Arts and Culture

Noah sparks debate over one of the world’s oldest and most beloved stories

March 22, 2014

NEW YORK - In recent years, Hollywood has made a concerted effort to lure religious audiences to the local cineplex with such films as The Passion of the Christ, Son of God and even dark-horse hits like Facing the Giants. And most of the time, it’s worked.

Getting to know Mary of Nazareth as mother

March 15, 2014

Catholics know the Virgin Mary well as mother, but not as daughter, woman or wife. The film Mary of Nazareth extrapolates from what is known of the Immaculate Conception to explore the life of a Jewish girl famous for saying yes to God.

Jerusalem divided but shockingly similar

March 9, 2014

TORONTO - When three young women, strangers to each other, were brought together in Jerusalem by an adventurous movie director they were surprised to discover how much they had in common.

Church treasures saved from sale

March 8, 2014

TORONTO When churches have a stained glass emergency — imagine a rock thrown through hundred-year- old glass — they call Mansu Han, artist, craftsman and stained glass superhero.

Some reading to help bolster the Lenten spirit

March 1, 2014

If you’re not ready, you can lose track of Lent. After Ash Wednesday slips by, the Thursdays and Fridays of Lent can seem a lot like any other Thursday or Friday.

Russell Crowe really wants Pope Francis to see Noah

February 25, 2014

ROME - Actor Russell Crowe is using social media to try to cajole Pope Francis into seeing his latest film, the controversial Noah, which stars Crowe as the waterlogged biblical patriarch.

‘Greatest love story ever told’ hits big screen

February 22, 2014

WASHINGTON - The upcoming movie Son of God should be seen as “a love story,” according to two of its executive producers, the husband-and-wife team of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey.

Audio Bible enlists Hollywood A-listers

February 22, 2014

A Bible for the new age is taking Scripture back to its spoken roots.

Salt+Light spreads its wings

February 15, 2014

Canada’s Catholic broadcaster has opened its first French-language bureau.

Still heroic superheroes

February 15, 2014

Superheroes have gotten too super. In their original form, comic book characters like Superman, the Flash and Spiderman were drawn in a way that emphasized their humanity as much as their prodigious abilities.