Say the name Junípero Serra in American church circles and you are likely to get a mixed set of reactions. Some will tell you he is the saintly Franciscan who evangelized what is today the U.S. Others will tell you this is the man who forced the natives to convert by confining them to the ...read more

Here’s what we’ve been reading about across the country this week: Canada’s bishops held their annual plenary assembly in Cornwall, Ontario. Among the things discussed during the meeting were new guidelines for dealing with abuse allegations. The Canadian Bishops’ Justice and Peace commission also outlined the justice and peace issues facing Canada right now. On ...read more

This past week two radio stations released interviews they conducted with Pope Francis earlier this summer. As always, (almost) everyone was surprised that he gave the interviews, and several of his comments made headlines. The interviews were given to Radio Renascença – the radio station owned by the Patriarchate of Lisbon and the Portuguese Bishops ...read more

Here is some of what has been making headlines across the country: In light of the numbers of Syrian refugees trying to find a safe home, the Archdiocese of Toronto has launched “Project Hope” to sponsor 100 refugee families. Meanwhile the Archdiocese of Vancouver shares some of their experiences sponsoring Iraqi and Syrian refugee families. ...read more

This week Pope Francis issued two Motu Proprios (declarations issued “of his own will”) that simplify the process for getting a marriage annulment.  Some have voiced concern over the perceived ease with which marriages can now be annulled. Canonists, meanwhile, are wondering how to implement the new procedure in just three months while fielding calls ...read more

Here’s what’s been going on in the Canadian Catholic Church this past week: In Peterborough, Ontario the Diocese is set to finish paying off its crippling debt. Here’s how they did it. In Lumsden, Saskatchewan, however, St. Michael’s Retreat Centre had to say goodbye to the Franciscan brothers and priests who have run the centre ...read more

With 18 days to go before his plane touches down on U.S. soil, the U.S. media is focusing on the places the pope will visit in their country, how to get tickets and where to buy pope memorabilia. At the same time a much different church is quietly preparing to welcome Pope Francis to Cuba. ...read more

Here are some of the things we’ve been reading about across the country: One Ukrainian seminarian travelled a long way to be ordained a deacon and continue his journey to priesthood. In Prince Albert, Saskatchewan two other men weathered life’s unexpected twists and turns before realizing their callings to the permanent diaconate. August is the ...read more

Rosemary Azu is hard to miss in a crowd. She has a natural presence that draws people to her. The fact that she is usually dressed in brightly coloured traditional Nigerian dresses also makes her stand out. That natural confidence in her own identity has helped her build her own successful mortgage and real estate ...read more

When one thinks of Prince Edward Island one tends to think of glowing sunsets over green fields, farms where animals roam free, small towns where everyone knows everyone else, and quaint green-gabled homes. One would not immediately think of the province as a place where 37 percent of people use the services of food banks ...read more