BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
It was a joyous day for Salt + Light on Saturday as we celebrated the wedding of two of our own. Our viewers will certainly recognize the bride. Mary Rose Bacani has been with Salt + Light since it’s beginning some six years ago and has been involved in many of our viewer’s favourite productions: ...read more
Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Thérèse of Lisieux – one of the most beloved saints of our Church. Her popularity only grows year after year, as is evident with the current tour of her relics throughout England where nearly 70-thousand people turned out in the first 10 days for veneration. (on a side ...read more
A Russian baroness in the backwoods of Canada seems like an odd scenario, but that was in fact the case when Catherine Doherty arrived in 1947 to Combermere, Ontario. She would remain there for the rest of her life, until her death in 1985. While there she founded Madonna House (a group of lay men, ...read more
[The following blog comes from my friends at the Precious Blood community, whom I have written about many times. They took a day to visit us in August and share their experience with us.] As a contemplative Community, we Sisters of the Precious Blood fulfill our main mission in the Church – our ministry of ...read more
Pope Benedict’s three day Apostolic Journey to the Czech Republic concluded today with an open air Mass commemorating the feast of St. Wenceslaus, the national hero and country’s patron saint. The Holy Father spoke of Wenceslaus as an example of holiness, particularly for leaders. But “is holiness still relevant?” he asked. What is the value ...read more
Only half way through the three day visit to the Czech Republic Pope Benedict XVI was happy with the way the visit unfolded. In a press breifing the Vatican’s media spokesperson said the Holy Father was happy with way his visit had been recieved. He was especially happy that Czech President Vaclav Klaus attended all ...read more
One of the highlights for me covering the Holy Father’s Apostolic Journey to the Czech Republic was his visit to the Our Lady of Victory Church, and veneration of the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. The Infant has a special place not only in my life, but in the life of my family. ...read more
The second day of Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Voyage to the Czech Republic was highlighted by an open air Mass in Brno, the largest city in the Moravia region of the Czech Republic. The Holy Father traveled from Prague via plane — a short trip, some 200kms — to celebrate Mass that was held at ...read more
Day one of Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Voyage to the Czech Republic has come to an end. The day began at Stará Ruzyn, the largest airport in the Czech Republic, 10kms outside of Prague’s city centre. The Holy Father was greeted by Czech President Václav Klaus and his wife Livia, Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, as well ...read more
The movement to enshrine legal protection of the unborn “naturally belongs” on the social-democratic left, writes John Bentley Mays in the latest edition of The Catholic Register. The Toronto-based author and journalist is troubled by the “hijacking” of the anti-abortion effort by the political right, who he claims are “losing the battle for hearts and minds in the public forum.” Mays, who ...read more