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Tenacity meets innovation: Family-operated bell foundry uses new tech to survive

INNSBRUCK, Austria — Wearing protective gear to shield from the extreme heat of molten bronze, workers at one of the last bell foundries in Europe are casting bells weighing several tons. One after another, the artisans carefully pour the molten metal into specially shaped molds held together with steel bands to create 12 bells for churches in Italy, Germany and Romania. Founded in 1599, the Grassmayr Bell Foundry, in Innsbruck, western Austria, has survived wars, famines, epidemics and economic challenges. These days, the family business is run by brothers Johannes and Peter ...

Spiritual Notes

Clothing, food giveaway planned Geeseytown Lutheran Church, 462 Route 22, Hollidaysburg, will hold a free clothing and food giveaway from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1. Clothing and shoes for all ages will be available, as well as other accessories such as toys, blankets and housewares. Items are available at the rear basement entrance to the church. Nonperishable food items will be available at the side entrance, along with a limited supply of back-to-school supplies. The event is free and open to the community. The church is located across from Geeseytown Fire Company. Contact ...

Pastor recounts detention, release

WASHINGTON — Ezra Jin Mingri was inside a detention center in southern China on the morning of July 3, worrying that he would likely spend at least 15 years behind bars. The 57-year-old Chinese Christian pastor had even previously wondered whether he would live to see freedom again. In the span of 24 hours, Jin was 15 time zones away, digging into an In-N-Out hamburger in Los Angeles and watching fireworks with his family on the eve of Independence Day, marking America’s 250th anniversary. “It’s so dramatic. It’s unimaginable,” the pastor told The Associated Press outside ...

Spiritual notes

Blood drive is today Zion Lutheran Church, 500 Allegheny St., Hollidaysburg, is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Friday, July 24. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: HBCOMM to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome. Festival, turkey dinner The church festival and turkey dinner postponed from last week due to the weather and a power outage, will be held Sunday, July 26, at St. Joan of Arc Church, 692 Glendale Valley Blvd., Fallentimber (Route 53, Frugality, nearly Prince Gallitzin State Park). The meal ...

Spiritual notes

Mass for married couples Bishop Mark Bartchak will celebrate the annual outdoor Mass for married couples at 7 p.m. July 19 at the Our Lady of the Alleghenies Shrine in Loretto. All husbands and wives, no matter how many years they have been married, are invited, along with their family. During the Mass, the couples will have the opportunity to renew their sacramental commitment to each other. Those attending are asked to bring their own lawn chair. If it rains, the Mass will be celebrated inside the Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel, next to the Shrine. Churches host Bible ...

Divided Iran grapples with Khamenei’s legacy

CAIRO — He is the grandson of an influential Shiite cleric, born in Qom — the heart of religious studies in Iran — and raised in a traditional family that embraced the theocracy. But by his late 20s, he had stopped praying and given up on clerical rule. Now, he can barely discuss ...