West Side Church Provides a Safe Haven for Chicago Veterans
By Xinyi (Ethel) Jiang Medill Reports More than a hundred Austin neighbors from the West Side gathered on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to celebrate and honor the service of veterans at the Healing Temple Church. This “Musical and Award Luncheon” is part of the “Standup for Veterans” program sponsored by the Arthur Lockhart Resource Institute. […]
Lawndale man finds hope in the basement of a church
By Pat Nabong and Hammad Sarfraz Although fewer people experienced homelessness in Chicago in 2016 compared to the previous year, nearly six thousand still live on the streets and in shelters. Bernard Johnson is one of them.
Undocumented father takes sanctuary in church
By Bian Elkhatib J ose Juan Federico Moreno has not left University Church in Hyde Park since April 15. He is seeking sanctuary from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after they asked him to self-deport to Mexico. [vimeo 168295184 w=474] Moreno, who is from Bolingbrook, has a wife and five U.S. citizen children. He was […]
Chicago Pastor Bruce Ray called to a ‘disruptive’ mission
Yingxu Jane Hao The Rev. Bruce Ray never planned to become a pastor. Son of a Kentucky pastor in a small town in northwestern Illinois, Ray longed to become a writer. So he went to the University of Iowa to study English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in social work. Though his life […]
Ethiopians celebrate Fasika (Easter) in Chicago following 55-day fast
By Hannah Gebresilassie Hundreds of Ethiopians came together at Debre Tsion Medhanealem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church in Chicago to celebrate Fasika, or Easter, on May 1. The 6-hour service includes individual and community prayers led by Father Michael during worship. From Good Friday to Easter Sunday, priests and some church members don’t eat anything to show […]
Protesters crash mayor’s private MLK party
Text by Hannah Gebresilassie Video by Kat Lonsdorf Chicago activists interrupted Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s privately held interfaith breakfast Friday commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to protest the mayor’s handling of fatal shootings of unarmed black teenagers by Chicago police. As promised, more than 30 protesters gathered at the main entrance of […]
