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Editorial Team

Religion reporter
Santo Domingo church stands in Mexico City, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
New campaign calls on Mexicans to rediscover the capital’s heart through revered churches
A new campaign by Mexico City’s Historic Center Trust aims to encourage Mexicans to rediscover the religious and architectural heritage at the heart of the nation’s capital.
 
Virgin Mary procession draws thousands as Venezuela faces uncertain future
Venezuela’s annual Divina Pastora procession returns to the streets of Barquisimeto during widespread unease.
 
The pinnacles of the Duomo cathedral are lit by the afternoon declining sun and backdropped by the new Business Center in Milan, northern Italy, Jan. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)
Milan’s Catholic archdiocese brings Olympic values into parish life
As Milan prepares to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, the city’s Catholic archdiocese launched a multi-year program that uses sport to promote values such as inclusion and solidarity among children and adolescents.
 
Pilgrims carry a framed image of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Paso de Cortes, Mexico, on their way to Mexico City, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, as millions prepare to flock to the capital for her Dec. 12 feast day. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel)
Mexican devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe blends into national identity
Mexicans’ devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe — an apparition of the Virgin Mary — extends beyond religion.
 
Mexican composer Maria Leonora performs her series she calls “Through All the Fire,” at the Sergio Magaña Theater in Mexico City, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel)
Mexican composer turns fire and ritual into a musical journey of renewal
Mexican composer María Leonora relies on fire, ritual and Mesoamerican tradition to shape her immersive concerts.
 
Sister Maria Elena cuts a photograph of a missing girl to paste on a Christmas ornament to hang on the Tree of Hope, during an event organized by the diocese of Ecatepec at the Church of the Sacred Heart of San Cristobal in Ecatepec, State of Mexico, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
A Christmas tree in Mexico carries the faces of loved ones who never came home
Families of Mexico’s disappeared gathered at a cathedral near Mexico City to craft Christmas ornaments bearing the faces of their missing loved ones.
 
Acrobats from a Mexican theater company perform the show titled "Mortal Leap into Xibalba," which reinterprets a myth from a sacred Mayan book about creation and the journey to the underworld, in Mexico City, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
An ancient Maya myth finds new life in a Mexican circus company’s performance
Mexican artistic director Jorge Díaz has created a unique stage adaptation of the Maya myth Popol Vuh.
 
Mexico's coat of arms decorates a large flag in the city's Zocalo square, Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel)
Why a centuries-old Mexica myth became Mexico’s enduring symbol
A new exhibition in Mexico City explores how the sacred myth that marked the site of the ancient Mexica — or Aztec — capital has survived the European conquest, colonization and centuries of change to remain at the heart of Mexico’s identity.
 
Sugar skulls known as “calaveritas” or little skulls, traditionally added to Day of the Dead altars honoring deceased loved ones, are displayed for sale at the Dulces de Ampudia market in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Claudia Rosel)
How Mexico’s Day of the Dead turns skulls into joyful sugar treats
As Mexican families prepare for Day of the Dead celebrations, altars are set up to welcome back loved ones under the belief that they return home for one night each Nov. 2.
 
A statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe decorates a tree of life sculpture in the main square of Metepec, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Mexican artisans turn clay into Trees of Life that are celebrated worldwide
In the town of Metepec, southwest of Mexico City, artisans create clay figures that are intertwined with their faith.
 
Tourists raise their arms at the Great Basement in the Cuicuilco Archaeological Zone during a tour organized by the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
Experts lead tours uncovering Mexico’s hidden ancient sites
The National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico organizes monthly tours to share the country’s rich cultural heritage.
 
Nelson Viveros, transformed into his drag persona, Dislexia, poses for a photo at the entrance of La Serafina bar in Asuncion, Paraguay, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
For Paraguay’s transgender women, survival often means leaving home
Transgender women in Paraguay often flee their homes at a young age to escape abuse, stigma and the absence of legal protections, turning to sex work and migration to survive.
 
A young member of the Afro-Bolivian community dances the “saya,” a traditional dance performed with drums and chants, as part of the celebrations to mark the upcoming National Day of Afro-Bolivian people, in La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Afro-descendants in Bolivia fight invisibility with dance and memory
Afro-Bolivians, though recognized in their country’s 2009 constitution, remain among Bolivia’s most invisible groups.
 
Vinicio Cruz and Carmen Chavez get married during a ceremony inside San Juan de Dios church in Mexico City, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. The church withstood the 8.0 earthquake of 1985, however, its structure was severely damaged in 2017 and it was forced to shut down and reopened in late 2024 after most of its restoration was completed. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
Mexican churches mark the anniversary of deadly quakes with remembrance and lessons for the future
Sept. 19 carries a unique significance in Mexico: on this very date — 32 years apart — two powerful earthquakes struck the country, killing thousands and toppling buildings.
 
Spiritual guide Julio Quispe performs a ceremony with coca leaves for a confederation of Indigenous governing bodies in La Paz, Bolivia, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Coca leaves remain a source of work, faith and identity in Bolivia
In Bolivia’s Yungas region, farmers like Tomas Zavala perform rituals to honor Mother Earth before harvesting coca leaves.
 
A pedestrian passes a mural that rads in the Guarani language "Che rete, che mba'e" which means "My body is mine" in Asuncion, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Paraguay is fighting to preserve Guaraní, a language of roots and soul
Guaraní is one of Paraguay’s two official languages alongside Spanish. It is spoken by millions, yet its use remains mostly oral.
 
Ziva Mann, mother of a transgender child and member of a welcoming synagogue, poses in her garden, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in Newton, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
How Orthodox Jewish families are finding ways to support their trans children
Ziva Mann has been navigating the challenges of raising a transgender child within an Orthodox Jewish community.
 
Spiritual leader Eusebio Huanca burns offerings observing the month of Pachamama, or Mother Earth, performing an ancient tradition to ask for a good harvest, on La Cumbre, a mountain considered sacred on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
Burnt offerings, whispering to mountains: Inside Bolivians’ rituals for Mother Earth
Every August, Bolivians climb mountains, light offerings, and whisper prayers to Pachamama, or Mother Earth.
 
A man is silhouetted against a burst of fireworks during celebrations honoring Bolivia's patron saint, the Virgin of Copacabana, in Copacabana, Bolivia, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
How one man’s dream led to 50,000 pilgrims honoring Our Lady of Copacabana in Bolivia
Every August, thousands of pilgrims travel to Copacabana, a Bolivian town on the shores of Lake Titicaca, to honor Our Lady of Copacabana, one of Mary’s titles and a revered figure believed to grant miracles.
 
Children dressed in feather costumes attend a Mass celebrating Saint Francisco Solano at his namesake chapel in Emboscada, Paraguay, Thursday, July 24, 2025. Catholic parishioners in Paraguay don bird-like costumes and parade the streets to honor the 16th century saint said to possess miraculous powers. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Despite rainy weather, Catholics in a Paraguayan town dress as birds to honor their patron saint
Dozens of Catholics in feathered costumes joined a procession in Paraguay, honoring St. Francis Solanus.
 
José Luis Orozco, a pastor from Nicaragua, prays with his son, Josias, 17, left, and wife, Ruth, before speaking to members of the Oasis Church, in Taylor, Texas, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
Religious leaders released from Nicaraguan prison say their experience only strengthens their faith
U.S. efforts resulted in the release of 135 Nicaraguan political prisoners including faith leaders in September 2024.
 
Afro Mexican activist and actress Eréndira Castorela poses for a photo with her jarana jarocha instrument during a break from a Mulato Teatro rehearsal, in Ticumán, Mexico, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
Afro Mexican actors fighting racism celebrate their heritage through their plays
Unlike the efforts made to raise awareness of Black history in the United States, acknowledging the presence of Black people in Mexico has received little support.
 
Pastor Fernanda Eglé prays at her Resurrection evangelical church in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)
How Evangelical pastors provide spiritual comfort in crisis-hit Venezuela
Many evangelical leaders provide spiritual guidance in Venezuelan slums affected by crime, drug addiction and gangs.
 
Mexican bullfighter Diego Silveti smiles at fans in the bullring after a bullfight in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Those devoted to bullfighting in Mexico feel recent bans harm a sacred tradition
Mexico City lawmakers recently voted to ban violent bullfighting in the country’s capital. Animal rights advocates celebrated the decision, but for matadors, fans and cattle breeders, this long-time Spanish tradition bears a profound significance that would be shattered if bulls were not to be kille
 
Parishioners carry a religious float with a statue of St. Mark during a month-long event honoring the saint, outside St. Mark's church in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Thousands flock to central Mexico to celebrate Saint Mark’s Day
Thousands have flocked to the city of Aguascalientes in central Mexico, where a monthlong fair named after Saint Mark starts every year in mid-April.
 
A person walks past a pride flag at Casa Frida, a shelter that supports LGBTQ+ migrants, in Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
How a shelter hit by Trump’s aid cuts protects LGBTQ migrants in Mexico
Hundreds of migrants temporary settled at Mexico’s southern border gave up on their dream of reaching the U.S. following President Donald Trump’s crackdown on migration.
 
Quintonil's team of chefs test sauces for the menu at the restaurant in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
Renowned Mexico City restaurant serves traditional street food and nostalgia of the homeland
Quintonil is not your typical Mexican restaurant. Clients book tables months in advance to celebrate special occasions.
 
German director and organist Leo Krämer rehearses for a concert at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)
In Mexico City, this German organist says music is a gift from God and the organ’s sound is proof
Being an organist might seem like a solitary job, but German maestro Leo Krämer never feels too far from his listeners.
 
A woman holds an axolotl during a media presentation in Xochimilco, a borough of Mexico City, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Ancient deity, pet and endangered species. Why is axolotl Mexico’s most beloved amphibian?
Legend has it the axolotl was not always an amphibian. Long before it became Mexico’s most beloved salamander and efforts to prevent its extinction flourished, it was a sneaky god.
 
Maka Indigenous people march to protest for the recovery of ancestral lands in Asuncion, Paraguay, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)
Their sacred land was a gift for their courage. Yet Maká people in Paraguay fight for its ownership
Given their courage during the war between Paraguay and Bolivia in the 1930s, the Maká people were given a piece of land that entire generations grew up on.
 
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