20+ hour, 43+ min ago (979+ words) Updated November 29, 2025 at 5:01 AM CST HARISSA, Lebanon " In the mountains near Beirut, a giant statue of the Virgin Mary atop a spiral pedestal holds her hands out in the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, visible beyond the railing of Our Lady of Lebanon sanctuary. It's a tranquil place; far removed although not unaffected by the country's seemingly endless cycle of economic turmoil and security threats . Lebanon is a small multi-faith country that is about 30 percent Christian " the biggest percentage of any country in the Middle East. Last week the country celebrated a quiet 82nd independence day from French rule " with no grand parades or festivities because of what Lebanese normally call 'the situation'. The current situation is a year-old ceasefire with Israel, routinely broken by the Israeli military, including a drone strike in Beirut last week that killed the militant group…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (397+ words) Illinois Governor JB Pritzker paid Pope Leo XIV a visit in the Vatican, bearing some beer from the pontiff's home state and an invitation to come to Chicago. Pritzker announced his audience with the pope on social media early Wednesday and said it was an honor to meet the pontiff, whom he called a "son of Illinois" and an "advocate for the poor and less fortunate." "Pope Leo XIV's message of hope, compassion, unity, and peace resonates with Illinoisans of all faiths and traditions," Pritzker said. The governor, joined by First Lady MK Pritzker, met with the Chicago-born pope for about 40 minutes, and they discussed the Trump administration's recent immigration crackdown in the Chicago area " an action that has drawn nearly daily criticism from Pritzker. The meeting came after Pope Leo, backed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned what…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (455+ words) Wicked seems to have cast a spell of attraction on audiences, from the 1995 bestselling novel to the Tony-nominated Broadway musical to the wildly popular movie adaptation, which opened its first installment as one of last year's biggest blockbusters. The second part, Wicked: For Good is widely expected to work similar magic when it opens this weekend. But what do actual self-identified witches think of Wicked? It's a tale that gives a sympathetic spin to the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, a character who terrified generations of children, in The Wizard of Oz. "Oh my God, I love Wicked!" announced Tiffany Walker, who owns a metaphysical boutique called Moonlit Mystic in Wayne, Mich., where she also organizes an annual occult-themed block party called Witches Be Witchin'. "I would consider myself an eclectic witch," she said, explaining that people…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago (80+ words) This year's Give With Joy Red Kettle campaign highlights not only The Salvation Army's 139 years of service in Springfield, but the generations of neighbors whose lives have been touched by that compassion and who now give so others can stand strong. The Salvation Army of Springfield will officially launch its annual Give with Joy Red Kettle Christmas Campaign on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at White Oaks Mall from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m....

3+ week, 4+ day ago (1386+ words) SALZBURG, Austria " Morning Mass is underway at the chapel of Schloss Goldenstein, a convent in Elsbethen, an Austrian parish nestled between the church spires of Salzburg and the arresting backdrop of the Alps. Sister Rita is delighted to see so many people in attendance. As Catholic congregation numbers dwindle in Austria, Sister Rita says you'd expect the church to be equally thrilled by such tightly packed pews, but 82-year-old Rita and fellow Sisters Regina, 86, and Bernadette, 88, are in their superior's bad books. "People are calling us the rebellious sisters!" Rita says with a giggle and a glint in her eye. The three Augustinian sisters " who use only their religious names " recently ran away from a nursing home and, with the help of a local locksmith, broke back into the convent that used to be their home. Rita jokes that they…...