One visit to Nagorno Karabakh is enough to understand once and for all the expression circulating among Armenians: “the surrender of lands is treason”. During my recent stay there, I have visited not only Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, and the fortress-city of Shushi, but also Gandzasar, Amaras and Dadivank.

Con artists are hawking what they claim is a golden opportunity for churches: Free equipment or services. Often targeting African American churches, these scammers may profess a shared faith, culture, or concern for the community to gain the trust of the church staff.

After 2 ½ years, more than 600 meetings, input from more than 10,000 Catholics across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, and prayerful consideration, the final decisions of the Diocese’s planning process on church closings and mergers have been reached. The decisions are being announced to parishioners during Masses on Jan. 17 and 18, 2009.

The Camden Diocese plans to slash its number of parishes from 124 to 66, Bishop Joseph Galante has announced. Under a restructuring program, the diocese will consist of 38 merged parishes, three "clusters" involving six parishes and 22 stand-alone parishes, Galante said at a press conference today.

A day of communal rallies and demonstrations in the Kandhamal district,Orissa India that experience two simultaneous bandhs called by two different organisations. The tribals owing allegiance to Kui Samaj had earlier given the call for a 36 hour bandh starting from Christmas morning.

Churches, charities and other tax-exempt organizations that paid the federal excise tax on long-distance or bundled telephone service qualify for this year's one-time telephone excise tax refund, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

The Foreign Ministry of Turkey has rejected the proposal of Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrob Mutafyan to hoist a cross on the Holy Cross Armenian Church on Akhtamar island.