Jonah McKeown

Jonah McKeown

Jonah McKeown was a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency from 2018 to 2025, where he also worked on CNA’s podcasts. He is now a staff writer for CNA’s sister news partner, the National Catholic Register. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He lives in St. Louis.

Articles by Jonah McKeown

Diary of an Exorcist

Oct 25, 2021 / 15:17 pm

Monsignor Stephen Rossetti has been an exorcist in the Archdiocese of Washington for more than a dozen years. He shares his experiences and how Catholics can avoid crossing paths with demons.

Human rights begin in the womb, Cardinal Dolan says

Oct 23, 2021 / 14:45 pm

The first step to ending all forms of violence in society— whether related to crime, racism, or poverty— is ending the violence of abortion, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York wrote in an Oct. 20 column. 

British doctors say they will not participate in assisted suicide if it becomes legal

Oct 21, 2021 / 17:00 pm

A group of some 1,700 British doctors say they will not participate in assisted suicide, amid a push by some lawmakers to legalize the practice in England and Wales. 

Missouri Christian church wins settlement over coronavirus restrictions on worship

Oct 20, 2021 / 18:00 pm

A Kansas City-area Baptist megachurch has reached a $150,000 settlement with the county over coronavirus restrictions, with the church claiming that the county treated them more harshly than secular institutions when it came to COVID protocols. 

Spanish prime minister pledges to outlaw prostitution

Oct 19, 2021 / 15:01 pm

Spain’s prime minister has vowed to end the practice of prostitution in the country, saying it enslaves women. 

US Justice Department asks Supreme Court to block Texas heartbeat abortion law

Oct 18, 2021 / 12:05 pm

The US Department of Justice on Monday asked the Supreme Court to block a Texas pro-life law, in effect since September, which bans abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat and relies on private lawsuits filed by citizens to enforce the ban.

Murdered British lawmaker was Catholic, pro-life

Oct 15, 2021 / 11:45 am

A British lawmaker died Friday after suffering multiple stab wounds at a Methodist church in southeast England. 

Northern Ireland considering abortion clinic ‘buffer zone’ law

Oct 14, 2021 / 16:01 pm

A proposal to require so-called “buffer zones” around abortion clinics - an area where protests would not be allowed - is reportedly drawing support in Northern Ireland’s parliament. If passed, the law, which has progressed past the first legislative stage, would be the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. 

US dioceses prepare to open synod process this month

Oct 14, 2021 / 14:35 pm

Dioceses across the United States are preparing for the consultation process for the Synod on Synodality, a two-year, worldwide undertaking during which Catholics will be encouraged to submit feedback to their local diocese.

Mapping the Catholic Church, Healing the Earth

Oct 11, 2021 / 14:10 pm

This week on the podcast, we'll talk to Molly Burhans, a Catholic scientist and mapmaker who is using high-tech maps to make the Church more sustainable, and more effective at Her mission.

Denver cathedral vandalized with anti-Catholic slogans 

Oct 11, 2021 / 12:18 pm

The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver was spray-painted with anti-Catholic slogans on Sunday, the latest in a series of vandalism incidents against Catholic buildings in Colorado. 

Texas ‘heartbeat’ abortion law temporarily reinstated amid legal fight

Oct 9, 2021 / 07:49 am

A federal court on Friday evening issued a ruling allowing a Texas state law, which restricts abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, to take effect again amid an ongoing court fight.

California rolls back assisted suicide safeguards

Oct 7, 2021 / 15:10 pm

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed Senate Bill 380, a law that loosens several safeguarding requirements surrounding assisted suicide. The California Catholic Conference had been strongly urging opposition to the legal change.

Jersey health minister will vote against legalizing assisted suicide

Oct 6, 2021 / 15:00 pm

The health minister of the British channel island of Jersey has expressed opposition to the legalization of assisted suicide, and says he will vote against the proposal in the island’s parliament later this year.

Dr. Francis Collins, scientist and Christian, to step down as NIH head

Oct 5, 2021 / 15:00 pm

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health and an outspoken Christian, announced Tuesday that he will step down as director after serving in the role since 2009. 

Pro-lifers counter pro-abortion protests across the United States

Oct 5, 2021 / 14:56 pm

As pro-abortion rallies were held across the country last weekend in response to a Texas law regulating abortion, pro-lifers in several areas also staged protests to counter them. 

Profiles of pro-life women: A Q&A with Elizabeth Kirk

Oct 5, 2021 / 00:01 am

This December, the US Supreme Court is set to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that many experts say presents the most momentous test yet of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. At issue is the constitutionality of Mississippi’s 2018 law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Judge: Newark archdiocese can be held liable for McCarrick's misconduct

Oct 1, 2021 / 15:44 pm

A New Jersey federal judge ruled this week that the Archdiocese of Newark can be held financially responsible for the abuse committed by Theodore McCarrick, a disgraced former cardinal, according to one media report. 

Michigan governor vetoes funding for abortion alternatives

Oct 1, 2021 / 14:00 pm

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday line-item vetoed about $16 million worth of funding for alternatives to abortion, drawing consternation from the state’s Catholic conference. 

Learn from St Joseph’s respect for life, archbishop says

Oct 1, 2021 / 03:00 am

St. Joseph’s ‘faithful trust and courage” provide a powerful pro-life witness, a US bishop has said, marking the start of Respect Life Month in the Year of St. Joseph.