BIRMINGHAM, England –In the central liturgical moment of his four-day trip to Great Britain, Pope Benedict XVI beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman and said his vision of religion’s vital role in society should serve as a model today.Read More

Third-grade teacher aide and lunchroom monitor Maureen Bodensteiner can still do splits and cartwheels, talents leftover from her days as a cheerleading squad captain. Wearing a 1960’s flip-styled hair and sporting pom-poms, she played cheerleader along with 11 other teachers during the first annual Resurrection/St. Paul School, Ellicott City, student and faculty/staff basketball game held...Read More

Where was 13-year-old Ashley Turnbull when the women’s top-ranked Duke Blue Devils had one-tenth of a second left on the clock in the NCAA quarterfinals March 24 and had the chance to win or tie by sinking either of her two free throws? Duke’s Lindsey Harding missed both shots, and the Blue Devils headed back...Read More

LONDON – Catholic officials are investigating claims that a severely deformed baby was born in a perfectly normal condition after the child’s mother prayed to Cardinal John Henry Newman for a miracle.Read More

LONDON – Leaders of a coalition of groups planning to protest publicly against Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Britain have given assurances that they do not intend to disrupt any papal ceremonies during the four-day tour.Read More

MEXICO CITY – With protests, a pilgrimage and emphatic declarations, the Catholic Church has intensified its efforts to derail legislative proposals which would decriminalize abortion in Mexico. The issue also reignited tension between the church and Mexico’s left, and led to renewed questions over whether clergy and Catholic groups can participate in political activism in...Read More

For Matt White and Kelsey Jones deciding on which college to attend is just one of the many choices they will have to face in the next four years. The youth group at St. Francis of Assisi, Fulton, is attempting to make the transition from high school to college a little smoother.Read More

WASHINGTON – A small Florida Protestant church’s plan to burn copies of the Quran has drawn international condemnation.Read More