BLOG: Benedict XVI,Saints and Blesseds,St. André Bessette
Go to www.stgianna.ca and you’ll meet a parish community that’s very much alive in the faith.  Surprisingly, this St. Gianna parish community in Winnipeg has not had a church building they can call their own since they had their first Mass in 2004.  On their website, you’ll see a video of their church building in ...read more
My morning routine always begins by checking the Holy See Press Office’s Bollettino, or its English counterpart, the Vatican Information Service. While not all of the communiqués seem relevant to my work—bishop appointments to Switzerland, the creation of a new diocese in Malaysia—other announcements can be electrifying. Like today, the Vatican hinted at the imminent ...read more
If you watched S+L’s presentation of the General Audience earlier today, you know already that this week’s papal event was a little peculiar. The location was typical–the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall–as was Pope Benedict’s catechesis on St. Dominic, which was in keeping with his running series on medieval theologians. The usual script was interrupted, however, ...read more
Pope Benedict is encouraging priests to embrace new media and thus “give a soul” to the internet. The priest’s place in the digital world was the focus of his message for the 44th World Day of Communications, which was released this morning on the eve of the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint ...read more
Ite ad Joseph. That’s the inscription below the statue of Joseph in front of St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal. Go to Joseph. It’s a famous instruction by Blessed Brother André Bessette, CSC, who’s feast day we celebrate today. Of his devotion to Joseph, Fr. H.P. Bergeron, CSC, one of the humble brother’s contemporaries, writes in ...read more
As seen on the Monday, December 21st edition of Zoom, Pope Benedict elevated John Paul II and Pius XII to the status of “venerable” on Saturday, moving the two popes closer to beatification. These were two of 21 decrees made public by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. The Holy Father confirmed a ...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
On Sunday, November 22nd, Salt and Light aired the Beatification of Mother Marie Alphonsine Daniel Ghattas. (If you missed it, you can catch the Italian language rebroadcast Tuesday, November 24th at 3:30pm ET.) This little-known “beata” is the founder of the Rosary Sisters, a religious community whose primary task is the education of girls and ...read more
In exciting news for the Canadian Church, an essential stage in the cause of Canonization for Blessed Brother André Bessette has successfully been completed. The Vatican’s Theological Commission for the Causes of Saints has granted a “positive and unanimous verdict” in a healing attributed to the intercession of the Miracle Worker of Mount-Royal. As reported ...read more
A couple weeks back we celebrated the feast of the Little Flower, St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Yesterday, we recognized her parents — Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin who were beatified a year ago October 19th. I can’t help but recall Pope Benedict XVI’s words to the young people on September 28th, of this year, during ...read more