Revealing Family Secrets
Sara Terracina works as a tour guide in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto, explaining the history of the Jewish families there. But it was only in the past few months she learned more of her own family’s history — through a series of letters she rediscovers her uncle Amedeo, who was killed by the Nazis in 1945.
Stumbling upon memories
Amid the grey cobblestones that line the narrow streets of this ancient city are some that seem to demand the attention of a passer-by.Their placement in the city seems random, but they are part of an art installation called “stolpersteine,” a memorial for the victims of the Holocaust by German Artist Gunter Demnig.
Street art in the capital of Campania
A stark contrast to Rome, Napoli — as the Italians call it — is littered with garbage and graffiti. Though trash and pickpockets are everywhere, the city’s complicated history has created a unique façade for travelers to visit. Here is a collection of various photographs of graffiti in Naples, culled from the Religio staff.
Attracting the diverse
20-year-old Valentina Franzese makes for an unlikely pilgrim, but she has been traveling around various places of religious significance throughout Europe with her family. Contrastingly, Milena Ercolino, has been working as a tour guide at the Padre Pio shrine for over 12 years.
The Pope: A false prophet?
The weekly celebration of the Eucharist at St. John’s in the Village Church, ostensibly follows the traditional Roman Catholic Church model for mass. On closer inspection however, there is something decidedly un-Catholic — at least by The Church’s standards — about this congregation, organized by the New York chapter of DignityUSA: the congregants are all members of the LGBT community.
Faith in translation: A walk along Bedford Avenue
Local churches in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn reflect on their diversifying community of congregants.
