On a cloudy day in a thick forest near Mount Fuji, I found myself facing a fear beyond anything I had ever experienced. This wasn't just fear for me, it was fear for my family. What had I done to them?

I walked the narrow mountain track, my heart pounding, my stomach in a knot.

At age 33, I had been appointed as a missionary to Japan by a ...Read more

BEIRUT -- Paying no attention to the tenets of social distancing, the abaya-shrouded women -- no masks or gloves among them -- crowded into the Baghdad square surrounding the shrine to Imam Musa Kadhim.

"I invite China, Italy and Iran," one of the women said to a journalist from a satellite news station. "Those are the three biggest countries ...Read more

"Do not worry, do not be anxious" are messages found repeatedly in Christian scripture. Say that to me and it's like saying "don't think about elephants"! But I've come to realize the difference between concern and worry.

Concern leads me to constructive action. Worry or anxiety is just the hamster wheel. Round and round I go, exhausting myself...Read more

Don't panic! This is good news, although a bit delayed and totally embarrassing.

The other day while in a two-week self-quarantine from travel and coronavirus concerns, I realized that I could either dust or organize Christmas letters and cards ... I can barely say this ... dated 2016-19. Not that I was bored after alphabetizing the spice ...Read more

Do you ever get caught in an inward and endless loop of, "What if?" -- "What if my health ... What if my kids ... What if my parents ... What if my plans ... What if a robber breaks in and ... ?"

Same.

Since anxiety sneaks around in human hearts like a common thief seeking to steal joy, we need to guard against its intrusions. But how?

There'...Read more

ATLANTA -- Pope Francis named Gregory John Hartmayer of Savannah as the seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Hartmayer, served as the bishop of Savannah and will succeed Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, who served as Atlanta's archbishop from January 2005 to May 2019.

On the Diocese of Savannah's Facebook page, Hartmayer posted that ...Read more

MIAMI -- Lucy Jackson has always enjoyed the camaraderie and the rituals of her Catholic religion. So much so, she regularly goes to two churches near her Kendall, Fla., home: St. Thomas The Apostle Catholic Church or John Neumann Catholic Church.

"If I want to sleep in longer, I go to St. John at 1," she laughs.

But one cherished ritual has ...Read more

CHICAGO -- As hospitals, schools and businesses prepare to deal with the spread of coronavirus, the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago released guidelines for parishioners concerned about the potential spread of the disease.

Effective immediately, all priests, deacons, altar servers and ministers in parishes in the archdiocese must wash their ...Read more

CHICAGO -- In their first interview since Pope Francis named them among the leaders of a new worldwide task force on sexual abuse protections, Cardinal Blase Cupich and the Rev. Hans Zollner this week sketched out how they plan to help Catholic leaders across the world comply with new protection guidelines.

The task force was created by Francis...Read more

BALTIMORE -- The leader of the Episcopal Church in the diocese of Maryland is asking congregants to alter some of their worship practices to minimize the chances of contracting or spreading COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus that was first reported in China in December and has spread to more than 50 countries, including the United ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Rev. Allen Kuss is a devout Catholic and the proud owner of a pug dog named Kiku-San.

Kat Swenson is a lapsed Lutheran and loves her cat Tricky.

Their choice of animal companions may reflect something bigger than their pets' sweet faces. Turns out that dogs are more likely to be at home with the very faithful, while cats ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Meat is forbidden on Fridays during Lent, driving many Catholics and other observant Christians to partake in fish frys, seafood specials and McDonald's Filet-O-Fish during the season.

The explosion of plant-based proteins now offers more options, and a potential conundrum for the faithful: is it OK to indulge in juicy, beef-like ...Read more

My childhood friend Johann was fearless, except for snakes.

We lived on neighboring farms, investing golden summer months exploring the banks of the mighty Columbia River and the narrow dirt roads that split vast seas of ripening wheat.

After chores we would sneak off on Johann's Honda Trail 90, riding the river bank until we reached the ...Read more

This story goes back a ways when we were travelers held hostage and no one could speak the language.

The tyrants spewed words at us like "goggin," "oohoo" and "nummies." The only vocabulary my husband, Bill, and I recognized was "Gwamma Wuzy" and "Poppa." Back then we knew it was going to be a long week alone with twin toddlers.

Naturally, ...Read more