Below is Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. It will be celebrated in the Universal Church on April 29, which is the Fourth Sunday of Easter. The message is dated Oct. 18, however, it was released by the Vatican Feb. 13. Dear Brothers and Sisters, The 49th World Day of ...read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is ...read more

In recent months I’ve had many conversations about what it means to be a “religious” person. Not in the sense of a religious vocation or the priestly life, but as one of the majority of those who profess the Creed from the pews on Sunday – the laity. These conversations have come from across the ...read more

Fr. James Phalan, CSC is the director of Family Rosary International, one of the many ministries of the Holy Cross order. His ministry takes him around the world visiting Catholic communities of all shapes, sizes, and demographics. This past week he was in the Philippines and wrote this piece for the Family Rosary blog “World ...read more

Last Monday, hundreds of thousands of pro-lifers marched in Washington for the 39th March for Life.  Despite the January weather, this is consistently one of the largest annual protests in Washington. Even though the title of the protest is “for life” it is very clear that this event is specifically an anti-abortion event. The March ...read more

Last week I blogged about the importance of the Second Vatican Council in the life of the Church, and the responsibility of all Catholics to be proactive with the graces entrusted to them.  The fruits of that Council, namely the documents themselves and the broader shift in ecclesial mentality, are perhaps the greatest and most ...read more

When I was a kid, I’d ask my mom a million questions. Stuff like, how long is a centipede? Why does the sun rise in the morning, and why does Fr. Ballmeier wear a ‘scarf’ (chasuble) during mass? Everyone knows at least one child like me who is insatiably curious. And we’ve all been on ...read more

Recall the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30).  A man is preparing for a journey and entrusts his possessions to his servants.  To one he gives five talents; to another he gives two talents; and to another he gives one talent.  The first two servants are proactive and trade with the talents; each doubling what ...read more

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has dedicated a new page on its website to the Church and Indigenous Peoples of Canada. This special project was launched to coincide with the feast day of Canada’s first woman saint, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. In the Universal Church, St. Marguerite’s feast day is celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 11. ...read more

In a report recently released, Compassion Canada has once again made the short-list of Best Christian Workplaces. As a matter of fact, Compassion Canada is the only Canadian organization to make the list this year. Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI) conducts annual employee surveys. They publicly recognize particular organizations that meet the highest standards of ...read more