Our hand-picked mix of compelling news stories, commentaries from Maureen, and important updates about the show.
Church-Based Scouting Alternatives Attract Interest 05-14-2013From around the webBY ADELLE M. BANKS
(RNS) They have pledges. They have merit badges. And they may go camping.
The logo for Royal Ambassadors, a missions-focused program for elementary school boys. The program is hosted in about 3,0...
Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s Burial Angers Virginia Muslims 05-13-2013From around the webBY GARY STRAUSS
(RNS) Officials and local residents of a rural Virginia county say they’re surprised and angered that the body of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was buried in a local cemetery....
Abuse Watchdogs Say Bishops’ ‘Failings’ Hurt Their Credibility 05-10-2013From around the webBY DAVID GIBSON
(RNS) Even as an annual review this week gave Catholic bishops high marks on sex abuse prevention policies, officials with the church’s own oversight agencies expressed serious concerns about &ld...
A Controversial Broadway Play on the Virgin Mary Closes 05-08-2013From around the webBY DAVID GIBSON | NEW YORK
(RNS) A Tony-nominated play that offered a controversial take on the Virgin Mary reflecting on her life held its final performance on Sunday (May 5), closing after only two weeks as poor tic...
Church Leaders Tackle the Stigma of Mental Illness 05-07-2013From around the webBY BOB SMIETANA | NASHVILLE, Tenn.
(RNS) The Rev. Frank Page, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was getting ready to work in the yard in the fall of 2009 when the phone rang. His daughter was on the...
Yoga Prodigy Seeks Joy and Finds It 05-06-2013From around the webBY CATHLEEN FALSANI | LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.
(RNS) Class began at dusk in a dimly lit studio facing Pacific Coast Highway as the yoga teacher appeared, adjusting the shawl draped around his shoulders, and took his seat ...
Survivors of Magdalene Laundries Still Waiting for an Apology 05-03-2013From around the webBY PAIGE BRETTINGEN | BELFAST, Northern Ireland
(RNS) When the Republic of Ireland apologized to the wayward girls who were sent to the Magdalene laundries for hard work and no pay, Teresa Bell felt encouraged. Surely...
