Night of Cornerstone Wednesday

Night of Cornerstone will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cornerstone Church at 202 North Fourth Street. The Night of Cornerstone is an opportunity for adults and children and is on the first Wednesday of every month. Night of Cornerstone is a time for worship, prayer and fellowship, with a special program for children.

CCW spring salad luncheon May 9

Holy Redeemer Council of Catholic Women are having their spring salad luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at Carlin Hall. Advance tickets are available at Hy-Vee and Holy Redeemer Parish Center for $12.

Russian Orthodox priest who took part in services for Navalny is suspended by the patriarch

(AP) — The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church has suspended a priest who participated in services for the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Dmitry Safronov took part in Navalny’s funeral as well as presiding at the commemoration on March 26, the 40th day after his death — an important Russian Orthodox tradition.

An order published Tuesday on the Moscow Diocese website demoted Safronov from his position as priest to that of a psalm-reader and stripped him of the right to give blessings or wear a cassock for three years. He also was transferred to another church in the capital.

No reason was given for the decision, which was signed by Patriarch Kirill, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny’s widow, Yulia, said on the social platform X on Wednesday that she was “very grateful” to Safronov for coming to her late husband’s grave and urged supporters to help him and his family by donating money.

Navalny, 47, died Feb. 16 in the remote Arctic penal colony where he had been serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated. The cause of death remains unexplained, although the politician’s allies have blamed the Kremlin for it.