2+ week, 19+ hour ago (602+ words) VATICAN CITY " The Vatican on Saturday returned 62 artifacts to Indigenous peoples from Canada, a historic restitution that is part of the Catholic Church's reckoning with its role in helping suppress Indigenous culture in the Americas. Pope Leo XIV gave the artifacts, including an iconic Inuit kayak, and supporting documentation to a delegation of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is expected to return them to individual Indigenous communities. A joint statement from the Vatican and Canadian church described the pieces as a "gift" and a "concrete sign of dialogue, respect and fraternity." The items were part of the Vatican Museum's ethnographic collection, known as the Anima Mundi museum. The collection has been a source of controversy for the Vatican amid the broader museum debate over the restitution of cultural goods taken from Indigenous peoples during colonial periods. Most of…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (304+ words) During "Connections with Evan Dawson" on 11/17/25, we explore the decline in faith levels in the United States. Then, we talk with recently retired hosts of the Route about the meaning of music. Americans are losing their faith 12:00: Americans are losing their faith 1:00: The Route's Dave Kane and Maureen Rich on speaking through songs Faith levels in the U.S. are the lowest on record. That's according to a new Gallup poll. The data, as reported by Axios, shows fewer than half of Americans say religion is an important part of their day. The U.S. once ranked highly among wealthy nations for its religiosity. Now, Americans are tied to one of the largest declines in faith levels in the world. What has contributed to the change? And how do local faith leaders view it? We discuss those questions with our guests: - Reverend Colin Pritchard,…...

2+ week, 4+ day ago (278+ words) During "Connections with Evan Dawson" on 11/11/25, we discuss the significance of Zohran Mamdani's victory for Muslims. Then, we talk about the shortage of volunteer firefighters. Muslims celebrate Zohran Mamdani's historic win 12:00: Muslims celebrate Zohran Mamdani's historic win 1:00: Shortage in firefighters puts public safety at risk The former president of the Islamic Center of Rochester says New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's victory is a seismic event for the Muslim community. Some of the ads late in the campaign depicted Mamdani as anti-American, and one ad declared that electing Mamdani would bring the next 9/11. We discuss the significance of Mamdani's victory and the themes that surfaced in the campaign. Our guest: - Sareer A. Fazili, past president of the Islamic Center of Rochester and the Monroe County Bar Association, and practicing lawyer Then in our second hour, volunteering is at its lowest level…...