Religion

Yaseen Khan, 6, throws stones at a homemade pillar, meant to evoke the ritual of driving away the devil during the hajj.

Unable To Travel To Mecca, Muslim Community Holds Drive-Thru Hajj

12:02pm July 30, 2020

by Daniella Cheslow

Religiously speaking, it was not a substitute for the real pilgrimage, which all Muslims must try to make in their lifetime. But it inspired many to go once it's possible again.

Cesa Pusateri, 12, and her grandfather, Timothy Waxenfelter, principal of Quigley Catholic High School, leave with his collection of speech and debate books after the closure of the school in Baden, Pa., on June 8, 2020. According to the National Catholic

The Closure Of Catholic Schools Is 'Devastating,' Advocates Say

10:06am July 30, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

Administrators say the COVID-19 economic downturn means many low income families can no longer afford Catholic school tuition fees.

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Coronavirus Pandemic Hits Catholic Schools Especially Hard

7:31am July 30, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

At least 100 Catholic elementary and secondary schools may have to close this fall, because COVID-19 concerns are leading to lower enrollments. Families of color may be hardest hit.

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Religion

Hundreds Of Muslims Attend Drive-Through Hajj In Maryland

5:26am July 30, 2020

by Daniella Cheslow

Muslims living outside Saudi Arabia cannot make the hajj this year because of the coronavirus. One community in Maryland held a drive-through hajj instead.

What The Hajj Is Like During The Pandemic

4:19pm July 28, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Vivian Nereim, a Bloomberg News reporter in Saudi Arabia, about how the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca will be different this year because of the pandemic.

A worshiper prays outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus' tomb. Its wooden doors are shut now to deter the spread of COVID-19, and only clergy may perform the daily prayer rituals inside.

In Jerusalem's Old City, The Devout Adjust To Worship In The Coronavirus Era

8:02am July 25, 2020

by Daniel Estrin

In the Old City, the beating heart of a place sacred to millions, the pandemic has challenged devout Muslims, Christians and Jews to rethink how to pray safely. New customs now accompany old rituals.

Turkey Holds 1st Muslim Prayers In Hagia Sophia Newly Converted Into A Mosque

4:36pm July 24, 2020

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey held the first organized Muslim prayers Friday in the famed Hagia Sophia after the grand ancient building was converted from a museum into a mosque.

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People gather to perform Friday prayers at Istanbul's Hagia Sophia for the first time in 86 years.

Hagia Sophia Hosts 1st Friday Prayers Since It Was Turned Back Into A Mosque

3:19pm July 24, 2020

The Istanbul landmark has long been hailed as a symbol of the coexistence of Christianity and Islam, a cultural junction between East and West.

The Santiago Bahá'í Temple, designed by Hariri and his team.

Religion

Siamak Hariri: How Do You Create A Sacred Space?

8:32am July 24, 2020

by NPR/TED STAFF

To design the Bahá'í Temple of South America, architect Siamak Hariri had to reimagine what a sacred space looks like. He found his answer and design in illumination.

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Communities Struggle To Decide Whether To Resume In-Person Worship

4:07pm July 22, 2020

by Madelyn Beck

Some churches have resumed in-person worship after months of the shutdown. But others have not started yet. Deciding whether and how to reopen churches is difficult for many communities.

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