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        AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS An Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which would be true and appropriate in all times and in all situations. They presented him with the words: ”And this, too, shall pass away.” ~ Abraham Lincoln 30 September 1859 HAPPY 203rd BIRTHDAY, PRESIDENT LINCOLN    

The Russian nuclear submarine Aleksandr Nevsky will be fitted with its own Orthodox chapel after the vessel finishes its sea trials. It has become the second nuke-carrying sub equipped with a sanctuary in addition to ballistic missiles. ­The military chapel will allow sailors to attend religious services right on board during the sub’s long missions. It was donated to the vessel’s crew by the Omophor Fund (omophorion), which brings together both able-bodied and war-wounded veterans who spent their lives serving their motherland and who are continuing that service in the field of social and church charity. It is the sixth...

        DON'T GET NUKED The Navy and Marine Corps rightly spend much of their time on chemical, biological and radiological training. As bombs and triggering devices become more mobile and terrorists become more sophisticated, it is important to prepare ourselves for disaster while hoping that it will be avoided. Regarding chemical and biological warfare, it is especially difficult to believe that something so small and invisible can be so deadly and dangerous. Just a little toxin in the air . . . and the next thing you know you're doing the "funky chicken" on the ground....

Witches, Druids and pagans rejoice! The Air Force Academy in Colorado is about to recognize its first Wiccan prayer circle, a Stonehenge on the Rockies that will serve as an outdoor place of worship for the academy's neo-pagans. Wiccan cadets and officers on the Colorado Springs base have been convening for over a decade, but the school will officially dedicate a newly built circle of stones on about March 10, putting the outdoor sanctuary on an equal footing with the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels on the base. "When I first arrived here, Earth-centered cadets didn't have anywhere to...

Witches, Druids and pagans rejoice! The Air Force Academy in Colorado is about to recognize its first Wiccan prayer circle, a Stonehenge on the Rockies that will serve as an outdoor place of worship for the academy's neo-pagans.

NORFOLKCommodore Uriah P. Levy He left home when he was 10, running away to become a cabin boy, and eventually became the first Jewish commodore in the Navy, the highest rank available at the time. On Sunday, the Jewish chapel at Naval Station Norfolk – the oldest land-based Jewish chapel in the Navy – was rededicated to Commodore Uriah P. Levy, 50 years to the day after it was first named after him. Born in Philadelphia in 1792, Levy had a career that spanned pirate-chasing to authorship – he wrote “A Manual of Internal Rules and Regulations for Men-of-War.” It...

A recent Harvard Law School graduate has been accused of setting fire to a New York City chapel that houses the remains of unidentified victims of the 9/11 attacks, leading to public outrage from the victims’ families. Classmates of Schroeder at the Law School contacted by The Crimson either did not return repeated requests for comment or declined to comment. But according to media reports the act surprised those who know Schroeder, who served as co-president of Lambda, the school’s LGBT student organization, during his time as a student.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Sept. 25, 2009 – Army Sgt. Maj. Virginia Stickler enjoys serving up drinks and snacks, as well as a bit of advice, to her fellow soldiers here at a coffee shop that speaks volumes about her deployment. Army Sgt. Maj. Virginia Stickler, a member of the Kansas National Guard’s 287th Sustainment Brigade, is the manager of God’s Grounds, a coffee shop on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, that serves free drinks, snacks and movies -- as well as advice -- for soldiers. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. J. Princeville Lawrence  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image...

ATLANTA, GA - While U.S. airports often have chapels, many of them no longer display crosses or other symbols that would make them specific to a particular faith. The chapel at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport features a silhouette of a person kneeling and a generic stained-glass window. It also has a library stocking everything from Gideon Bibles to Jewish mystical texts, and a large floor mat provides a cushiony spot to kneel for prayer. A large compass on the chapel floor helps guide Muslims who pray toward Mecca.

THE decision to ban Christian symbols in the Royal North Shore Hospital chapel could incite rage against other faiths, some religious leaders fear. The removal of religious images was ordered when the hospital gave Muslims a prayer space inside the chapel. But last night Islamic leaders criticised the move and feared a backlash. Keysar Trad, from the Islamic Friendship Society, said Muslims would not be offended to use a multi-faith chapel and see images of the cross. From 1968 the chapel displayed a cross at the altar and a Bible was on-hand.

CRUCIFIXES, Bibles and all other Christian symbols have been banned from a hospital's chapel when it is not being used for a church service. The Mosman Daily has learnt that Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney has bes been ordered to remove Christian content by New South Wales bureaucrats to avoid offending Muslims, Hindus or other non-Christian believers who may want to pray in the chapel. Hospital staff say that while the chapel was built for Christians, they now want the chapel to be completely non-denominational. An inspection of the chapel last week by the Daily found no trace of...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HUNTER, Iraq, March 11, 2009 – Two Army chaplains are building much more than the faith of their soldiers on this remote base near the southeastern border of Iraq. Army Chaplain (Capt.) Colt Randles cuts a wooden block for a new door handle for the Solid Rock Chapel at Forward Operating Base Hunter, Iraq, March 5, 2009. Randles and Army Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Roberts are working together to put the finishing touches on the chapel. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Creighton Holub  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Chaplain (Capt.) Colt Randles and Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Roberts...

          THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION During my second month of night school, our professor gave a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Obviously this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2008 – After nearly seven months of holding religious services in conference rooms, the Army Strikers at Forward Operating Base War Eagle in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad christened their new chapel with a Christmas Eve candlelight service Dec. 24, 2008. Army Spc. Dale Harris, an information systems specialist, 1st Lt. Ivan Lugo, an unmanned aerial vehicle platoon leader, and Spc. Jerrod Fox, an unmanned aerial vehicle operator, lead Christmas carols at a Christmas Eve candlelight service on Forward Operating Base War Eagle Dec. 24. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Mike Humphreys   (Click photo for screen-resolution...

It's not acceptable, says a retired employee of the Veterans Administration, that Bibles and crosses are no longer being placed on the altars of VA facilities across the country. Bob Wieters is a Vietnam veteran who retired from the VA in 1996 after more than 32 years of federal civil service. The Pineville, Louisiana, man was appalled when he learned what happened to a fellow veteran at a VA facility in North Carolina. "He was arrested because he...kept placing the Bible and the cross back on the altar at the VA in North Carolina," Weiters relates. "[S]o when I heard...

          PRAYER FOR THE NATION Our Father and Our God, We praise You for Your goodness toour nation, giving us blessings farbeyond what we deserve. Yet we know all is not right with America.We deeply need a moral and spiritual renewalto help us meet the many problems we face. Convict us of sin. Help us to turn to You inrepentance and faith. Set our feet on the path of Your righteousness and peace. We pray today for our nation's leaders.Give them the wisdom to know whatis right, and the courage to do it. You have...

U.S. soldiers stationed at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo may be stunned to find three wooden crosses stripped from the exterior grounds of their chapel in coming weeks – and many never saw it coming. Several high-ranking officers have met behind closed doors to discuss plans for the crosses. They have decided to remove, and perhaps destroy, the Christian symbols located outside Peacekeeper's Chapel in the name of free exercise of religion. Lt. Col. William Jenkins, 35th Infantry Division's Kosovo Force 9 command chaplain, told WND, "The removal of the crosses … is bringing the chapel into line with long-standing regulations...

The e-mail below from an army chaplain's assistant was forwarded to me from a trusted church fried. The chaplain's assistant requests Christian books or books with a Christian theme for the Chapel Ministry Center there. Below are some of his suggestions. Problem is, I don't really know how you would get the books there. If anyone knows how this would be done, please put that information in a Reply below. Maybe some of us at FR could clean out our bookcases and send some good Christian themed books overseas to our courageous soldiers. E-mail from Chaplan's Assistant: Subject: Last minute...

For almost 70 years, Scouts and Guides have savoured their place of peaceful worship under the trees. But no longer. The woodland chapel has been demolished - its wooden pews and rudimentary cross and altar removed. In its place is a campfire circle. The change has been imposed by the Scout Association, which believes the chapel excludes non-Christian Scouts. Locals are dismayed, but the association says it is simply "moving forward". The basic open-air structure in woodland surrounding Belchamps Scout Centre in Hockley, Essex, was built between the wars by volunteers. They used old telegraph poles for pews and built...

Music mystery of Da Vinci Code chapel cracked By Richard Alleyne Last Updated: 2:05am BST 01/05/2007 A Scottish church featured in The Da Vinci Code is embroiled in a fresh mystery of secret codes and heretical knowledge - but this one could be more than mere fiction. An ex-RAF codebreaker and his composer son say they have deciphered a musical score hidden for nearly 600 years in the elaborate carvings on the walls of Rosslyn Chapel. Rosslyn Chapel, theories connect it with the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant and the head of Christ The pair believe the tune...

        KEEPING THE FAITH The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was...

dpaAPPope Benedict spent time with his brother today, and, as it behooves music lovers, they went to bless a new organ - in an old chapel. How old? Oh, about 1000 years. The organ was named after Pope Benedict. Here the Pope's words: This venerable house of God, the Basilica of “Our Lady of the Old Chapel”, has been splendidly refurbished and today receives a new organ, which will now be blessed and solemnly dedicated to its proper aim: the glorification of God and the strengthening of faith. An important contribution to the renewal of sacred music in the...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Aug. 30, 2006) -- In the midst of a combat zone it may be hard for one to find beauty, but with the help of one Naval petty officer, service members deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, will get a little taste of heaven when visiting the base chapel. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Donald J. Hodory, builder, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25, 9th Naval Construction Regiment, saw a need and took the necessary steps to make the newly constructed chapel more like a religious sanctuary in the States. "The idea for stained-glass windows came more as a...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2006 -- At the exact site of the most painful event in the Pentagon’s history -- the Sept. 11, 2001, attack that claimed 184 lives here -- a couple brought together through the tragedy recently became the first to exchange wedding vows in the Pentagon Memorial Chapel. Army Lt. Col. Nora Faust and Heinz Linderman exchange wedding vows in the Pentagon Memorial Chapel Aug. 3 as retired Army Chaplain Bruce Burslie officiates. Courtesy photo   '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “It’s like the phoenix rising from the ashes,” said Army Lt. Col. Nora Faust after...

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The site of a former abortion clinic in Williamsville, a Buffalo suburb, has been turned into the chapel of a Catholic radio station, according to a report in the July edition of Western New York Catholic, the Buffalo diocesan monthly newspaper.The paper said Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of Buffalo blessed and dedicated the Chapel of the Holy Innocents June 1 at the Station of the Cross, a four-station Catholic radio network based in Williamsville. Jim Wright, co-founder of Holy Family Communications, which owns the network, said he only recently learned from the previous owner of the building...

As muddy holes go, they don't get much more romantic. Beneath four feet of heavy south London clay, archaeologists have uncovered the remains of Henry VII's lost chapel at Greenwich. The site is where he and a host of his Tudor successors - Henry VIII, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I - worshipped.   Click to enlarge The existence of the chapel, part of the Royal Palace of Placentia, a Tudor favourite but pulled down in the 17th century to be replaced by Greenwich Hospital - now the Old Naval College - has long been known from paintings and records.But until...

In the place where terrorists crashed a plane into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, killing 189 people, a Torah scroll now resides in an ornate Israeli-built ark (aron kodesh). The Pentagon Chapel`s office and the Aleph Institute hosted a sefer Torah dedication ceremony on September 26. The historic and emotional event was celebrated with the participation of over 150 military personnel, guests and dignitaries who gathered at the Pentagon Memorial Chapel to recognize the Jewish members of the U.S. Armed Forces. In front of the standing-room-only crowd, Rabbi Shmuel Wolfman of Jerusalem completed the last letters of the scroll....

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 6, 2005 ) -- “In a land where this concept of Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims worshipping together with pride and safety did not exist, you have built it. “Because of your willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice, this house of God now stands. It is part of a long chain back to Solomon’s temple, and in its own way, is just as grand.” These words were spoken by Navy Cmdr. Travis M. Phillips, a Jewish chaplain with II Marine Expeditionary Force, to the Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and civilians attending the first religious services, Oct. 2,...

WASHINGTON -- In recent weeks, Air Force chapels raised thousands of dollars to provide comfort for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Chapel communities contributed more than $376,000 for Hurricane Katrina survivors since the storm hit three weeks ago, according to the Air Force Chief of Chaplains Office here. “The Air Force chapel communities are being very generous and making sure our fellow Airmen and families are being taken care of,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Brett Oxman, who works budgeting issues for the chaplains office at the Pentagon. The donations came from around the world, ranging from Edwards Air Force Base,...

NEW ORLEANS (AFPN) -- Chaplain (Capt.) Dan Thompson admits he has never preached from an airline podium before. Then again, many aspects about the massive relief effort going on at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are a first. The Air Force chaplain from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., was joined by Army chaplains to conduct the first chapel service held at the airport since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans on Aug. 29. “It’s kind of like a holy huddle at the end of a rough week,” said Army Sgt. Carlos Ignacio, a military policeman from the California National Guard...

Please click on this link to go to the 'start page' for the presentation:Redemptoris Mater You are about to visit the "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel of our Holy Father John Paul II. The chapel is precious to the Holy Father as it is used during his annual spiritual retreats as well as for the homilies given during Advent and Lent. The chapel was completely redone with over 600 square meters of mosaics on the walls and ceilings as a gift to the Holy Father for his 50th anniversary of ordination to priesthood. It was designed to incorporate the theological essence of...

February 4, 2005: FINDING RELIGION: Senate Rules Committee chair Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, ordered Christian Bibles and hymnals and a cross removed from the Legislative Building's nondenominational chapel, but was reversed by Senate leader Marc Basnight when the decision became public, The News & Observer reports. Rand, who is also the Senate majority leader, said the items' Christian emphasis is inappropriate in a public building used by people of different faiths. The small, mostly unadorned chapel off the rotunda between the House and Senate chambers is open to legislators, staff and visitors who wish to use it for prayer or reflection....

  Engineers build place in Iraq for U.S. Soldiers to worship By Spc. Bryan KinKade Missouri National Guardsmen build a chapel in Iraq to give U.S. Soldiers a place to worship. BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, April 7, 2004) – From the ground up, a 200-seat chapel in Iraq is being built to give U.S. Soldiers a place to worship. Engineers from the Missouri National Guard, put their carpentry and masonry skills to the test. “These Soldiers are hungry for services,” said Lt. Col. David Moran, a chaplain from 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. “When I got here a...

A hothouse chapel in Hurricane Alley Ave Maria University needs to return to the drawing board but quick! This week Ave Maria University announced detailed plans for a proposed chapel on its newly-founded campus near Naples, Florida. Requiring three thousand tons of structural steel and aluminum, the 60,000-square-foot glass-skinned church is set to be the nation’s largest. Unfortunately, the design unveiled by school officials is an impractical eyesore. Although its floor plan is vaguely reminiscent of a basilica-style church, the unsightly structure otherwise breaks with the history and tradition of Catholic church architecture while tipping its hat to some of...

 Classifieds | Jobs | Autos | Homes | Rentals | Obits | Archives | Search     Tuesday, October 21, 2003  8:03 AM The Capital Times News Business Sports Opinion Features  Recent stories  Ask the Expert  Linda Brazill  Vows Linda Brazill , features editor Jacob Stockinger, culture desk editor Books Local links The Evjue Foundation Customer service  About us  Contact our staff  Letters to the editor  FAQ/Help  Privacy policy  Subscribe  Photo reprints  Archives Chapel cars spread good news of gospel By Linda Brazill October 20, 2003 Email this story to a friend Printer-friendly format Chapel Car Grace sits near Green Lake....

The Russian Orthodox Church has demolished a chapel where a priest conducted a marriage ceremony between two men. The Chapel of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was apparently knocked down after local churchmen decided it had been defiled. The "marriage" of Denis Gogolyev and Mikhail Morozev in Nizhny Novgorod scandalised the Orthodox Church and created outrage among ordinary Russians. The priest, Fr Vladimir Enert, was unfrocked after the men said they paid him a £300 bribe to ignore a ban on same-sex marriages. A spokesman for the Orthodox Church said the chapel had to go as it...

<p>MOSCOW &#8212; The Russian Orthodox Church has demolished a chapel where a priest conducted a "marriage" ceremony between two men.</p> <p>The Chapel of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God was torn down apparently after local churchmen decided it had been defiled.</p>

Life Gets Better For Soldiers in Southern Iraq By U.S. Army Spc. Petersi Liu Public Affairs Office CAMP CEDAR II, Iraq – Life has gotten way better for service men and women serving here in southern Iraq.It really began in June and has constantly improved as a dry, plain landscape has been transformed into a vibrant tent city on a mile stretch of Iraqi desert approximately six miles from Ur, the biblical birthplace of Abraham.The camp is home to, among others, the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, an active duty unit from Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., and Reserve units the 394th...

Freedom Chapel Opens for Unified Spiritual Reliefby Spc. Petersi Liu CAMP CEDAR II, Iraq - Four chaplains from four battalions have joined pastoral forces here with the Sept. 14 dedication of the first ‘Freedom Chapel’ built in Iraq. Before the consolidation, Chaplain (Capt.) Abimael Rodriguez of the 394th Quartermaster Battalion, Chaplain (Maj.) Scott Sterling of the 260th Quartermaster Battalion, Chaplain (1st Lt.) Mark Minner of the 362nd Quartermaster Battalion and Chaplain (Maj.) Robert Searle of the 346th Transportation Battalion had performed their services separately in four different battalion Morale, Welfare and Recreation tents. The four Protestant chaplains had held...

Remarks as delivered by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, The Pentagon, Washington, DC, Thursday, September 11, 2003. SPEAKER HASTERT: Thank you, Chaplain. It's a great honor for me to be here today. All of us reflect back at where we were and what we were doing two years ago this day. I remember after watching the first and second planes go into the world Trade Tower and getting that news and actually seeing the second plane on television, wondering what has happened, knowing that this was no accident, that -- what would happen next? And I was receiving...