The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has released more details about Pope Benedict’s meeting with Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and other representatives of Aboriginal and Catholic communities. Archbishop James Weisgerber, President of the CCCB, shared this firsthand account of the historic audience: His face spoke even louder than his ...read more

This afternoon history was made as Pope Benedict XVI expressed regret to Canada’s First Nations community over past abuses involving the infamous residential schools system. At the conclusion of today’s General Audience His Holiness met privately with Phil Fontaine, Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the Most Reverend James Weisgerber, president of the ...read more

For our last day of filming for my future Catholic Focuses, Wally and I went to two Eastern Catholic Churches in the morning. In the afternoon, we met Fr. Catfish and two of his youth group members. St. Josaphat’s Ukrainian Cathedral in Edmonton is the seat of the Ukrainian Eparch, Bishop David Motiuk. Bishop Motiuk ...read more

Monday, April 27th, was the first full day of work. For the first part of the day we visit an Aboriginal school, and then in the afternoon, we spent some time with a Cree artist, Wayne Ashley. My highlight of the day is being with the kids, of course. Bright and early at 8:15 in ...read more

John Michael Talbot is remembered by many in Toronto for singing the Magnificat during the World Youth Day 2002, Evening Prayer with Pope John Paul II. He has been in Christian music ministry since 1976 when he was a founding artist of Sparrow Records, and after 15 years with Sparrow, John Michael founded his own ...read more

Over the next few days, I have the great privilege of getting to know western Canada better. I am in Edmonton, Alberta, here for the main reason that I am speaking at the Nothing More Beautiful session on April 30th, but also to do some filming for future Catholic Focus shows. S+L cameraman Wally Tello ...read more

On April 15th, I received startling news. The man who had been the President since 1991 of my alma mater, Thomas Aquinas College in California, died in a car accident in Ireland.  His wife, who was in the car, survived the crash. I remember Dr. Thomas Dillon while I was at the College. He always ...read more

In the April edition of Lectio Divina with Archbishop Thomas Collins: A Year with St. Paul, Archbishop Collins brings up the often forgotten practice of bowing one’s head at the name of Jesus. He framed it in the context of the Hail Mary — that you would know when someone was praying the Rosary, because ...read more

This weekend the Church will recognize five men and women as saints as Pope Benedict XVI presides over the first of two scheduled Canonization Masses this year. Italy is strongly represented in this new group of saints: Italian diocesan priest Blessed Arcangelo Tadini. His ministry coincided with the Industrial Revolution and much of his work ...read more

Since currently there are over 40 million hits on You Tube, and Matthew wrote about her yesterday, I probably don’t need to introduce Susan Boyle, the underdog story of the day – the woman whom everyone judged and turned out to blow everyone away. When I finally watched the clip, I did not have any ...read more