Pentecost had an added Marian flavour this year, as the great solemnity fell on May 31st — the last day of the month dedicated to Mary, and also the feast of the Visitation. Pope Benedict XVI tied the Vistiation into his Regina Caeli address in St. Peter’s Square: The young Mary who, carrying Jesus in ...read more

Four weeks ago I introduced you to Jerry Grzadka, organizer of the nine-week walking pilgrimage from Midland, Ontario to Quebec City featured in 64 Days with the Ark. One of Jerry’s most difficult tasks was finding people who were willing and able to complete the arduous trek. Though dozens signed up to carry the Ark ...read more

At 46, Bishop Mylo Vergara is the youngest bishop in the Philippines. He came to Toronto from the Diocese of San Jose de Nueva Ecija — which is 160 kilometres north of Manila and has 21 parishes — to talk to the 530 young people at the OCY Celebration of Youth Banquet last night. OCY ...read more

“The tyranny of the autonomous self. ” What an interesting phrase to consider. It’s a phrase from Bishop John Corriveau at the latest edition of Nothing More Beautiful. As many of you know, Nothing More Beautiful is a five year initiative of the Archdiocese of Edmonton featuring catechesis and witness talks that aim to renew ...read more

As a follow-up to Sunday’s entry about Pope2You.Net — the Vatican is reporting that in its first day of operation the website received half a million visits. Webmaster Father Paolo Padrini of Vatican Radio, said the site is intended “to create a climate of belonging, of participating in the Church, through ever greater closeness with ...read more

If you missed it when it first came out in January, you may want to check out Pope Benedict XVI’s MESSAGE for the 43rd World’s Day of Communications, which we mark today. It’s worth the read, particularly as it discusses how relationships are being formed by new technologies ( I’m thinking particularly of Facebook or ...read more

On April 15th, Ron Howard’s latest film adaptation hit the big screens. This time he brought to life Dan Brown’s thriller Angels & Demons. I read the book about two years ago while I was living in Rome. I would describe the book as a page-turner, the exact type of book you’d like to be ...read more

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.” So Archbishop Migliore quoted Shakespeare the Great in the homily for Thursday’s Mass at the close of the Catholic Social Teaching seminar in New York City. How appropriate it is that, just like the Apostles who were sent out by Jesus, we are also being sent back home to apply ...read more

Wednesday was the best day yet of the Path to Peace Foundation’s 2009 Catholic Social Teaching Seminar. Let’s just say it was an emotional day that increased our desire to change the world. Here was the line-up of activities: Three speakers in the morning about being witnesses for social change in Israel/Palestine and developing countries ...read more

One week ago, about ten thousand Canadians marched on Ottawa’s Parliament Hill in defense of life. For many participants, the day started at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame with mass, presided over by the city’s Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J. He was joined by a dozen of his confreres, including Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Quebec City and ...read more