100 years ago today Our Lady appeared to Fatima visionary Sister Lucia in Pontevedra, Spain

Venezuelan authorities prevent Cardinal Porras from traveling, cancel passport

On Dec. 10 Venezuelan immigration police confiscated and invalidated the passport of Cardinal Baltazar Porras, the archbishop emeritus of Caracas.

100 years ago today Our Lady appeared to Fatima visionary Sister Lucia in Pontevedra, Spain Today, Dec. 10, marks the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Sister Lucia of Fatima in Pontevedra province in Spain.

U.S. House passes defense bill stripped of IVF provision

The House passed a defense authorization bill Dec. 10 without a provision to allow health care coverage of in vitro fertilization for active-duty military.

Top health officials delayed abortion pill safety review, report claims

Pro-life advocates are calling for action as top health officials deny reports that they are delaying a promised safety review of the abortion pill.

Rights group hails release of 100 children abducted from Nigerian Catholic school

Christin Solidarity Worldwide has welcomed the release of 100 school children, who were among 303 children abducted on Nov. 21 from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools.

Half of the world’s population lives in just seven countries

Many religions are heavily concentrated in a few countries
Pew Research Center: Half of the world’s population lives in just seven countries. But some of the world’s religious groups are even more concentrated than that.

Christ Church at 50: How Doug Wilson pushed Christian nationalism to the center
Religion News Service: The pastor, celebrating 50 years in his pulpit, has never had more influence than he does under the current presidential administration.

What 38 million obituaries reveal about how Americans define a ‘life well lived’
The Conversation: Obituaries preserve what families most want remembered about the people they cherish most. Across time, they also reveal the values each era chose to honor.

Lobster Jesus: Sacrilege or the most New England Nativity ever?
Religion News Service: Inspired by Cape Cod cuisine and a beloved holiday movie, the Lobster Nativity portrays the characters of the Christmas story as crustaceans.

Zoning Islam out
ARC: In suburban Long Island, a seven-year battle over parking and congestion masked a fight over who belongs in Bethpage — and how far towns can go to keep Muslim houses of worship from growing.

We continue with the Third Sunday of Advent

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe is venerated as the Patroness of the Americas

 

This Advent, the Church asks us to reassess: What are we really looking for?

 

Pope says Trump Ukraine plan would weaken U.S. alliance with Europe

The pope urges ‘continued dialogue’ after receiving Zelenskyy in Castel Gandolfo Pope Leo XIV received the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in audience today at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo.

Archbishop performs rite of reparation at Annunciation Catholic Church after shooting "My brothers and sisters, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead proclaims that evil and death do not have the final word; God does.” Pope says Trump Ukraine plan would weaken U.S. alliance with Europe Pope Leo XIV said President Donald Trump’s plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine threatens to break apart the alliance between Europe and the United States.

Pew study: Religion holds steady in America American adults who identify with Christianity, with another religion, or with no religion have all remained steady, a new Pew Research Center report finds.

Did angels really carry the Holy House of Mary to Loreto, Italy?

What do Galileo, Mozart, Descartes, Cervantes, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux have in common? They all traveled hundreds of miles to visit Mary’s house in Loreto, Italy.

This political moment demands theology

ICE Nativity scenes: Churches reimagine Christmas story amid deportations
Religion News Service: “We know that Jesus was born into a Roman imperial occupation, and pretty much immediately becomes a refugee in Egypt, has to flee and faces political violence,” the Rev. Michael Woolf said.

Religious leaders say they’re observing a hidden trend among younger Americans*
The Washington Post: Religious affiliation has been dropping among young people for decades, but examples abound of surging interest on college campuses and in cities like D.C.

This political moment demands theology*
The Christian Century: As Christians, we need to protest authoritarianism and support the people it targets. We also need to underscore the deep foundations of this work.

When Christmas is a little too bright ... look to Krampus
NPR: With goat horns, gnashing teeth and a long tongue to taste one’s sins, Krampus is nothing short of horrifying.

Uniting Church welcomes re-opening of place of worship as a mosque
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: The plan is to host modest Islamic education, Arabic classes and interfaith dialogue.

covenantchurchsd 12.07.2025

 We call this SoNoGo - South Park-North Park-Golden Hill

Covenant Presbyterian Church

What is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church?

Covenant Church at 30th & Howard  is a Christian church in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation and allied with the EPC [The Evangelical Presbyterian Church] We believe the Scriptures to be the infallible Word of God and our final authority in faith and practice, and we find the historic creeds of the early church (the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed) to be vital expressions of the most important tenets of the global church universal. When the EPC started in 1981, we determined that we would not disagree on the basic essentials of the Christian faith, but on anything that was not essential—such as the issue of ordaining women as officers or practicing charismatic gifts—we would give each other liberty. Above all, we committed ourselves to loving each other and not engaging in quarrels and strife. The result is that when we get together in our regional and national meetings, we spend most of our time in worship and fellowship and almost none in arguing with each other.

Religion holds steady in America

Court settlement approved for New Orleans Archdiocese to pay hundreds of clergy abuse victims
The Associated Press: The New Orleans Archdiocese will pay at least $230 million to hundreds of victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement approved Monday by a federal judge that follows years of negotiations.
The Associated Press: A list of the largest clergy abuse settlements reached by Catholic organizations in the US

Religion holds steady in America
Pew Research Center: Recent polling shows no clear evidence of a religious revival among young adults.

Millions of children and teens lose access to accounts as Australia’s world-first social media ban begins
The Guardian: Accounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under the ban.

Inside the push to bring mental health care into American mosques
NPR: American Muslim communities are working to reduce stigma around therapy by bringing mental health services into mosques and making counseling easier to access.

Jasmine Crockett’s pastor jumps into race for her North Texas seat
Chron: Frederick Haynes III of Friendship-West Baptist Church wants to succeed Crockett in Congress.

Mariologists publish scathing critique of Vatican note on Mary’s titles

Mariologists publish scathing critique of Vatican note on Mary’s titles An association of Mariologists issued a critical response to Mater Populi Fidelis, a recently published Vatican doctrinal note on devotional Marian titles.

Bethlehem lights Christmas tree again while conflict still echoes nearby

The town of Bethlehem decided to have its Christmas celebrations return, starting with the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in front of the Church of the Nativity on Dec. 6.

Trump honors Mary’s ‘freedom from original sin’ in Immaculate Conception message President Donald Trump honored the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which appears to be the first time a U.S. president formally recognized the holy day.

Remnants of chapel where image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was originally kept still exist

Next to the current Guadalupe Basilica in Mexico City is the old chapel built to house the image miraculously imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s cloak.

Daughter of political prisoner Jimmy Lai speaks out for the first time Daughter of imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai spoke out for the first time ahead of her father’s 78th birthday.