As many of you are well aware this past Sunday was the World Day for Vocations, or “Good Shepherd Sunday” — a time we traditionally pray for vocations. In Rome, Pope Benedict ordained 19 men to the priesthood and then addressed the crowds gathered for his weekly Regina Caeli address. Appropriately he highlighted vocations, and ...read more

An obscure but interesting story captured headlines across North America this week. A Florida priest who was stabbed in a confessional by a troubled woman came out and said he would not “live in fear” and that he would continue to do God’s work. Fr. Michael Massaro was wrapping up confessions last Saturday at Holy ...read more

Leading to the first anniversary of the International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City, S+L is rebroadcasting its five-part original reality series 64 Days with the Ark. Each week, the S+L Blog will bring you an update of what the pilgrimage participants are doing now. Jerry Grzadka accepted a monumental task when he agreed to organize ...read more

Mission accomplished! Last night I delivered my talk for Nothing More Beautiful. I didn’t trip, I didn’t lose my voice, I didn’t faint. All in all, it went really well. God has been really wonderful to me. And he has shown his appreciation of what I have done with my life through the people who ...read more

Yesterday was my free day. It meant I stopped filming for Catholic Focus and I got in the mode of “presenter and Archdiocesan guest for Nothing More Beautiful.” So what did I do? I passed up on the chance to wander around the biggest mall in the world (West Edmonton Mall) with my good friend ...read more

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