I took a brief respite in Ottawa two weeks ago after what’s been a very busy summer here at S+L. Though I only had enough time to visit a few friends, I did manage one road trip. No other form of travel matches the road trip’s mystique. The allure largely lies in the opportunity to ...read more

  As we were tightly packed on the deck of the Sydney 2000, I couldn’t help but be privy to another pilgrim’s poignant moment with the Holy Father. Representing Sudan, Rodha is an invited participant in the International Liturgy Group. As such, she was also among the eleven ILG members chosen to meet Pope Benedict XVI as he travelled by ...read more

Today I met Pope Benedict XVI. The occasion was the boatacade to the Barangaroo site in Sydney Harbour, where 150,000 pilgrims waited to welcome him to World Youth Day. Some 350,000 others were along the shores en route. Eleven members of the International Liturgy Group were granted the opportunity to speak with the Pope, each ...read more

At WYD, separation from your group is either an opportunity to make new friends or a dangerous precursor to getting lost, which in turn leads to things like hunger and death. I know rationally that it’s not so perilous, but I was still hesitant to leave my S+L colleagues and venture into the unknown. They were walking twelve blocks to the “Big Aussie BBQ” ...read more

That’s how International Liturgy Group leader Eden d’Souza described participating in the WYD Opening Mass procession. Carrying the Canadian flag, I too shared the experience of walking through the gate into the roaring crowd. I can tell you that it was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life, not to mention one of ...read more

After a twenty hour flight to Australia and an exhausting first day, the white computer screen is burning my eyes just a little. I’m determined to promptly finish my work though, as I’d rather not walk from this internet cafe to my residence much past midnight. While the rest of the S+L team is lodged ...read more

For those who didn’t catch the emotional finale to 64 Days with the Ark, S+L’s first reality series, the encore presentation airs this Friday at 8 PM (EST). Or, as of today, you can now watch the complete series HERE. We thank all our viewers who witnessed the unforgettable journey from Midland to Quebec City. ...read more

Cardinal Marc Ouellet delivered a bold declaration last night at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress. To an audience of a few thousand youth, Canada’s Primate began by saying that, after one week of the Congress, he felt “as if I was raised from the dead.” While the comment was meant to emphasize his joy this ...read more

After nine weeks of blisters, tears, healing and providence, the portageurs make their emotional arrival in Quebec City. We have followed the pilgrimage of the Ark of the New Covenant since it began at the Martyr’s Shrine in Midland, Ontario.  As they near their 1000th kilometre on foot, the group is both deeply exhausted and sacramentally envigorated. ...read more

As the International Eucharistic Congress rapidly approaches, the Ark-carrying pilgrims have begun their descent from Northern Quebec. On the eighth week of 64 Days with the Ark, we follow the portageurs from Lac-Bouchette to Chicoutimi. Along the way we meet Pierre and Charlotte, whose mere presence on the pilgrimage is remarkable given that their marriage ...read more