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Gasps, tears as Iraqis return to IS-destroyed parish
KARAMLIS, Iraq (AP) -- There were gasps, followed by tears at a small church in northern Iraq as a group of Christians returned to their parish Sunday to find that everything had been destroyed, including the statue of the Virgin Mary, which Islamic State militants had decapitated before they left....
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As parishioners and police respond to the threat of an armed intruder, clergy at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Abbeville, Louisiana take cover behind the altar on May 11, 2024. / Credit: Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, LouisianaCNA Newsroom, May 12, 2024 / 13:10 pm (CNA).Quick action by alert parishioners and local police are credited with averting a tragedy at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, Louisiana yesterday.As 60 children were preparing for their first communion, the parish located south of Lafayette, Louisiana reported that an armed "suspicious person opened the back door." "The individual was immediately confronted by parishioners, escorted outside and the police were called," the parish indicated in a statement. In an interview with the Acadiana Advocate, Abbeville Police Chief Mike Hardy credited parishioners for having disarmed the suspect and having him already pinned to the ground when police arrived.A livestream v...
The Immaculata statue from Immaculate Conception Parish in Detroit was placed in a niche in the church where a confessional used to be, along with stands displaying news articles chronicling Immaculate Conception's history, a reminder of what was lost and what has been saved. "The statue meant a lot to parishioners who came in here and adopted St. Hyacinth as their new home after Immaculate Conception was torn down," sacristan Susan Kraus said. "It is only out of fairness and respect toward them that we restore her to her original beauty." / Credit: Daniel Meloy | Detroit CatholicDetroit, Mich., May 12, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).Susan Kraus got goosebumps when she discovered a decorative crown adorned with 12 stars in the basement of St. Hyacinth Parish in Detroit.The treasured piece of local Church history at the east-side Detroit parish was once considered a long-lost piece of parish lore, the headpiece for the parish's Immaculata statue, a forgotten gem from a tumultuous time."I...
"We reflect with gratitude on all mothers, and let us also pray for mothers who have gone to heaven. We entrust mothers to the protection of Mary, our heavenly mother," said Pope Francis on May 12, 2024. / Credit: Vatican MediaRome Newsroom, May 12, 2024 / 10:45 am (CNA).On Mother's Day, Pope Francis entrusted all mothers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking everyone to remember to also pray for all the mothers who have gone to heaven.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace on May 12, Pope Francis asked the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square for a round of applause to celebrate all mothers."Mother's Day is celebrated in many countries today. We reflect with gratitude on all mothers, and let us also pray for mothers who have gone to heaven. We entrust mothers to the protection of Mary, our heavenly mother," the pope said.Pope Francis also asked for the Virgin Mary's intercession to help in life's journey towards heaven."May Mary, she who has already arrived at...
