Pittsburgh Presbyterian churches collect donations to eliminate $14 million in medical debt
Amy Grella and her family know how stressful medical debt can become. Grella’s daughter underwent five stays in the hospital before her fifth birthday because of ongoing problems with persistent viral respiratory infections. The Mt. Lebanon family had health insurance, but their claims fell into loopholes and exclusions in their...
10th annual Light Up the Night in Monroeville a success despite cold, tragedy in Australia
Even with frigid temperatures, the Chabad Jewish Center of Monroeville celebrated its 10th annual Light Up the Night on Dec. 15 in Community Park West. The evening marked the second night of Hanukkah, which starts on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Jewish calendar. Because of...
Pope Leo XIV’s 1st full-length U.S. book, ‘Peace Be with You,’ to be released in February
NEW YORK — The first full-length book by Pope Leo XIV to come out in the U.S. will be published next year. HarperOne announced Wednesday that it had acquired world rights to “Peace Be with You! My Words to the Church and to the World,” scheduled for release on Feb....
Retired Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik finds new calling in volunteer service
David Zubik may have retired as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, but he hasn’t stepped away from serving others. On Thursday morning, he slipped into a volunteer’s seat at a charity dental clinic in Pittsburgh, greeting each patient, guiding them through paperwork and pausing long enough to hear...
Consequences mount as federal government shutdown, state budget impasse drag on
As the federal government shutdown moves into its second month and the state budget impasse drags into its fifth, the consequences of political inaction are mounting. Affordable Care Act premiums are poised to skyrocket, energy assistance is stalled, and a federal judge Friday ordered the Trump administration to keep SNAP...
Ave Maria Academy balloon rosary connects students through prayer
The sound of children’s voices could be heard in unison praying as they sat outside of Ave Maria Academy in Bethel Park on Oct. 6 while a rosary made of balloons floated in the air. “This is a great opportunity for the students to pray together,” said Mark Grgurich, co-principal...
‘I’m cautiously optimistic’: Palestinians, Jews in Western Pa. share mixed emotions about peace deal
When Karim Alshurafa heard Thursday’s news of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, he felt conflicted. Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, which could be the first step toward ending a 2-year-old war that has roiled the Middle East. Alshurafa, 42,...
As Steelers play Vikings on Sunday, they’re also fighting a holy war against church services
Church and Steelers football routinely go hand-in-hand among fans in Western Pennsylvania. “We are a multi-religious city, and one of our religions, perhaps the most popular religion in Pittsburgh, is the Steelers,” the Rev. Liddy Barlow told TribLive on Friday. Barlow is executive minister of Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania,...
What is the Rapture and why is a doomsday prediction spreading on TikTok?
The Rapture is near — at least according to an apocalyptic prophecy by one South African man who says it will fall on Sept. 23 or 24. His claim has gone viral, with some believing it will mark the end times and many more mocking it on social media. “There...
Beaver County Catholics warned to double-check their inbox as emails aren’t from priests
A Beaver County Catholic parish is dealing with spam emails impersonating members of its clergy, according to a Facebook announcement. Mary, Queen of Saints Catholic Parish, which has churches in Aliquippa, Center, Hopewell and Monaca was made aware of the emails, specifically impersonating its priests, the Revs. John Gizler, Celestine...
Final design unveiled for Tree of Life, construction to begin in 2026
An updated and final design was just unveiled for The Tree of Life in Squirrel Hill — which will house the planned museum and institution dedicated to uprooting antisemitism. With construction expected to begin in early 2026, the revised building design will have a smaller physical footprint than the previous...
A wildly popular 15-year-old computer whiz is becoming the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint
CHICAGO — At a Catholic school in Pope Leo XIV’s hometown, fifth graders read comic books about Carlo Acutis’ life titled “Digital Disciple.” They draw pictures of what the teenage Italian computer whiz might have had as his cellphone wallpaper. They discuss the miracles that allegedly occurred thanks to Acutis’...
Pope Leo meets LGBTQ+ Catholic advocate and vows continuity with Pope Francis’ legacy of welcome
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV met Monday with one of the most prominent advocates for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church and encouraged his ministry, sending a strong signal of welcome in the early months of his pontificate. The Rev. James Martin, a New York-based Jesuit author and...
Minneapolis shooting reignites debate over gun control and prayer
Thoughts and prayers. The invocation appears like a litany after every mass shooting — and the backlash is just as inevitable. As if the slaughter of children amid screams and shattered stained glass wasn’t cause enough for grief, American opinion makers were convulsed once again this week in a debate...
AI Apocalypse? Why language surrounding tech is sounding increasingly religious
TORONTO — At 77 years old, Geoffrey Hinton has a new calling in life. Like a modern-day prophet, the Nobel Prize winner is raising alarms about the dangers of uncontrolled and unregulated artificial intelligence. Frequently dubbed the “Godfather of AI,” Hinton is known for his pioneering work on deep learning...
Pittsburgh’s Catholic leaders on alert after school shooting in Minneapolis
A Pittsburgh-area native leads the Minneapolis-St. Paul archdiocese, where gunfire during a back-to-school Mass Wednesday killed two students and injured more than a dozen others. Archbishop Bernard Hebda grew up in Brookline. His counterpart in Pittsburgh, Bishop Mark Eckman, offered prayers for Hebda and everyone else reeling from the latest...
Is empathy a sin? Some conservative Christians argue it can be
WASHINGTON — Empathy is usually regarded as a virtue, a key to human decency and kindness. And yet, with increasing momentum, voices on the Christian right are preaching that it has become a vice. For them, empathy is a cudgel for the left: It can manipulate caring people into accepting...
Holy Family Institute’s Sister Linda Yankoski leads a life of caring for others
When Sister Linda Yankoski was asked what she needed to care for the children who came to stay at Holy Family Institute after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, her answer was “rocking chairs.” “We had babies we needed to rock to sleep,” said Yankoski, one of the Sisters of the Holy...
Pope thrills hundreds of thousands of young Catholics at Holy Year youth festival
ROME — Pope Leo XIV urged hundreds of thousands of young people on Saturday to have the courage to make radical choices to do good, as he presided over his first big encounter with the next generation of Catholics during the highlight of the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year. Leo encountered...
Heinz Chapel undergoes 2-year renovation of iconic spire
A face-lift of the Heinz Memorial Chapel’s iconic spire in Oakland is complete. The two-year project, originally estimated to cost $11.5 million, involved meticulously removing, repairing and replacing hundreds of copper panels, all while negotiating stories of scaffolding that surrounded the structure. “To see it finished and without the scaffolding...
Pittsburgh’s new bishop takes over, likens job to conducting a symphony
The bishops of the Roman Catholic Church can be thought of as regional managers. They oversee geographical areas and serve as administrators overseeing dozens of priests. They also serve as the spiritual leaders of the church in places like the Diocese of Pittsburgh, which covers six counties in Southwest Pennsylvania....
Scholarship fund to honor retiring Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik
As Bishop David A. Zubik celebrates the end of his ecclesiastical career as leader of the Pittsburgh Catholic diocese, his colleagues are honoring him with a scholarship named in his honor. Zubik celebrated his 75th birthday on Sept. 4, 2024. It’s the mandatory retirement age for bishops. On Monday, the...
Priest draws on prayer for 1st sermon, says ‘providential’ path pulled him back from L.A.
Father Daniel J. Roberts was joined by family, friends, fellow priests, bishops and seminarians as he celebrated his first Mass on June 29 at St. Bonaventure Church in Shaler. “Ten years ago, I never would have dreamed that I’d be standing here in front of you as a priest, especially...
Rev. Melissa L. Stoller elected 1st woman bishop of Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
Rev. Melissa L. Stoller was elected the next bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America — the first woman to hold the position. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod spans the bottom left corner of the state, with West Virginia and Ohio as the south and...
St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale marks 125 years with a full house
St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale celebrated its 125th anniversary on June 1. The day began with a Mass celebrated by Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, along with other clergy. During his homily, Zubik recognized the ancestors who brought the strength and richness of the Croatian...
