8:26 a.m.

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday told the basketball teams from his alma mater, Villanova, and...

Students from St. John Of The Cross School pack up nonperishable food items during the Parish’s annual food drive Oct. 24 in Western Springs. (Hank Beckman/Pioneer Press)

St. John of the Cross food drive draws 450 volunteers, donations from across Western Springs

By Hank Beckman

October 31, 2026 at 5:01 a.m.

St. John of the Cross Parish continued its decades-long tradition at its annual Harvest Saturday...

FILE – Mons. Angelo Becciu presides over an eucharistic liturgy at the St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome, Feb. 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

Vatican appeals court declares mistrial in the ‘trial of the century’ against a cardinal

By Nicole Winfield

March 17, 2026 at 2:12 p.m.

The Vatican appeals tribunal declared a mistrial Tuesday in the Holy See’s big “trial of...

Pope Leo XIV appears at the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican where Catholic faithful and pilgrims gathered for the traditional Sunday blessing at the end of the noon Angelus prayer, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Leo escalates call for ceasefire in Iran by addressing those responsible for the war

By Nicole Winfield

March 15, 2026 at 9:50 a.m.

Pope Leo XIV demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East on Sunday in his strongest...

Soprano Meghan Kasanders will perform “Coming Home — A Benefit Concert” at the Westchester Community Church on March 28 to benefit the Westchester Food Pantry. (Meghan Kasanders)

Meghan Kasanders returning to her roots with benefit concert in Westchester

By Myrna Petlicki

March 15, 2026 at 5:03 a.m.

Soprano Meghan Kasanders was active at the Westchester Community Church throughout her childhood and is...

Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

After a renovation, Pope Leo XIV moves into the papal apartment eschewed by Pope Francis

By Nicole Winfield

March 14, 2026 at 2:46 p.m.

Pope Leo XIV moved into the newly renovated papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace on...

FILE – Abortion-rights protestors march between the Indiana Statehouse and the Indiana State Library where Vice President Kamala Harris was meeting with Indiana legislators to discuss reproductive rights, July 25, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Judge allows for religious exemption to Indiana’s abortion ban

By Alexandra Kukulka

March 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

The state of Indiana is appealing a Marion County judge's March 5 ruling in favor...

Volunteer Maryam Amin, right, hands a gallon of milk to a client at the ICNA Relief Food Pantry on March 5, 2026, in Glendale Heights. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Muslim-run food pantry in Glendale Heights helps neighbors but faces halal meat shortage during Ramadan

By Zareen Syed

March 13, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

ICNA Relief Chicago sees staggering numbers of families in need of food aid throughout the...

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who chose the name of Pope Francis, waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after being elected 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, file)

Today in History: Francis becomes first non-European pope in over 1,250 years

By Associated Press

March 13, 2026 at 4:00 a.m.

On March 13, 2013, Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope, choosing the papal name...

The head of Vatican Security, Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti, center, follows Pope Leo XIV as he visits the parish complex of Santa Maria della Presentazione on the outskirts of Rome, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Leo XIV announces resignation of US bishop accused of embezzling $270K from California parish

By Gregory Bull

March 10, 2026 at 4:04 p.m.

The bishop of a small Chaldean Catholic community in the San Diego area has resigned...

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in New Chicago will join with St. Bridget Roman Catholic Church, ceasing ministry at the New Chicago campus. (Anna Ortiz/for the Post-Tribune)

Gary Diocese moves to decrease number of parishes in North Lake County

By Anna Ortiz

March 10, 2026 at 4:04 p.m.

Northwest Indiana Catholic Church leaders said faith in the future remains strong following an announcement...

Jackie Jackson, Ashley Jackson, Santita Jackson, and Yusef Jackson stand behind Jesse Jackson Jr. as he cries during his speech during a funeral service for their father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, at Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago, March 7, 2026. (Josh Boland/baiduhai)

Rev. Jesse Jackson’s family and closest friends offer one last goodbye

By Darcel Rockett

March 8, 2026 at 2:12 p.m.

On Saturday, a final "homegoing" service represented the culmination of nine days of funerals and...