The Mystery of the Underwater Crucifix
About twenty feet underwater in Lake Michigan there’s a white marble crucifix from Italy. Diver Denny Jessick used a trail of rumors to search for its origin story.
The Witch and the Virgin Mary
What had I expected to find here, in this place named for another religion’s saint? This was a shrine to the mother of God - but not the mother of any of my gods.
Days Between Stations
I think of Father Sullivan every time I pass, imagining him walking the circular path between the stations of the cross.
Exiles Living in a Church
It certainly isn’t cool, or edgy, or funny–the things people say about what it must be like to live in a church. It’s relentless.
The Relics of Morton Grove, Illinois
All Saints Parish has a special status within the Catholic church because of the massive collection of relics that adorn its walls, vestibules, and nooks.
Starstruck: An American Tale
A cut through the layers of America past and present in the historic steel town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
City of Cod
In Pittsburgh, Lenten fish fries remain a proudly local, idiosyncratic, and fraternal tradition.
Faith in Movement
Andy Warhol, the Rust Belt, and me.
Uncovering Pittsburgh’s Black Muslim History
Pittsburgh was once a Black Muslim refuge. Here's one family's story.
Rebel Girl of West Ridge
From the Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook.