BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
On Sunday, November 29th, the Chinese programming team of Salt + Light Television had their 5th Fundraising Gala at LeParc Banquet Hall in Thornhill, Ontario. It has become my honour and privilege to attend their annual fundraising dinners for their TV program Fountain of Love and Life, which happens to be the first Chinese Catholic ...read more
Tomorrow, December 8th, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It marks the day in 1854 that Pope Pius IX declared the Catholic Church believes Mary was concieved free from Original Sin. In many countries it is a holy day of obligation and in many parts of the world it is also a public holiday. ...read more
We did it! Thanks for Sony and The Priests, but especially thanks to you – last night we were able to do a live webcast of The Priest’s concert, from St. Paul’s Basilica in Toronto. The concert was a wonderful evening – there were some 800 people present and Frs. Eugene, David and Martin treated ...read more
It’s that time of year!  Just like last year around this time, we’re receiving a visit from three very special singing Irish clergymen. As many of you know, The Priests will be performing tonight in Toronto at St. Paul’s Basilica. The evening will feature songs from their second album ‘Harmony’, released on November 23rd. If ...read more
Recently, I was able to screen the documentary Interrupted Lives: Catholic Sisters Under European Communism. Part of the Vision & Values series created by the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission, of which the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a member, this documentary was truly eye-opening. I never thought of what these Sisters could have been ...read more
The Canadian magazine Maclean’s has published a lengthy article titled The Truth About Priests. The article addresses clergy abuse, and uses the recent Bishop Raymond Lahey scandal as a starting point. It includes interviews with different psychologists, priests, authors, and victims. The article can be read HERE. ...read more
Yesterday, I wrote about my trip to Laval, Quebec and began to list five things that we can do to help alleviate the feeling that our faith is a burden. I continue today with items four and five. Four: The Saints We’re called to be saints, so let’s learn about them! These holy men and ...read more
Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar are three locations that evoke images of exotic foreign lands. It’s certainly off the usual travel route for most North Americans and it’s not every day we here at S+L read those names in the Vatican’s daily press bulletin. Today, however, the Holy See appointed a Papal Nuncio to those three ...read more
This past Sunday and Monday I was in Laval, Quebec to speak at the Holy Name of Jesus parish mission. I appreciated being there, first of all because it was in a region that is named after Blessed François de Laval, who is one of the great figures of the Canadian Church. In fact, from ...read more
Have you ever considered approaching Advent like Lent? It seems like an odd suggestion, seeing as this is a season of hope — but consider it for a moment. In Advent, we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Infant Jesus. Let’s face it, in the hustle and bustle of this time of year ...read more