The Archbishop of Edmonton is a familiar presence on Salt + Light — since 2008, S+L has televised the “Nothing More Beautiful” catechesis events at his cathedral. Archbishop Richard Smith’s national influence further grew in fall 2011 when he was elected president of the Canadian bishops’ conference. In this half-hour interview, Archbishop Smith speaks about ...read more

If you could celebrate Easter anywhere in the world, where would you go? For many Christians like myself, the answer is obvious: the Holy Land, where Jesus experienced his passion, death, and resurrection. Israel’s Ministry of Tourism is making this possible for two fortunate people. Holyland-pilgrimage.org is inviting would-be pilgrims to create a one-minute Youtube ...read more

Every year bishops representing North America and Europe make a special visit to the Holy Land to meet with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Known as the Holy Land Coordination, the bishops spend the week visiting Christians in and around Jerusalem. They get to see how the average parish works, how Christians live alongside Jews ...read more

Pope Benedict has repeatedly urged the universal Church to encourage and support Christians in the Holy Land. One way to do this is financially through the collection traditionally taken up on Good Friday. A letter from the prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches Cardinal Leonardo Sandri was released Monday calling on the faithful to ...read more

In nearly six years at S+L, my most challenging film shoot was at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Widely considered the holiest shrine in the world, the church features prominently in the documentary Within Your Gates. Gaining access to film in the edicule—the small structure marking Jesus’ burial tomb—felt like a minor ...read more

The Vatican is among those watching the crisis unfold in Egypt. Nearly 100 people have been killed in a week of political demonstrations. But Catholic News Service’s John Thavis explains the Holy See isn’t likely to offer any immediate comment on the situation: To download Flash Player please click here ...read more

“Good morning Jenna,” a friendly male voice chimed. “It appears that you have drawn the short straw!” These were the warm words I heard as I picked up the first phone call of the day on the morning after one of the best days of my life. The voice belonged to Mr. Jerry Adler at ...read more

Today is January 6th, and I am thinking of the three wise men. And the three wise men make me think of distances. I was always intrigued about distances in Israel. When I read that Mary and Joseph walked from Nazareth to Bethlehem, or that Mary rode on a donkey, it’s hard to appreciate how ...read more

A year ago I visited Bethlehem, where residents can claim to celebrate Christmas every day. For those who have never traveled to the region, the city holds a number of surprises. For one, Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity (believed to be the place where Jesus was born) and the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (containing the ...read more