Giovanna Dell'orto
Giovanna Dell'orto is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Giovanna Dell'orto
A green card processing change means US could lose thousands of faith leaders from abroad
By Giovanna Dell'orto — October 2, 2023
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — This change means that only applications filed before January 2019 are currently being processed, giving clergy with expiring visas no option but to leave their U.S. congregations behind.
Clergy dish up meatball sundaes, pickle ice pops and a little faith at the Minnesota State Fair
By Giovanna Dell'orto — September 1, 2023
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (AP) — As the sun rose on an unusually steamy opening day of the Minnesota State Fair, Jeff Knott and his two daughters joined the already long breakfast line outside the Hamline Church Dining Hall. The Lutheran family, at the fair to show the teen girls’ pigs Billy and Lil’ Red, favor […]
As Maui rescue continues, families and faith leaders cling to hope but tackle reality of loss
By Bobby Caina Calvan, Giovanna Dell'orto, and Audrey Mcavoy — August 16, 2023
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Amid the gloom, faith leaders were focused on providing community and spiritual hope for congregants who lost homes and livelihoods. Some vowed to hold services on Sunday.
A Notre Dame professor sues a student publication over its coverage of her abortion-rights work
By Giovanna Dell'orto — July 28, 2023
(AP) — The case is raising questions about press freedom and academic freedom at one of the nation’s preeminent Catholic institutions of higher education.
Flooded with sightseers, Europe’s iconic churches struggle to accommodate both worship and tourism
By Giovanna Dell'orto — July 21, 2023
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — With tourism reaching or surpassing pre-pandemic records in Barcelona and across southern Europe, iconic sacred sites are struggling to accommodate the faithful who come to pray and the millions of visitors who often pay to view the art and architecture.
New Mexican Spanish, a unique American dialect, survives mostly in prayers
By Giovanna Dell'orto — May 23, 2023
HOLMAN, N.M. (AP) — The historic, endangered dialect is as central to these communities as their iconic adobe churches.
Trump vs. DeSantis: Florida pastors mull conservative issues
By Giovanna Dell'orto — March 14, 2023
(AP) — “The evangelical vote in Florida is too diverse to be a big force in politics,” said one political scientist, but many faithful across denominations like seeing DeSantis take charge of issues like sexually explicit materials available to children. “That resonates.”
Minnesota Buddhist temple opens up sacred dance troupe
By Giovanna Dell'orto — February 13, 2023
HAMPTON, Minn. (AP) — Founded by refugees fleeing the Khmer Rouge regime, which sought to eradicate most religious institutions, the troupe hopes to teach young children sacred dance to strengthen their ties to both Buddhism and Cambodian traditions.
Border bishop takes lead role in Catholic migrant ministry
By Giovanna Dell'orto — January 9, 2023
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The migration crisis is literally in the backyard of the new chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ migration committee.
Stuck at the border, migrants find a little Christmas cheer
By Giovanna Dell'orto and Morgan Lee — December 27, 2022
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — Across the U.S.-Mexican border in El Paso, Texas, shelters are already packed beyond capacity, leaving little time for celebrations and many migrants camped out in the streets in below freezing weather.
Faith leaders prep for border changes amid tension, hope
By Giovanna Dell'orto — December 19, 2022
REYNOSA, Mexico (AP) — Faith leaders working on the border are wary of what's to come. They expect tensions will keep rising if new restrictions are imposed.
Queen lauds Minnesota church’s century of Norwegian worship
By Giovanna Dell'orto — October 17, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The congregation has worshipped in Norwegian for all 100 years that it has existed.
Chile hospital integrates Native medicine, birth to death
By Giovanna Dell'orto — August 29, 2022
OSORNO, Chile (AP) — The largest public hospital in the southern Chilean city of Osorno is finding new ways to incorporate Indigenous health practices, a move they say is restoring a crucial spiritual component to health care.
On Greece’s Santorini, 13 cloistered nuns pray for the world
By Giovanna Dell'orto — July 11, 2022
THIRA, Greece (AP) — It's a crucial if often misunderstood mission within the church, where constant prayer is deemed necessary to support more outwardly engaged ministries.
Camino pilgrims help rural Spain’s emptying villages survive
By Giovanna Dell'orto — June 21, 2022
TERRADILLOS DE LOS TEMPLARIOS, Spain (AP) — Terradillos de los Templarios, and dozens of villages like it, were built to host medieval pilgrims. Today’s Camino travelers are saving them from disappearing.
