Ultra-Orthodox Jewish teens attend the funeral for Rabbi Mordechai Leifer in Ashdod, Israel, Oct. 5, 2020.

Sacred Nation

New discoveries shed light on some of the earliest humans to settle in Taiwan

Sacred Nation

A combination of ancient knowledge and modern research techniques may be closing the gap between who some of the earliest people to settle in Taiwan could have been and its current residents. The key to the earliest chapters of Taiwan’s history may lie in the stories and traditions of groups like the Saisiyat Indigenous people.

In South Korea, shamans are shunned — and revered 

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Conservators scan Ukraine’s wooden churches to help preserve them

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This aging Buenos Aires stadium continues to be the undisputed ‘temple of soccer’

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Kolkata’s Jewish population is dwindling

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On this remote isle, an icon of the Virgin Mary has endured the flames of war

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After a devastating fire, people in Bougainville found hope and strength from a statue of the Virgin Mary that survived the flames. It not only represents a miracle, but serves as an icon for the island’s struggle for independence.

Mapuche sports help Indigenous Chileans revive culture

Sacred Spaces

Chile’s Indigenous Mapuche people have long fought the government over land claims. They’ve faced discrimination and assimilation in Chilean society. But some Mapuche communities are now turning the page. And they’re using an ancestral sport to help protect and revive their culture, customs and language.

Holy Catholic relics from shuttered institutions are preserved on a New York campus

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As Catholic establishments shut down across North America, holy relics once housed inside them are making their way to Manhattan University, where they’re being collected and preserved for the faithful.

As Catholic faith ebbs in Spain, missionary priests come to the rescue

Sacred Nation

Spain exported Christianity across the world through missionary expeditions, but as the religion dwindles across Europe, parishes are increasingly reliant on priests from abroad — a trend some call “reverse missions.”

Armenian Christians of Jerusalem say their centuries-old community faces an existential threat    

Sacred Nation

Armenian Christians in the Old City of Jerusalem say their centuries-old community is facing an existential threat. It stems from an ongoing legal dispute over a real estate deal signed three years ago. Members of the small minority community of Armenians in Jerusalem say they are fearful about their future in the holy city.

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