All of life was a pilgrimage for St. Francis of Assisi. It only made sense, 800 years after his death, that I would go on my own pilgrimage in search of him.
Stephanie Saldaña
Stephanie Saldaña is a writer based in Jerusalem.
Posted inFaith in Focus
Lessons from the apocalypse: Visiting the island where St. John wrote Revelation
In Patmos, I experienced the Book of Revelation in a different light, as a message of comfort and connection.
Posted inFeatures
When Eastern and Western church calendars lined up, Christians celebrated the Ascension at this Jerusalem chapel
This is the story of how Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians in Jerusalem came to celebrate their feast of the Ascension in the holy space where they all believe Jesus ascended to heaven.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
The tragedy of Syria—and what we all could have done differently
Why did we fail, so often, to help?
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
What Easter means in the Holy Land this year, in the middle of war
Easter will not be postponed this year. It will not wait until the war is over. It is precisely now, in our darkest hour, that resurrection finds us.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
‘Maybe Christmas will stop the war’: A child’s hope and other scenes from Bethlehem
This year in Bethlehem, we are waiting for a hope that I am not sure I would even be able to believe in anymore, except that it does not entirely depend on us.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
In war zones, hospitals are holy ground. The explosion of one in Gaza is a tragic turning point.
The al-Ahli Arab hospital was a sanctuary, a holy place, a home to hundreds of Palestinians; it’s now in ruins as a result of the ongoing war in Gaza.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
When dancing turns to mourning: A wedding hall fire brings tragedy to Qaraqosh
A tragic fire reminds us that sometimes the aftershocks of war feel even more cruel than war itself.
Posted inFaith, Features
What ISIS couldn’t take: The place and faith Iraq’s Christian refugees carried with them
The story of how one Iraqi refugee preserved the memory of home through her art.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Netflix’s ‘The Swimmers’ is a true story of refugee sisters—with more than one hero
“The Swimmers” follows the now-famous story of the Mardini sisters, competitive swimmers who escaped the war in Syria in 2015, crossing the sea from Turkey to Greece on a rubber dinghy.