NEW ORLEANS (RNS) A federal appeals court smacked down the Louisiana funeral board's continued attempts to prevent a group of Catholic monks from selling their hand-crafted caskets. By Richard A. Webster.

ST. LOUIS (RNS) Until recently, many Muslims buried their loved ones in Muslim sections of Christian cemeteries, relying largely on non-Muslims to guide them through the process of death. As the Muslim population has grown, so has the need for Muslim-specific services like funeral homes and cemeteries. By Tim Townsend.

(RNS) A Catholic priest who denied Communion to a lesbian at her mother's funeral has been removed from his church assignment and will be investigated for "intimidating behavior toward parish staff," the Archdiocese of Washington said. By Adelle M. Banks.

NEWARK, N.J. (RNS) With TV trucks and camera crews clogging the streets and thousands of fans hoping for a glimpse of the event, Whitney Houston's family has decided that no one but invited guests will get near her church funeral on Saturday. By James Queally and Peggy McGlone.

“God allows a time for people to leave his Earth,” Newark native Jethro Townes said, recalling the recent death of Etta James and the loss of Michael Jackson in 2009. “But if you look at what has happened over the past few years, God has a great choir now.”