Monthly Archives: February 2011

The week in Pa. religion news: Feb. 27, 2011

Posted on February 27, 2011 by melissa nann burke

A Harrisburg priest was appointed as an auxiliary bishop Friday to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Bishop-elect William Waltersheid, 54, has already assured concerned parishioners that he’s a Steelers fan. In other church moves, Cardinal John Foley, a priest of … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Pennsylvania, Catholicism | Leave a comment

Elaine Pagels to speak at Dickinson College

Posted on February 22, 2011 by melissa nann burke

Elaine Pagels, a historian of religion at Princeton University, will speak at 6 p.m. March 1 in Dickinson College’s Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium. Pagels, an authority on literature of the early Christian era, will discuss the cultural impact of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Local events | 1 Comment

Tour the region’s historic Quaker meetinghouses

Posted on February 22, 2011 by melissa nann burke

Quakers in southern Pennsylvania are opening four of the region’s historic meetinghouses for a rare public tour April 30. The four-hour bus tour, departing at 8:30 a.m. from the Historic Tour Co. in Gettysburg, will be led by Debra McCauslin, … Continue reading →

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Update from the Steckers in Haiti

Posted on February 20, 2011 by melissa nann burke

A York pastor who resigned her pulpit last summer ahead of an impending move to Haiti is now working there as an missionary for Lutheran World Federation near Port-au-Prince. In Haiti, the Rev. Paula Stecker, formerly of Trinity Lutheran Church … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere, Mainline Protestants | Leave a comment

The week in Pa. religion news: Feb. 20, 2010

Posted on February 20, 2011 by melissa nann burke

An attorney for sex abuse victims who has sued Catholic priests and bishops around the country on Monday sued the Philadelphia archdiocese, citing grand jury reports that led to recent criminal charges against several priests and a former teacher. Under … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglicanism, Around Pennsylvania | Leave a comment

The week in Pa. religion news: Feb. 14, 2011

Posted on February 14, 2011 by melissa nann burke

A grand jury in Philadelphia on Thursday released a 124-page report accusing Catholic Church officials in the archdiocese of failing to protect children or respond to complaints of past abuse. It accompanied an indictment charging four priests and a teacher … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Pennsylvania, Catholicism, Clergy scandals, Nonprofits | Leave a comment

Creationism still taught in many schools

Posted on February 9, 2011 by melissa nann burke

A Penn State professor’s national survey of 926 representative high school biology teachers found that many teach creationism in public schools, despite court rulings that such instruction is unconstitutional. From the NYT: Researchers found that only 28 percent of biology … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Pennsylvania, Science | Leave a comment

Sightings: The Haiti Earthquake One Year Later: A Survey of Religious Disaster Relief

Posted on February 7, 2011 by melissa nann burke

A year after the earthquake in Haiti, historian Jonathan C. Bergman surveys faith-based aid’s role in modern disaster relief. Read his Sightings column at the jump.

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The week in Pa. religion news: Feb. 6, 2011

Posted on February 6, 2011 by melissa nann burke

Religious leaders in Pittsburgh say it’s OK to pray for your sports team, according to an informal survey by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ann Rodgers. A Catholic gift shop in Bloomfield can’t keep their black-and-gold “Steelers rosaries” on the shelf. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Pennsylvania, Catholicism, Ecomony, Sports | 1 Comment

Seminary, AME to mark Payne bicentennial

Posted on February 2, 2011 by melissa nann burke

The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and leaders of African Methodist Episcopal Church will mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of alumnus Daniel Alexander Payne, one of the most influential African-American Christians in the 19th century. A service celebrating … Continue reading →

Posted in Denominational doings, Local events | 1 Comment