Jonah McKeown

Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and assistant podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and in the past has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer.

Father Augustus Tolton. | Credit: Public Domain/Wikipedia

Black Catholic History is for Everyone, Catholic Educator Says

“Being Catholic is an overarching, cross-racial identity. There is no outgroup in the Catholic Church,” said Kaye Crawford, who founded...

Then, Prince Charles attends the Society of St. Augustine of Canterbury centenary reception at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, England, May 10, 2022. | Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.

English Cardinal Offers Prayers for King Charles III after Cancer Diagnosis

King Charles, 75, underwent treatment recently for an enlarged prostate and an unspecified cancer was discovered during that treatment.

Painting of St. Stephen’s martyrdom. | Rembrandt

St. Stephen: Visiting the Spot Where the First Martyr Died

A chapel of one form or another memorializing Stephen’s martyrdom has existed at the site since at least the fifth...

Scene from "It's a Wonderful Life" | Credit: RKO Radio Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

8 Classic Christmas Movies to Watch with your Family this Year

If you’re a Catholic parent looking for a classic Christmas movie — especially a classic that’s appropriate and enjoyable for...

Pope Francis arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Jan. 31, 2023. The streets of the pope’s five-mile drive from the N’Dolo Airport to the presidential residence were lined with thousands of locals who cheered and waved flags. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican Statistics: Africa Had Biggest Increase in Catholics, While Numbers Fell in Europe

Catholics in the world numbered 1,375,852,000 people at the end of 2021, with an overall increase of 16.2 million compared...

The extraordinary consistory of cardinals meets at the Vatican's Synod Hall, Aug. 29, 2022. | Credit: Vatican Media

What is a Consistory? Your Questions Answered

Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s consistory.

The statue of St. Matthew above the crypt altar beneath the cathedral of Salerno, Italy. | Credit: Berthold Werner/Wikimedia Commons

Where is St. Matthew? A Visit to His Tomb

The fascinating story of where the Gospel writer’s body lies today takes us back into history.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks on the red carpet at the premiere of the film "Route 60: The Biblical Highway" on Sept. 12, 2023. | Credit: Jonah McKeown/CNA

New Movie Explores Christian and Jewish Perspectives of the Holy Land’s History

Generally in “road trip” films, travelers on a ribbon of asphalt are taken on both a literal and figurative journey...

Schoolchildren in Tigray, Ethiopia, eat biscuits and tea provided by Mary's Meals. | Copyright Mary’s Meals

Catholic Charity Resumes Bringing Meals and Hope to War-torn Tigray

A Catholic charity providing thousands of free meals daily to schoolchildren in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, recently resumed operations after a...

5 Things to Know About Mongolia as Pope Francis Prepares for His Trip

Mongolia is one of the world’s largest landlocked nations, sandwiched between its much larger and more powerful neighbors, China and...

Tigray Food Crisis Deepens as Catholic Leaders Plead for Relief

Widespread starvation is being reported in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, an area that was embattled in a brutal conflict from...

Pope Francis hears the confession of a young pilgrim at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 4, 2023. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Hears Young People’s Confessions in Lisbon

As part of the Word Youth Day celebrations this week in Lisbon, Portugal, Pope Francis this morning heard the confessions...

Hundreds of thousands of people attended the opening Mass for World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, on Aug. 1, 2023. | Credit: Julia Silva / JMJ Lisboa 2023

World Youth Day 2023: Lisbon Patriarch Greets Attendees at Opening Mass

World Youth Day 2023 kicked off in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 1 with an opening Mass before a crowd of hundreds of...

Joel Mathew, left, and Ulf Hermjakob, researchers at the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute. | Courtesy photo

How Artificial Intelligence is Helping to Translate the Bible into Rare Languages

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are having their moment. AI image generators such as MidJourney have proven capable of creating almost any...

The Imperial State Crown, Sceptre, and wreath of symbolic flowers adorn the coffin of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the gun carriage for the funeral procession, Sept. 19, 2022. | Credit: Kelly Chow/Shutterstock

A Guide to the Christian — and Catholic — Symbolism in King Charles III’s Coronation

King Charles III will be crowned on Saturday in Westminster Abbey in the first royal coronation since that of his...

Burned vehicles after Good Friday raid on April 7, 2023, in Ngban, Benue state, Nigeria. | Courtesy of Justice, Development, and Peace Commission

Advocates for Nigerian Persecuted Christians Fault US Report Depicting Fulani as Victims

Advocates for persecuted Christians in Nigeria are criticizing a new report prepared by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that...

Pope Francis meets with participants of the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life on April 22, 2023, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

Lay Ministry Must Be Done in Service to Others and not Become "self-referential": Pope

Pope Francis discussed his vision for lay ministry in the Church in an April 22 speech, noting that all baptized people are...

Vatican Preparing Text for Divorced and Remarried Couples: Holy See Official Says

The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life is preparing a document that will address divorced and remarried couples...

Mother Angelica’s Hometown: A Virtual Tour of the Key Places that Shaped Her

Canton, Ohio, was a rough town in the 1920s. The Mafia ran the show, and crime was rampant. Children who...

Pope Francis speaks at his general audience in St. Peter's Square on March 29, 2023. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Has Bronchitis but is Resting and Improving, Vatican Says

Pope Francis is exhibiting “marked improvement” after being admitted to the hospital on Wednesday with difficulty breathing, which was later...