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.

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...

Pope Francis Hospitalized "for some days" with a Respiratory Infection: Vatican

Pope Francis will be hospitalized for “some days” after being diagnosed with a respiratory infection, the Vatican said Wednesday.

Cardinal Michael Czerny. | Pablo Esparza/CNA

Catholic Universities Should do More to Respond to Environmental Issues, Vatican Cardinal

The cardinal who is seen as Pope Francis’ point man on the environment said in an address at Gonzaga University...

Pope Francis at his weekly Wednesday audience in St. Peter's Square June 26, 2019. | Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

How the Catholic Church has Changed During Pope Francis’ Pontificate

Pope Francis was elected to the papacy 10 years ago, on March 13, 2013. How has the worldwide Catholic Church...