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Jury acquits Vandalia woman in Miamisburg church threats case

May 7—A Vandalia woman accused of making threats toward two churches in Miamisburg was acquitted of all charges following a one-day trial.

A jury on Monday found Tonya Marie Dieker, 41, not guilty of two counts each of ethnic intimidation, aggravated menacing and telecommunications harassment involving Miamisburg Christian Church and The Journey Community Church, according to a verdict filed Tuesday signed by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Mary Wiseman.

"I'm very happy with the verdict," said Dayton defense attorney David Merrell. "I'm glad that they upheld my client's constitutional First Amendment right to speech."

Shawn Acrey, lead pastor of The Journey church said he is not happy with the trial outcome.

"How someone sends threats in writing to an organization and threatens violence and admits to police sending those threats but found not guilty by a jury of peers is beyond me," he said.

Acrey reported April 1, 2023, to the Miamisburg Police Department that the church at 40 S. Fifth St. received communication via Facebook messenger that mentioned the Nashville Christian school shooting, churches that do not support gay marriages or transgender people and ended with asking, "how do you feel about killing your own family?," according to a police report and an affidavit filed in Miamisburg Municipal Court.

Acrey said Tuesday that he didn't know whether the threat was real and sent by a "mass computer hack" or by an individual to specific churches.

"But when my family was mentioned in the threats I took that very serious and wanted it investigated and to press charges if possible," he said.

The day the messages were received, Acrey asked for a police presence for services the next day, which was Palm Sunday. The threat had no affect on Easter worship, Miamisburg police Sgt. Jeff Muncy said at the time.

During an interview with Miamisburg police, Dieker admitted to sending messages to various churches and people associated with them and said that she sends information all over the world that "judgment is falling," according to the court document.

"Tonya said she did not see how she did anything wrong but could see how the messages could cause someone to panic," the affidavit stated.

Ultimately, Merrell said it was a misunderstanding, and that of all the churches that received her messages, apparently they only were reported to police in Miamisburg.

"She was spreading what she believed to be the truth," he said.

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Check out our Facebook page to see even more ways you can engage with Journey Church! Like us, so you can receive updates on some creative ways we're reaching out to our Journey Family. You can always send us a message via Facebook, or directly by scrolling down and clicking on the "Connect" button.

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Whether it's your first time visiting or you have been a regular guest, we would love to get connected with you. You can fill out a Connect Card anytime, by clicking the button below and filling out our online form. Whether you are  looking  to plug into one of our ministries or have a need. We would love to connect with you and learn more.

Our Pastors

Pastors Chris and Kim Hoyt are the Founding and Co-Pastors of Journey Church Ministries. Having served together for the last twenty three years at churches in Williamsburg, VA, Hampton, VA, and San Antonio, TX, they answered the call to start Journey Church! 

As natives of Newport News, they are excited to be back home raising their three children and pastoring in the city they grew up in. 

Their oldest son, Caden (17), enjoys writing, listening to music, and drawing. He is a Senior at the same high school his parents graduated from. Their middle son, Micah (12), is creative and loves music and drumming. Their youngest daughter, JoAnna (10), prefers to go by Jojo. Jojo loves cats and horses and is trying to figure out how to get her dad to buy a horse to keep at their house. 

Pastors Chris and Kim work in other career fields in addition to Pastoring Journey Church. Pastor Kim is a licensed cosmetologist who enjoys the creative outlet of doing hair and helping people feel great. Pastor Chris serves as the Corporate Chaplain for Worley's Home Services . 

Their hobbies include working out, ketogenic coaching, podcasting, and binge-watching Netflix (when Pastor Chris can stay awake). 

You can follow them on Facebook and Instagram by clicking the links below.

Pastor Chris  roundedfacebook

     Pastor Kim    roundedfacebook    roundedinstagram   

Sundays at Journey Church

Church can be an intimidating place to visit — especially if you don’t know what to expect.

A church can be an intimidating place to visit — especially if you don’t know what to expect. At Journey Church, we believe that Jesus modeled hospitality as a way of life.  With His being the example we follow, we want to make you feel welcome and loved as soon as you get here.  We invite you to experience what the gospel means both intellectually and relationally at our 10:00 a.m. Sunday worship service. You can engage with others and find places for your whole family to connect. We hope that through visiting with us, you will experience the hope, love and joy that comes from a community of people who love Jesus.

We believe that the Church is not a building, but rather the people that make up the Body of Christ.  Therefore, our Sunday morning gatherings serve as a rallying point for believers to come together to be edified and equipped in order to be sent back out to live to the glory of God in their communities. 

We are located right off of Route 611 in Warrington at

272 Titus Ave

Warrington, PA 18976

Look for our signs on Sunday mornings!

AUTHENTIC WORSHIP

We believe that Sunday morning worship is about a vertical and horizontal outpouring to the One being worshiped.  We gather to worship corporately, rallying together shoulder to shoulder to declare our praise and adoration of God.  Corporate worship is also an opportunity for us individually to recount Truth and pour out our hearts to our Father.  We long to create an environment where it is easy to breathe in God's grace in a way that causes us to breathe out His praise. 

Teaching from Scripture

We believe that practical, relevant Gospel Centered teaching is the catalyst for transformation in an individual's life. Scripture is inspired by God, completely accurate and our authority regarding Christian doctrine and the guide for Christian living.  

Upcoming Events

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Sunday Morning Teaching Series:  Relationship Reset

Our next Sunday morning series called “Relationship Reset” will begin on April 7. If you’ve experienced tragedy, loss and grief, desperation, loneliness and isolation, this series is for you. If you want to know perseverance and determination, love and devotion, joy and celebration and hope, this series is for you. Don’t miss it.

Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at   Northside High School

or watch on our YouTube channel:  JourneyChurchRoanoke.

Journey is a community of faith made up of people who are seeking to experience a life-transforming relationship with Christ.  We genuinely seek to center our lives on Jesus and the good news of His gospel that speaks to real life in the real world.  With all our hearts we want to love God and love people.

We openly acknowledge our imperfections and brokenness.  We embrace the genuine valuing and accepting of all persons, believing every human being is created in the image of God. 

We embrace God’s mission for our church to turn people into fully devoted followers of Christ.  We are dedicated to reaching out beyond ourselves in order to enable people to experience God’s salvation.  We give ourselves willingly to aiding people in discovering the meaning and purpose God has for their lives and the joy and contentment that comes with that.

We create opportunities for people to wrestle with spiritual questions as we together explore faith.  We honestly and openly share our lives and our stories together as we grow in faithfulness.

We’d love to get to know you and your story.  Click here to fill out an e-connect card.

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6758 Northside High School Road

Roanoke, VA 24019

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or under the media tab of our website.

Love God. Love People.

Matthew 22:37-40

Journey Church loves, welcomes and encourages people of any race, socioeconomic level, marital status, age, spiritual background and is committed to leading unchurched people to Jesus; connecting them in meaningful community for learning and fellowship; intentionally moving them from wherever they are spiritually toward becoming more fully-devoted followers of Christ.

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JOURNEY’S MISSION

Helping ordinary people disconnected from god access the depth of life “with god” through jesus christ., at journey community church, we think church should be different..

We think everyone should feel welcome — that church should be the most genuine place on earth. In fact, we don’t really care what you wear, who you voted for in the last election, or what kind of people you hang out with. We think everyone should be welcome at church. If you want to know our “line in the sand,” it’s grace. Plain and simple.

We think Christ-followers should be passionate about making this world a better place — that focusing all our energy on ourselves is a waste of time. We think that rather than trying to be the best church in  the community, we should be the best church for  the community.

So, no matter what, come as you are. Life is too short to pretend to be someone else. Join us at a weekend service, and see how church can be different.

Weekend Services Fridays at 6:30 PM Sundays at 9 + 11 AM

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Today is Sister Yee’s birthday. Read 9 of her quotes from the past year

Born may 5, 1981, sister yee has served in the relief society general presidency since aug. 1, 2022.

Sister Kristin M. Yee was sustained April 2, 2022, as second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency and began her service on Aug. 1, 2022. She was born on May 5, 1981, in Sacramento, California, and later moved to Idaho and Utah.

She worked as a texture and concept artist and a senior producer at Disney Interactive Studios for 13 years before becoming the manager/producer of the Church’s animation team.

Before her call to the Relief Society general presidency, Sister Yee served as a member of the Primary general advisory council, stake Relief Society president, ward Relief Society counselor and secretary, ward Young Women president and adviser, Gospel Doctrine instructor, ward missionary and temple ordinance worker in the Salt Lake and Bountiful Utah temples.

In honor of her birthday, here are nine quotes from Sister Yee over the past year.

1. Covenant rest

“Rest comes when we know that God knows us and loves us. His rest comes when we find joy in bringing the Savior’s relief to others and let others bring His relief to us. … Rest comes when we remember and reflect upon the beautiful blessings God mercifully grants us each day.”

– BYU Women’s Conference , May 1, 2024

2. Family history and temple work

“When we engage in the gathering of Israel, we bring the Savior’s RELIEF in one of the most loving and eternally significant ways. The gathering of Israel is not just a logistical exercise. It is gathering all of God’s family, including you and me, into the covenant blessings He desires for us, the blessings of a covenant relationship.”

– This week on social , March 15, 2024

3. Partnership with God

“We are never alone. We do not need to navigate the challenges, the uncertainties and the weaknesses of life alone. He will be beside us; this is our covenant promise and blessing.”

– Relief Society Worldwide gathering , March 17, 2024

4. #BecauseofHim

“Because of Him, I can be redeemed. I can change. If I repent and turn to Him, that He will help me, that He will purify my heart, that I can become more as He is.”

– This week on social , March 29, 2024

5. Covenant relationships with Jesus Christ

“Our Heavenly Father and Savior want to give you an abundance of blessings, a personal well of living water through your covenants.”

– BYU devotional , Oct. 24, 2023

“But I’ve learned that we when use our talents to bring happiness to others, the Savior helps us to grow our talents. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you, and They will help you to use your talents to bless others as you keep practicing and listening to the prompting of the Holy Ghost.”

– Instagram reel , Oct. 8, 2023

7. Journey of faith

“[The guidance of the Holy Ghost] led me to be able to make bigger, I think I would say more difficult, decisions, perhaps, in faith.”

– Church News video , July 27, 2023

8. Running for Christ

“Your pace and progress is between you and the Lord. And I think He’s not so much concerned about your placement in comparison to the person ahead of you or behind you. Rather, I think He’s focused on helping you to keep going wherever you are in your personal journey back home to Him. So find and enjoy the pace that works for you, and let Heavenly Father and the Savior strengthen and enlighten your steps!”

– Facebook post , Aug. 18, 2023

9. Loving God more

“The more we understand God’s ways, the more we will love Him.”

– Nauvoo Relief Society devotional , Oct. 19, 2023

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Russell brand announces baptism after months-long spiritual journey: 'taking the plunge', brand says many returning to christianity as world crumbles.

Actor and comedian Russell Brand announced Friday that he is going to be baptized this weekend, the culmination of his months-long public wrestling with the tenets of Christianity.

"This Sunday, I'm taking the plunge," Brand, 48, said in a video he posted to X. "I'm getting baptized."

Baptism. This Sunday I’m taking the plunge! How was it for you? pic.twitter.com/DnwcUrzoqa Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe — Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) April 26, 2024

Brand said he had heard baptism explained to him as "an opportunity to die and be reborn; an opportunity to leave the past behind and be reborn in Christ's name like it says in Galatians — that you can live as an enlightened and awakened person."

He also referenced what he suggested were non-Christian reflections on the same theme of embracing death for the sake of life, quoting Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the Buddha.

"All of these things seem so inviting and beautiful," he said.

Brand also suggested that increasing numbers are turning back to Christianity as the empty value system of modernity disintegrates and leaves them wanting more.

"I know a lot of people are sort of cynical about the increasing interest in Christianity and the return to God, but to me, it's obvious," he said. "As meaning deteriorates in the modern world, as our value systems and institutions crumble, all of us become increasingly aware that there is this eerily familiar awakening and beckoning figure that we've all known all of our lives, within us and around us. And for me, it's very exciting."

Brand added that he intends to get baptized in the heavily polluted River Thames, joking that he might be also getting baptized in toxoplasmosis and E. coli.

"I may be leaving behind the sins, but I might be picking up some pretty serious viruses," he said.

Brand's baptism comes after other videos he has been making in recent months about his spiritual journey to the Christian faith.

In December , he told followers he was reading the Bible and The Problem of Pain , a 1940 book by C.S. Lewis that explores the role of suffering in the Christian life.

In January, he noted that he was reading Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life , and that he desired a "personal relationship with God" as he found Jesus Christ increasingly important as he grows older, despite once seeing many churches as either too "old-fashioned" or too modernized.

"The reason I wear a cross is because Christianity and, in particular, the figure of Christ, are, it seems to me, inevitably becoming more important as I become more familiar with suffering, purpose, self, and not-self," he said at the time.

In March, he posted a video explaining that he had been visiting churches of various denominations with the intention of possibly getting baptized, and asked his followers their opinions on the sacrament.

During an  interview  with Tucker Carlson last year, Brand said, "Like many desperate people, I need spirituality. I need God, or I cannot cope in this world. I need to believe in the best in people."

Acknowledging he "didn't have enough self-discipline to resist the allure of stardom," he said he "fell face-first into the glitter, and I'm only just pulling myself out now."

Brand faces multiple allegations of sexual misconduct going back years, including one report that claims he assaulted a 16-year-old girl after pulling her into an "emotionally and sexually abusive" relationship.

Brand  has denied  the "very serious criminal allegations" and maintained that while he was "very, very promiscuous" in the past, all of his sexual relationships were "always consensual."

Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to  [email protected]

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An expert lays out the United Methodist Church's journey to end its LGBTQ ban

After years of internal division, the United Methodist Church has reversed its 40 year ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage. The issue had become so contentious in recent years that the United Methodist Church lost more than 7,000 congregations since 2019, with many departing over their stances toward LGBTQ people.

GBH's All Things Considered host Arun Rath spoke about this shift with Graham Kelder, who teaches religion, politics and law at Suffolk University, and who is a member of the Methodist Church himself.

Arun Rath: So as I mentioned, this has been a divisive issue within the church for quite a while. Can you talk us through a bit of the recent history and how it's been affecting the church overall?

Graham Kelder: The church formed from two different denominations in 1968. In 1972, that's when the language appeared saying that homosexuality was incompatible with Christian teaching. Then in 1984, the language was inserted saying that practicing homosexuals couldn't be ordained as clergy.

In 2019, a plan passed called “The Traditional Plan,” and that made the penalties for violating these rules stiffer and reinforced the policy. But the 2019 Special Conference, which was focused solely on issues of sexuality, also created a disaffiliation plan whereby congregations could leave the United Methodist Church over issues of conscience related to sexuality. So that's when congregations began leaving—once that took effect. That process accelerated in 2022 when conservatives formed the Global Methodist Church.

Rath: So put that in perspective for us. Over 7,000 congregations lost since 2019 — that sounds like a pretty massive shift.

Kelder: Yeah, it's about maybe 25% or so of the church's membership, so it is significant. The disagreements between the United Methodist Church and those who have disaffiliated run a little deeper and across issues like: How should you read the Bible? Should you read it with an historical critical eye or should you read it somewhat literally?

Those interpretive strategies basically gave rise to this conflict because I think most New Testament scholars and most biblical scholars think that the prohibitions in the Bible on homosexuality are, by and large, in the purity code and not in the morality code. The ancient Hebrews had the idea that you shouldn't mix things that didn't belong together. So you shouldn't wear garments made of mixed fabrics. You shouldn't touch the skin of a pig. And the taboo on homosexuality is first enunciated in the purity code.

Rath: So with this shift now, and we should point out that the shift is not just about LGBTQ clergy, but also about same sex unions?

Kelder: Yes, the shift removes the language saying that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. It lifts the prohibition on clergy performing same sex unions, and it lifts the prohibition on ordaining practicing homosexuals. Basically, these changes sweep away all of the longstanding prohibitions on homosexual behavior.

Rath: So do we expect that these 7000-plus congregations will now come back, or how do you think this will affect things going forward?

Kelder: I don't think that most of those congregations will come back because many of them disaffiliated purposely because they were tired of fighting about these issues. And they wanted to form a purely conservative Methodist church and so they formed the Global Methodist Church.

There may be a few congregations that disaffiliated on the progressive side and those congregations will probably come back. But basically, the General Conference this year also passed a resolution openly inviting any congregation that's disaffiliated to come back if they wish to.

Rath: On the other side, is there any indication or concern that congregations who might not like this change might now want to split away?

Kelder: Disaffiliation is officially over with, the policy that allowed for that to happen in a “no muss, no fuss” way. Some congregations may seek to leave the Methodist church, but that's going to be a much more complicated procedure because official disaffiliation ended at the end of 2023.

The whole issue is not really completely over with yet, because we passed a regionalization clause which allows churches to adapt the discipline to the region that they're in. One of those regions is Africa, where homosexuality is a deeply ingrained cultural taboo. So congregations in Africa are going to be able to adapt the discipline to their cultural setting. But many of the pastors in Africa were upset by what the General Conference did this year.

Rath: Is your sense in terms of the long view on this, that even if the congregations that split away don't come back, can the Methodist Church grow now, as a result of this?

Kelder: Yeah, I was involved in the litigation against the tobacco industry and in tobacco regulation as an attorney. And while we were engaged in that work, studies showed that when restaurants prohibited smoking, they actually got customers coming to that restaurant who didn't like tobacco smoke. So I think that people who were dismayed by the church's longstanding rules against homosexuals may now feel free to join the church.

Hopefully, the church can put that issue behind us and I think that would get some people to join. My older sister is gay, and I had to think a lot about joining the Methodist church, knowing that the prohibitions were there. But I felt hopeful enough about them being relaxed at some point that I was comfortable with joining.

Rath: Well, this is fascinating. Thank you so much for your expertise and insight.

Kelder: Thank you.

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Serving Students’ Learning Needs in One’s Home Community: Darlene Sanchez, Principal of Most Holy Trinity

Tinh Thần Khám Phá của Người Môn Đệ Trong Giáo Dục Công Giáo

Lo Que Vi en el Congreso Anual de Educación Religiosa de Los Ángeles

¿Sobreproteger o simplemente mantener a salvo a los niños?

Why did Jesus ascend into heaven?

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Un Discipulado de Descubrimiento en la Educación Católica: Kristina Luscher

What i saw at the annual los angeles religious education conference.

Sirviendo a Estudiantes con Diferencias de Aprendizaje en Nuestra Comunidad Darlene Sanchez, Directora de la Escuela Santísima Trinidad

Over-protecting or just keeping kids safe?

A discipleship of discovery in catholic education kristina luscher, phục vụ các học sinh có nhu cầu khác biệt trong cộng đồng mình bà darlene sanchez, hiệu trưởng trường trung học most holy trinity.

¿Por qué ascendió Jesús a los cielos?

La congress reflection vietnamese.

'A Terrifying Precedent': Calvary Chapel Sues CA County for Tracking Attendance of Churchgoers

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A San Jose, California church still locked in a years-long legal battle with Santa Clara County officials over $1.2 million in fines for violating COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, alleges the county government conducted unconstitutional surveillance and tracked its members on the church's property using their cell phones.

The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, on behalf of Calvary Chapel and its Pastor Mike McClure by attorneys with the nonprofit Advocates for Faith and Freedom claims the county and Denver-based data company SafeGraph "embarked on an invasive and warrantless geofencing operation to track residents in the County."

"Our church believes in the rights and privacy of all our members," Pastor McClure said in a statement to CBN News. "We are not just standing up for the rights of our church family; we are standing up for the rights of religious people across this country."

The complaint alleges the county and the company violated the Fourth Amendment protecting individuals' privacy, as well as the free exercise and establishment clauses of the First Amendment. It also accuses the county of seeking "to punish Calvary for exercising their religious rights in violation of the County's draconian orders," according to Bloomberg Law. 

The defendants are accused of targeting Calvary Chapel, using the geofencing tool without a warrant in an effort to obtain information in its ongoing state enforcement action against the church. Private businesses and other venues in the county were not surveilled during the pandemic, court documents explained. 

"At the behest of the County, SafeGraph put two geofences around CCSJ and surveilled the churchgoers within the church premises for over a year during the COVID-19 pandemic," the lawsuit said. 

"This operation took place over a year with seemingly no oversight, boundaries, or limitations – meaning Defendants could track churchgoers in the sanctuary, prayer room, or bathroom," the complaint said.

In the lawsuit, Calvary alleges, "This type of expansive geofencing operation is not only an invasion of privacy but represents a terrifying precedent if allowed to go unaddressed. As it stands, Defendants assert that, as long as they call it research, any level of government can target and spy on any individual or group at any time for any duration. The government can then wield any collected data against said individuals or groups who oppose their orders."

"This is not just un-American; it is downright Orwellian," the complaint added. 

Former County Counsel James Williams, who is now a county executive, previously defended the county's use of geofencing, the Mercury News reported in March. He maintained, however, that the county did not track individuals' cell phones at the church.

"Tracking congregants in and out of church is something we would expect in China. The fact that county officials would use these tactics should be a wakeup call to every American who values their own freedom to worship, speak, or attend gatherings of any ideological nature," Robert Tyler, president of Advocates for Faith and Freedom said in a statement to CBN News. "Failure to embrace the regime in charge will ruin your social credit score." 

Mariah Gondeiro, the church's attorney, called the county's actions "an invasion of privacy" and "represents a terrifying precedent" for Christians in America.

"People of faith should never have to worry about the government spying on them in places of worship," Gondeiro said. 

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CBN News reached out to the Santa Clara County Counsel's Office and to SafeGraph for comment. The county replied saying, "The allegations in the complaint are false and we are confident the County will prevail in court. To be clear, the County did not use cell phone surveillance to track anyone at Calvary Chapel during the pandemic. The allegations take out of context analysis of third-party, commercially available aggregate data that was used to respond to Calvary's own allegations in a lawsuit that Calvary itself filed."

Meanwhile, on Aug. 14, California's 6th District Court of Appeals handed down its decision, rejecting $200,000 in COVID fines against Calvary Chapel and its pastors. 

The church had been fined in 2020 and 2021 for violating state and county limit rules for indoor gatherings. 

The appeals court reversed those lower court decisions, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling during the pandemic that determined a ban by Gov. Gavin Newsom on indoor worship services violated freedom of religion, according to KNTV .

For almost three years, the Calvary Chapel and Santa Clara County have fought legal battles in local, state, and federal courts over the fines. 

Last April, a county judge ordered the church to pay $1.2 million in fines for the period from November 2020 to June 2021 when the church was not following the county's mask policy, according to Mercury News . 

Calvary has said it will appeal that ruling. 

About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of More

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'So Glad I Did': Fox News Doctor Recalls Choosing Life as a Pregnant Teenager

This Big Shift in Suburban Women Voters Could Hold the Key to the 2024 Election

Pope: Couples need Church's help

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Your work is precious to the Church," Pope Francis told the international leaders of the Teams of Our Lady International Catholic Movement for Christian Married Couples ,  as he thanked them for their commitment to help families, especially many "striving to live Christian marriage as a gift."

The movement, whose origins date back to the 1930s in France but now operates across several continents, is recognized as a private international association of the faithful.

The Christian family, the Pope warned, "is currently facing a true 'cultural storm' in this changing era, threatened and tempted on various fronts."

For this reason, the Holy Father emphasized the value of the efforts to accompany couples closely so that they do not feel alone in the difficulties of life and in their marital relationship.

"In this way," he said, "you are an expression of the Church 'going out,' which draws close to people's situations and problems and spends itself without reserve for the good of families today and tomorrow."

Safeguarding marriage and families

"It is a true mission today to accompany couples!" the Pope said. "To safeguard marriage, in fact, means to safeguard an entire family, it means to save all the relationships generated by marriage: the love between spouses, between parents and children, between grandparents and grandchildren."

It means, the Holy Father suggested, saving that witness of "a possible and forever love," in which "young people struggle to believe."

For children, the Pope said, this is particularly important.

"Children, in fact," he urged, "need to receive from their parents the certainty that God created them out of love, and that one day they too will be able to love and feel loved as Mommy and Daddy did."

That seed of love, planted in their hearts by their parents, the Holy Father reassured, will eventually sprout.

Jesus' grace offers couples strength to remain united

The Holy Father went on to recognize a great urgency in the world today, namely "to help young people discover that Christian marriage is a vocation, a specific call that God addresses to a man and a woman so that they may fully realize themselves by becoming generative, by becoming father and mother, and by bringing the Grace of their Sacrament into the world."

This grace, he recalled, is the love of Christ united to that of the spouses, His presence among them, and God's fidelity to their love.

"It is He," Pope Francis insisted, "who gives them the strength to grow together everyday and to remain united."

“It is He who gives them the strength to grow together every day and to remain united”

Christ's presence makes journey possible

The presence of Christ among spouses, the Holy Father continued, "makes the journey possible," and the yoke transforms into a game of glances: the gaze between the two spouses, the gaze between the spouses and Christ.

Christ, the Holy Father suggested, is the key for couples to protect their "precious treasure" of the married life.

Pope Francis then offered two recommendations, the first concerning newly married couples.

"Take care of them!" he insisted, especially younger couples who need examples of faith and love.

"Do not let them accumulate suffering and wounds in the loneliness of their homes. Help them discover the oxygen of faith with gentleness, patience, and trust in the action of the Holy Spirit."

“Take care of young couples... Do not let them accumulate suffering and wounds in the loneliness of their homes.”

The Pope's second suggestion was to build an always-greater co-responsibility between spouses and priests within their movement.

Rediscovering joyful prayer together

The Pope encouraged them to help families in their Dioceses understand the importance of helping each other and building communities where Christ can "dwell" in homes and family relationships.

Pope Francis concluded by entrusting their mission and families to the Virgin Mary and her protection.

"In this year dedicated to prayer," he encouraged, "may you help discover and rediscover the joy of praying together at home, with simplicity and in daily life."

“May you help discover and rediscover the joy of praying together at home, with simplicity and in daily life”

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Turkey formally opens another former byzantine-era church as a mosque.

Associated Press

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

A Muslim cleric walks along a former Byzantine church which formally opened as a mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 6, 2024. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer , despite criticism from neighboring Greece.

Turkey formally converted The Church of St. Saviour in Chora, known as Kariye in Turkish, into a mosque in 2020, soon after it similarly turned Istanbul’s landmark Haghia Sophia into a Muslim house of prayer.

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Both conversions drew praise from Muslim faithful but criticism from Greece and other countries who had urged Turkey to protect the important Byzantine-era monuments. Both are listed as U.N. World Heritage Sites.

Like Haghia Sophia, which was a church for centuries and then a mosque for centuries more, the Chora had operated as a museum for decades before it was ordered turned into a mosque. The Chora’s formal launch as a mosque, however, was delayed as the structure then underwent restoration.

Erdogan on Monday remotely presided over a ceremony marking the opening of the Chora — as well as other recently-restored structures — from a conference hall at his palace complex in Ankara.

“May it bring good fortune,” Erdogan said during the televised event.

Musa Tombul was among the first worshippers to pray inside.

“I have been waiting for its opening for four years,” he told the state-run Anadolu Agency. “I was honored to pray in such a place.”

“We thank God for showing us these days,” Anadolu quoted another worshiper, Haydar Senbahar, as saying. “Hopefully, we will come here from time to time and perform our prayers.”

The church, situated near Istanbul’s ancient city walls, is famed for its elaborate mosaics and frescoes. It dates to the fourth century, although the edifice took on its current form in the 11th-12th centuries.

The structure served as a mosque during Ottoman rule before being transformed into a museum in 1945.

Greece had criticized the Turkish government’s decision to turn it back into a mosque, accusing Ankara of “insulting the character” of another World Heritage Site.

The decisions to transform Haghia Sophia and the Chora back into mosques were seen as moves geared to consolidate the conservative and religious support base of Erdogan’s ruling party amid an economic downturn.

In 2020, Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers for the first Muslim prayers in Hagia Sophia in 86 years, brushing aside international criticism and calls for the monument to be kept as a museum. As many as 350,000 took part in the prayers outside the structure.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.