BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
From July 2nd-5th the Emmanuel Community hosted the inaugural four day summer forum titled: Emmanuel Encounter. Two bishops, five priests, one deacon, three consecrated sisters, 150 adults and 50 children from Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, New York City, Montreal and France gathered together in Quebec City. The Emmanuel Encounter weekend was a time of great joy, ...read more
Obtenir le lecteur Flash pour voir cette vidéo. Building on his message for the 43rd World Day of Communications, Pope Benedict XVI again addressed new digital technologies in his encyclical Caritas in Veritate, released yesterday. In the sixth chapter, the Holy Father posited that the Internet’s democratization of media increases our freedom only insofar as ...read more
In his last General Audience before a summer vacation, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about his new encyclical Caritas in Veritate. The social encyclical was released on Tuesday; the full text is available HERE (or a summary of points released by the Vatican HERE). During the Audience the Pontiff explained that: Charity in truth is the ...read more
On this day in history (July 7, 1946) the first American Saint was canonized in Rome. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, known to the world as “Mother Cabrini” left an indelible imprint on the Church in the United States and around the world. As we commemorate the anniversary of her canonization I reflect on just one ...read more
It’s been 23 weeks since we started our new Radio program, thanks to a partnership with the Catholic Channel, Sirius 159 and XM 117 – and now it’s time to take a bit of a break — just a bit, not completely. Kris and Michèle will be taking a break from News and Events and ...read more
Early morning flights and -26 degree Celsius temperatures. That was my impression of Edmonton after the first session of Nothing More Beautiful (NMB). It’s funny thinking back to it now, as July temperatures have pushed winter jackets far from my mind. But it was pretty chilly last December when S+L cameraman Wally Tello and I ...read more
This week I fell in love with another cat (other than my own cat at home) from the Diocese of London, Ontario. This cat lives at Holy Family Retreat House, which is located in a little hamlet called Oxley, 47 kilometres south of Windsor by Lake Erie. He definitely enjoys cottage country, complete with birds, ...read more
As we celebrate this Canada Day, my mind turns to one of our great saints — St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. Born in France, she traveled to what is now Canada in 1653. She worked tirelessly in the new colony and is considered not only the founder of the Congregation of Notre-Dame, but also a co-foundress of ...read more
The great feast of Saints Peter and Paul, celebrated on Monday, brings to us every year the Pallium Mass. It is at this Mass that those who have been named Metropolitan Archbishops in the past year receive a special wool stole marked with six crosses indicating their unity with the Holy Father. This year two ...read more
Yesterday at S+L TV, my time was divided between three editing assignments. In one room, I am working on the promotional video for the permanent diaconate formation program for the Archdiocese of Toronto. The permanent diaconate is one of three orders within the Catholic Church (the diaconate, priesthood and episcopate). The deacons are ordained ministers ...read more