In a statement to The Times Wednesday, the diocese said Bishop Robert McClory accepted a recommendation from parishioners and clergy members from 14 parishes in Hammond, East Chicago and Whiting to consolidate to four parishes with three additional worship sites.

But St Francis Xavier Chapel, which has a strong claim to be the oldest surviving Catholic church in sub-Saharan Africa, faces a new threat today. A three-storey building belonging to a Chinese-owned fishing company is under construction on a previously empty plot next door.

The Catholic Church has issued a warning to its clergy in Washington state: Any priest who complies with a new law requiring the reporting of child abuse confessions to authorities will be excommunicated.

Catholic missions in places like Ōtaki, Whanganui, and Hokianga became cultural and spiritual hubs for generations of Māori. Māori leaders such as Wiremu Te Awhitu, who in 1944 became the first Māori Catholic priest, emerged as important bridges between Catholic theology and Māori identity.

Priests are required to report child abuse or neglect to Washington state law enforcement after learning about the crime through confessions.

The man was arrested on Sunday, May 18 at St. Phillip's Catholic Church, near the intersection of Rural and Michigan streets.

The pontiff said he would face up to "the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world" and, in a nod to conservatives, he promised to preserve "the rich heritage of the Christian faith," repeatedly calling for unity.

A fire caused extensive damage to St. James Catholic Church in Hopewell late Wednesday. “We are deeply grateful to report that no one was injured, and no one was inside the church at the time,” the church posted on Facebook around 1:30 a.