Source: Los Angeles Times

The June 1, 2000, Los Angeles Times reported that Jaime Soto has became the youngest bishop in the U.S. He is a well respected community member who easily blends Spanish and English in his masses. "Soto's promotion signals the growing emphasis by the Catholic church on the burgeoning Latino population here and across the United States. Of Orange County's 1 million Catholics, about 480,000 are Latino, according to diocesan officials." "Nationwide, there is one priest for every 1,230 Catholics...but only one Latino priest for...

Source: The Washington Post

On May 29, 2000, The Washington Post published "Putting a New Spin on an Old Show; Passion Play Takes a Kinder Look at Judaism." The article discusses the revision of a Passion play that has taken place every decade in Oberammergau, Germany since 1634. "Many of the story's most ardent critics now declare this version, which premiered May 21, a milestone in decades-long efforts to expunge negative images of Jews."

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On May 27, 2000, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that "the National Council of Churches wants to help form a new organization that for the first time would include all major branches of U.S. Christianity." The Council includes "mainline Protestant, black Protestant and Orthodox denominations" while "the Roman Catholic Church, Southern Baptist Convention, and Evangelical and Pentecostal groups" are not represented. It is possible that the NCC would itself disappear if a more inclusive group were...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On May 27, 2000, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported on "the Cathedral of the Annunciation on Clairmont Road, Atlanta's largest Orthodox Christian church. The cathedral is...the seat of Bishop Alexios, head of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Atlanta, which is composed of about 30,000 Greek Orthodox families across the Southeastern states. The Papadopouloses, who moved to Atlanta in 1973, are one of about 1, 400 families who make up the cathedral's growing congregation." The community is building "a new...

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On May 26, 2000, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published the article "Unity’s Bright Light; 24 Christian Groups Joined at Prayer Service." On May 25th, 2000 Christians in St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral gave thanks for 30 years of ministry by Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The service drew from the worship practices of the 24 traditions in the ecumenical organizations. Prayers were sung in the ancient chants of Eastern Orthodoxy and a psalm was read in the call-and-response style of African-...

Source: Star Tribune

On May 20, 2000, the Star Tribune reported that on Memorial Day weekend, mid-19th-century bishop Raphael Hawaweeny "will join sacred company and become St. Raphael, one of 11 people recognized by the Orthodox Church in America as saints." The bishop was born in Lebanon in 1860, arrived in the US in 1895, and has had several miracles attributed to him since his death, although miracles are not required for someone to be sainted in the Orthodox tradition. He is known in the church as one who spread the Orthodox faith through the United...

Source: The Seattle Times

On May 20, 2000, The Seattle Times published an article entitled, "Archbishop a Healer, Here and Abroad: Brunett Plays Key Role in World Drive toward Religious Reconciliation."

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On May 8, 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Ukrainian Orthodox Archbishop Vsevolod has made a move to mend a rift between the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches by offering to share a vial of oil gathered from the bones of St. Nicholas. The oil, which reportedly oozes from the bones of the 4th century bishop's remains every year and is believed to have healing powers, will be shared by the St. Volodymyr Orthodox Cathedral and the St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. The oil will be officially transferred in a...

Source: The Boston Globe

On May 5, 2000, The Boston Globe published an article on the late Cardinal John O'Connor's efforts to promote more positive relations between Catholics and Jews. Edward Koch, former Mayor of New York City and good friend of Cardinal O'Connor, stated: "I heard him say many times - in his homilies, in public statements, privately - that you could not be a good Catholic and be anti-Semitic...He would say, 'Jesus was a Jew. Mary was a Jew.' By that repetition, he was saying you have be pretty stupid to be anti-Semitic. I think that has...

Source: The Arizona Republic

On May 1, 2000, The Arizona Republic reported that about 150 people celebrated Orthodox Easter at the St. Mary's Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Phoenix, AZ. Many Ethiopian Christians in the area used to worship at a Greek Orthodox church, but now an official Ethiopian Orthodox congregation has formed that meets in the gymnasium of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. The congregation was formed a year ago with the help of the Lutheran church, which has supported the Ethiopian congregation in offering services that combine...

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

On April 30, 2000, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that over 20,000 members of the 13 Eastern Orthodox churches in the St. Louis area will be celebrating Easter, which includes approximately 14 hours of services throughout the week between Orthodox Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, this year April 23rd-April 30th.

Source: The Courier-Journal

On April 30, 2000, The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky published an article entitled, "'There's an Explosion of Joy': Orthodox Easter Filled with Ritual."

Source: Los Angeles Times

On April 29, 2000, the Los Angeles Times published an article on Archbishop Demetrios' first Easter message since becoming the leader of the Greek Orthodox Church of America. Archbishop Demetrios spoke out against "the lure of modern attitudes toward the human body." Demetrios continued: "We live in an age which glorifies and pampers the body, one which makes any and every effort to combat the aging process, to preserve the fleeting beauty of our nature, and to deny the painful sting of our mortality."

Source: The Baltimore Sun

On April 28, 2000, The Baltimore Sun reported on the Coptic Church, an ancient strain of Christianity from Egypt. The Coptic congregation at Savage, MD is the only Coptic congregation with its own building in the state; they worship in an Assembly of God church. Members worship in traditional style, chanting in Greek in a building decorated with an altar from Egypt and a wooden icon carved by workers brought from Egypt specifically to create it. They hope to pass their heritage on to their children, including knowledge of the...

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

On April 27, 2000, The Columbus Dispatch reported that "pinions were plentiful yesterday in the aftermath of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Ohio's 41-year-old state motto -- 'With God, all things are possible' -- is unconstitutional." Some wonder why the US national motto "In God We Trust" has been allowed while this motto is considered unconstitutional; others argue that the national motto is more vague than Ohio's and thus shows less of a bias toward Christianity specifically. Americans United for...