The festival cultivates a conversation of hope around the Holy Land, with many groups coming together to engage visitors with the situation of Christians and of peace in the Holy Land.

Fr. William Rieser, S.J., chair of the religious studies department at Holy Cross, makes the connection of the Harry Potter books to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

"When a pro-life Democrat decides to run, the Democratic consultants come in and they tell you, 'Well, you can't run as a pro-life Democrat,' and they urge you to change your position on life, like they did with Heath Mello."

The high court, in a 7-2 ruling in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, sided with the religious school.

"Freedom for Mission" is the theme of the 2017 Fortnight for Freedom, taking place on June 21 to July 4.

The bill will provide humanitarian aid to Christians and other religious groups suffering at the hands of Islamic State militants.

The Knights of Columbus has begun a nationwide television and digital ad campaign to spread awareness of the situation of Christians in the Middle East and raise funds on their behalf.