With large sheets of plain plywood blocking public access to the Holy Stairs, one woman lovingly touched a large color photograph of the stairs, made the sign of the cross, lowered her head and prayed.

Tweeting with hashtags that translate as "Closed ports" and "Open hearts," Italy's interior minister disputed claims that the Italian government was complicit in leaving a migrant to die in the Mediterranean Sea as she clung to a board from a destroyed fishing boat.

Facing child trafficking allegations at one of its homes for unmarried mothers in India, the Missionaries of Charity said the order condemns the actions of individuals involved and stressed that these are unrelated to the order.

In 2008, Kenan Thompson of "Saturday Night Live" unveiled a "financial expert" character named Oscar Rogers on the "Weekend Update" segment. His advice on the economy, shouted loudly and often as the nation was careening into the Great Recession, was "Fix it!"

Bishops J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, Richard F. Stika of Knoxville and Martin D. Holley of Memphis have written to Gov. Bill Haslam urging him to "use your authority as governor to put an end to the fast-track executions planned" in the state of Tennessee in the upcoming months.

Dominican Sister Donna Markham, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, grew emotional talking about the harrowing stories she heard from immigrants about the life they left behind to seek refuge in the United States.

As the Catholic Church in Chile continues to reel from allegations of clerical sexual abuse and cover-ups, police arrested the former chancellor of the Archdiocese of Santiago on accusations he sexually abused minors.

When Brett Kavanaugh took to the podium July 9 at the White House after being introduced as President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, he revealed, among other things, that his Catholic faith is a big part of his life.

When most people connect sports to Lewiston, Maine -- if they ever do -- they probably think of Muhammad Ali defending his World Boxing Council heavyweight title, knocking out Sonny Liston, the man from whom he took it, in the first round in 1965.