Signs Of the Times

Under other circumstances, Jonny Lopez might have been happy that he was losing weight. “I’ve been running around the city so much, looking for food, that I’ve lost 20 pounds,” said the father of two.Standing in line has become a routine as he tries to buy food for his family

The Archdiocese of Chicago will begin offering 12 weeks of paid parental leave to its staff beginning on July 1. The new policy is open to fathers and mothers who just had children or adopted children. Staff who are eligible for benefits—those who work at least 26 hours a week—and who ha

Bishop Robert McElroy of the Diocese of San Diego has convened a diocesan synod to meet on Oct. 28-29 to reflect on the major themes of the recent apostolic exhortation “The Joy of Love.” The bishop believes the synod will not only help San Diego Catholics grapple with the modern ch

In a new report, researchers from the Jesuit Refugee Service argue that education is a life-saving intervention for children and adolescents who are forcibly displaced from their homes. “This report highlights the need to prioritize education for refugees and those displaced by conflict and cr

As heavy fighting continues across the Nineveh Plain, some Christians displaced by the Islamic State have given up the dream of returning home and joined the stream of refugees leaving the war-torn country. Others remain in Iraqi Kurdistan, clinging to the hope that they can someday go back to their

Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry told hundreds of mourners at the funeral of Sister Clare Crockett, killed in Ecuador during an earthquake on April 17, that “a life given in loving sacrifice is never wasted.” • Twenty-three new Swiss Guard recruits pledged during a ceremony on May 6 to

Pope Francis, accepting a prize for promoting European unity, on May 6 bemoaned that the continent’s people “are tempted to yield to our own selfish interests and to consider putting up fences.”“I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to a

As wildfires continue to blaze in northern Alberta, churches of all denominations across Canada have been offering prayers and helping relief efforts. More than 100,000 residents of Fort McMurray have fled the inferno—most have lost their homes completely. Bishop Paul Terrio, bishop of St. Pau

Something developed countries take for granted—electricity—could go a long way to stem violence often attributed to religion, said Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto, Nigeria, in the country’s northwest. Only major cities, like state capitals, have reliable electricity, the bish