News
What to know about Holi, the Hindu festival of colors
2+ hour, 12+ min ago (534+ words) Holi, widely known as the Hindu festival of colors, is a joyful annual celebration at the advent of spring with cultural and religious significance. Typically observed in March in India, Nepal, other South Asian countries and across the diaspora, the…...
Photos of revelers celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, in India's Mathura
5+ hour, 28+ min ago (216+ words) Hundreds of men and women gathered at a temple in the north Indian town of Mathura, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna, one of the most revered Hindu gods with whom this festival is closely associated, to celebrate…...
Conservative Anglican leaders meet in Nigeria, facing debate on a possible breakaway
10+ hour, 12+ min ago (850+ words) Anglicans worldwide are grappling with foundational questions: Can they stay together? Should they? Or have their theological differences frayed centuries of unity beyond repair? The outlook for the Anglican Communion, one of the world's largest families of Christian churches, remains…...
Purim parties shift to bomb shelters as Israelis celebrate under Iran war threat
11+ hour, 36+ min ago (489+ words) In Tel Aviv on Monday, people of all ages wearing sequined suits, bunny ears, pirate costumes and peacock feathers streamed into a mall's underground parking lot that also functions as a bomb shelter for the traditional reading of the Purim…...
Teeth, finger bones and blessings: Buddhist relics inspire belief
1+ day, 19+ hour ago (811+ words) Before her were tooth and finger bone relics believed to belong to Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism who is said to have attained enlightenment in India about 2,500 years ago. "To be able to see the Buddha, to get close…...
Inspired by Catholic nuns, Kenyan Lutheran pastor becomes church’s first female presiding bishop
5+ day, 10+ hour ago (726+ words) NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) " A Lutheran pastor inspired in her youth by a Catholic priest and nuns is set to become the first female presiding bishop of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Rev. Catherine Ngina Musau, a 55-year-old mother of…...
Pope Leo will visit 4 African countries as part of his packed 2026 travel plan
5+ day, 20+ hour ago (395+ words) The announcement sets the stage for one of the busiest papal travel schedules in years, since Leo will also be undertaking a grand tour of Italy starting in May that will take him up and down the peninsula in a…...
Milan church concert strikes a chord for inclusion ahead of Winter Paralympics
1+ week, 2+ hour ago (396+ words) Around 70 teenagers and adults in the Terzo Tempo choir traveled from the neighboring city Abbiategrasso for their Feb. 18 performance, titled "Like Yeast in the Dough." It drew on a Gospel image that reflects the project's spirit: a discreet presence that…...
Russians celebrate traditional Maslenitsa festival marking the end of winter
1+ week, 1+ day ago (96+ words) Maslenitsa is a traditional Russian holiday celebrated ahead of Lent, when people cook and eat a lot of pancakes, sing and dance. It originated centuries ago as a pagan ritual that was later absorbed into the Christian calendar of the…...
Muslims in war-torn Sudan pick up iftar meals from a charity kitchen during Ramadan
1+ week, 1+ day ago (96+ words) The kitchens are much needed as many people can't cover their daily needs after nearly 3 years of war. In other areas of the city, volunteers have been preparing boxes of food for struggling families during the Islamic holy month. The…...