Rebuilding series offered

Widowed, divorced, separated? Beginning Experience SW Minnesota is offering the Rebuilding series for 10 weeks beginning Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church on Church and A streets in Marshall. The support group is open to people of all denominations. There is a fee of $75 to cover the cost of materials. This series is designed for those who are past the initial pain of losing a partner and are working to put their lives back together. To register or for questions: contact Laurie W:507-829-4004, MaryAnn S:507-828-2866 or Tim L: 507-530-6379.

Baked potato fundraiser is Thursday at Cornerstone

The 25th annual Cornerstone United Methodist Women’s Mission fundraiser baked potato supper is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Marshall, 202 N. 4th St. Fifteen toppings will be offered along with beverage and dessert for $8 or donation. Take out meals will be available.

Students contend park rules hurt speech, religious liberty

CHICAGO (AP) — Four Wheaton College students have sued the city of Chicago, claiming rules for a popular park undercut the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.

Earlier this year, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events divided Millennium Park into 11 sections and prohibited “the making of speeches and passing out of written communications” in 10 of them.

Jurors side with diocese in pregnant Missouri teacher’s suit

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jurors ruled against a teacher who alleged that she was fired from a Catholic school in Kansas City, Missouri, because she was pregnant, unmarried and refused to have an abortion.

After eight hours of deliberation, the jurors sided Wednesday with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, which said St. Therese School teacher Michelle Bolen was let go in 2015 because of poor performance, The Kansas City Star reports.

Providence Diocese reports steep decline in parishioners

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Diocese of Providence said Catholic churches across the state have experienced a steep decline in the number of parishioners in recent years.

Rhode Island is one of the most heavily Catholic states. WPRI-TV reported the diocese released statistics from 2000 to 2018 earlier this month online in the diocesan newspaper.