Source: The Hartford Courant

On June 29, 2002 The Hartford Courant reported that All Saints Catholic Church in New Britain, Connecticut "is closing after 84 years of service to the New Britain Slovak community. For many, it represents the closing of a bridge to their ancestral home... All Saints... is one of a dozen Catholic churches in New Britain... it is an ethnic parish, originally built to serve the city's bustling immigrant community... The closing, announced in April, is part of the Archdiocese of Hartford's plan to restructure and streamline...

Source: The Washington Post

On June 29, 2002, The Washington Post featured an article on an Orthodox Rabbi convicted of sexual abuse. "While sexual abuse of minors by priests has shaken the Roman Catholic Church this year, a smaller-scale but still painful scandal over sexual abuse by a charismatic rabbi has reverberated through the nation's Orthodox Jewish community... A jury of six men and six women in central New Jersey found Rabbi Baruch Lanner, 52, guilty of abusing two teenage girls... Once a rising star among Jewish educators, Lanner had...

Source: Newsday

On June 29, 2002 Newsday reported on an interfaith conference in New York City designed to help religious leaders "sustain their post-9/11 ministry." The conference was attended by "approximately 800 priests, pastors, imams, rabbis and other spiritual leaders from the metropolitan area... 'Leaders of faith communities are the first line (of defense) in mental health,' said Rabbi Stephen Roberts, president of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains, who chaired the daylong conference sponsored by the American Red Cross last month...

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On June 29, 2002 the St. Petersburg Times reported that "in the classrooms of a small Episcopal church... Hindu members of the Swadhyaya movement (pronounced Swad-HI-ya), a sect little more than 50 years old... chant and study... The arrangement is treated with aplomb by the two vastly different religious communities... The St. Petersburg Swadhyayees have met since the late 1980s. The group, one of 350 in the United States, started with two people. Today there are 50 families, which include many children. Members come from...

Source: The Washington Post

On June 28, 2002, The Washington Post reported that "even as a court ruled that it is illegal for school children to recite a Pledge of Allegiance that mentions God - and then swiftly put an indefinite hold on that decision - Virginia schools are preparing to quietly welcome Him into every foyer... Starting Monday, every Virginia school will be required to hang a poster with the words 'In God We Trust, the National Motto, enacted by Congress in 1956,' in accordance with a law signed by Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) in May...

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On June 28, 2002 the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that "SS Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, seeking an injunction ordering [the city of] New Berlin [Wisconsin] to allow it to build a church... The lawsuit... alleges that the church was denied the exercise of its religion and that city officials are liable for any violation of constitutional rights... The church, attended by 450 families, planned to use the land in New Berlin to build a $10 million...

Source: The Washington Post

On June 27, 2002 The Washington Post reported that "Census figures show that the Northern Virginia suburbs [of Washington, DC] are among the fastest growing in the country. But unlike giant chains such as Blockbuster and Burger King, churches, synagogues and mosques often do not have the capital or luxury to stay one step ahead of the demographic curve. Planning and fundraising take time, and dealing with the thicket of local land-use regulations can [be difficult]... 'We've seen the number of people attending in the last...

Source: Muslim Public Affairs Council

http://www.mpac.org/NEWS/newsitemdisplay.asp?ID=177&ITEMTYPE=NEWS

On June 27, 2002, The Muslim Public Affairs Council issued a press release declaring their agreement with the statement issued by The Interfaith Alliance which concludes that "it is sad to see that religion has been so secularized that its use in a patriotic statement must be considered unconstitutional."

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On June 24, 2002, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featured a letter to the Editor from Rabbi James Gibson, responding to the comments of Rev. Vines. "I am the senior rabbi of Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill and have worked to improve inter-group relations in Pittsburgh for the last 14 years. I am shocked at Mr. Vines' callous disregard for interfaith sensibilities as well as his ignorance about Islam... Every person of faith, regardless of their belief, should demand a public retraction of Mr. Vines' statement. Neither explanation...

Source: The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26419-2002Jun21.html

On June 23, 2002, The Washington Post featured the editorial "Back to the Bully Pulpit." It noted, "Some people who follow these things say no one should be surprised by the anti-Muslim bigotry of a former leader of the Southern Baptist Convention. Maybe ... we shouldn't have been shocked, only disgusted. What is surprising, and more than disappointing, is the...

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On June 22, 2002 The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported that Atlanta area Orthodox Christians will join together to celebrate the Pentecost this weekend. "Estimates of the number of metro Atlanta's Orthodox Christians range from 12,000 to 15,000. The largest group is Greek Orthodox, but the region also has Antiochian, Russian, Carpatho-Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Romanian and Bulgarian congregations."

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

On June 21, 2002 The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the opening of the Mall of America's "new meditation room. Opened in late February, the 400-square-foot space is designed for use by employees of any faith, or those just wanting a quiet place... The Mall Area Religious Council [in Minnesota] advised management in setting up the sparsely furnished room for multifaith use. The space includes two foot-washing stalls, shelves for shoes and prayer rugs, and a painted compass on one wall, which assist Muslims in their...

Source: The Boston Globe

On June 20, 2002 The Boston Globe reported that in Boston, "Temple Israel's portable ark, which holds the Torah, sits in an unlikely place, down the block from the synagogue in the corner of the Hartford Street Presbyterian Church sanctuary...    The temple's congregants will soon follow, when they start holding services at the Natick church next Thursday. The synagogue is being renovated, and the church's board voted to share the sanctuary with their neighbors down the street through the summer."

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/nation/20020620presby0620p4.asp

On June 20, 2002 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that "the Presbyterian Church (USA) has called for its presbyteries, congregations and members to get to know Muslims and learn about each other's faiths, saying interfaith dialogue was important before Sept. 11 and has been crucial since then."

Source: The Atlanta Journal and Constitution

On June 19, 2002 The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reported Calvary Christian Fellowship Church in Duluth, Georgia "is holding a 'Kenyan outreach service' to attract more Africans into its fold... 100 or so Kenyans worship regularly at Calvary, where nearly 30 nationalities comprise the 700-plus congregation... Many Atlanta-area churches are opening their pulpits so fledging immigrant congregations can worship in a familiar culture and language. Like Calvary... many assume the role of 'mother churches,'...