Articles by Jonah McKeown
Christmas in prison? What it's like to celebrate behind bars
Dec 24, 2021 / 12:00 pmPrison is probably the last place people think of when they think about the holidays. Yet Christmas behind bars is a reality this year for more than 2 million Americans.
EWTN documentary highlights chart-topping Christmas album from Germany, 'Sancta Nox'
Dec 23, 2021 / 16:00 pmA documentary airing on EWTN this Christmas will bring viewers to a seminary in Bavaria, home to an internationally diverse group of men whose singing recently topped the classical charts.
We asked our readers about their favorite Christmas carols. Here's what you said.
Dec 21, 2021 / 15:00 pmRecently, we at CNA conducted a (very unscientific, but nonetheless illuminating) poll of our readers to get a sense of your favorite Christmas carols. And, thanks to the nearly 1,000 of you who voted, the results are in!
Brick by brick, this Lego master and disability advocate is building up the Church
Dec 20, 2021 / 11:19 amEach year for the Christmas season, John Kraemer builds a giant, intricately designed Catholic church out of 30,000 Lego pieces.
This disability advocate builds a new Catholic Church each year...out of Legos
Dec 20, 2021 / 09:06 amJohn Kraemer isn’t an architect, but he’s probably built more buildings than a lot of real architects. The only difference? John’s buildings are made entirely out of Legos.
New documentary chronicles life of Catholic scientist Jerome Lejeune, heroic Down syndrome advocate
Dec 18, 2021 / 04:00 amA documentary produced by a French filmmaker about Venerable Jerome Lejeune, a Catholic doctor and scientist who left a legacy of caring for people with Down syndrome, is set to air this January on EWTN.
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Bishop Paprocki: Illinois repeal of parental notice abortion law 'a dark and disgraceful moment'
Dec 17, 2021 / 17:01 pmIllinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed a repeal of the state’s Parental Notice of Abortion Act, a move which drew consternation from Catholic and pro-life people in the state.
Nigerian bishop: Christian persecution is “more intense now than ever”
Dec 16, 2021 / 11:30 amA Nigerian Catholic bishop has challenged the United States Secretary of State to justify his decision to remove Nigeria from a persecution watchlist, saying that he has witnessed firsthand the brutal ongoing persecution against Christians in Africa’s most populous nation.
Catholic pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai gets jail time for involvement in Hong Kong Tiananmen Square vigil
Dec 13, 2021 / 15:01 pmJimmy Lai, a Catholic and prominent figure in the ongoing pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, has been sentenced to a 13-month jail sentence for participating in a 2020 vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Evidence for Dorothy Day’s sainthood cause sent to the Vatican
Dec 10, 2021 / 18:00 pmMore than a dozen boxes containing evidence of Servant of God Dorothy Day’s reputation for holiness are on their way to the Vatican, after a Mass this week in New York City marked the end of two decades of diocesan work on Day’s sainthood cause.
What makes the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe so mysterious? EWTN documentary takes a look
Dec 10, 2021 / 15:19 pmThe most-visited Marian shrine in the world is in Mexico City, and houses what is perhaps the most mysterious Catholic icon in the world: the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Catholic school in India attacked by Hindu mob over alleged conversions
Dec 9, 2021 / 15:23 pmA missionary Catholic school in central India was attacked by a mob of Hindu activists on Monday, despite the school saying they warned police about a possible attack.
Thomas Aquinas College builds helipad to assist in fighting wildfires
Dec 8, 2021 / 16:00 pmFour years after a massive wildfire threatened the school, a Catholic college in southern California has installed a helipad on its campus, with the goal of assisting local firefighters.
Victoria anti-discrimination bill 'unfairly targets' religious organizations, archbishop says
Dec 7, 2021 / 16:31 pmCatholic leaders in Australia expressed concern this week about a new set of laws passed in the state of Victoria which prevent religious groups and schools from making hiring decisions based on protected attributes such as marital status.
Cincinnati archdiocese announces parish 'family' groups amid massive consolidation effort
Dec 6, 2021 / 15:01 pmThe Archdiocese of Cincinnati this week announced plans for groupings of parishes, called “families,” which will greatly reduce the number of parishes in the archdiocese during a multi-year consolidation process.
This bishop braves the Australian Outback daily to care for his Catholics
Dec 6, 2021 / 13:12 pmBishop Columba Macbeth-Green leads the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes in the Australian Outback. He tells us about the extraordinary challenges and blessings that come with his role.
Archbishop Aquila urges Catholics to 're-acquire a biblical worldview' this Advent
Dec 3, 2021 / 17:00 pmIn a pastoral note for Advent, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver urged Catholics to seek a way of seeing the world informed by the Bible and the story of salvation brought about by Christ’ death and resurrection.
Dobbs v. Jackson: What did Roberts, Kavanaugh, and Barrett say?
Dec 1, 2021 / 17:22 pmAs the wait begins for a decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization abortion case, close attention will be paid to the comments and questions of three conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court that some observers view as possible swing votes: Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., and Associate Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
Catholic priests survey finds lower morale, 'conservative shift' among U.S. clergy
Nov 29, 2021 / 13:00 pmA new survey released this month suggests a more “pessimistic” view of the Catholic Church among U.S. priests today as compared to 2002, as well as an increasing perception of “more theologically conservative or orthodox” young priests as compared to their older counterparts.
The powerful witness of Native American Catholics
Nov 22, 2021 / 10:12 amPablo Tac was a young Luiseño Indian man who wished to become a missionary priest. A petition to open his sainthood cause is gaining traction. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we learn more about Pablo’s story, and revisit the stories of Squanto and Nicholas Black Elk.