BLOG: Saints and Blesseds,Special Coverage
Left to right: Marie Brunet, Pierluigi Molla, Andre Brunet after presentations in Varese, Italy during the VII World Meeting of Families. Varese, Italy – On our  second full day of the VII World Meeting of Families, we spent the afternoon outside of Milan, in the town of Varese. To our great surprise, this trip outside ...read more
Throughout this past week in the daily gospel readings for mass, we have been working our way through Chapter 17 of St. John’s Gospel, a passage known as Jesus’ great priestly prayer. Quite providentially, these readings bring us up to the feast days of three important “priestly” saints: St. Bede the Venerable, Pope St. GregoryVII, ...read more
On the day the church celebrated vocations, the church beatified Giuseppe Toniolo. He is proof that not just those in religious orders are call to be saints. Toniolo was an economist from the Italian city of Treviso father of seven children. Born in Treviso in 1845 the now-blessed Giuseppe Toniolo became known for his work ...read more
Stories are powerful. They inspire us, imbue us with values, and foster a sense of continuity with the past. In fact, I always marvel at how Jesus used parables to reveal realities that could hardly be fathomed by those who heard them. I’ve heard it said that we become the stories we tell ourselves. I’ll ...read more
There was more to celebrate this past weekend than just the Resurrection of our Lord! As reported on Perspectives yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI has given his approval for Fr. Felix Varela to be given the status of “venerable,” following a unanimous recommendation from the Vatican’s Congregation for Saints’ Causes. This means that Varela is now ...read more
Today marks the 7th anniversary of Blessed John Paul II’s death. This video, “Thank You John Paul II”, is a Salt + Light Television production that pays tribute to a man who touched the hearts of millions of people. We know that Blessed John Paul II will forever be remembered for his courageous bridge-building efforts ...read more
To much fanfare throughout Canada, the Archbishop of Toronto was recently made a Cardinal by Benedict XVI. Last night, Cardinal Thomas Collins returned to where it all began: his hometown parish in Guelph, Ontario, where he had been baptized. The faithful filled the Church of Our Lady Immaculate for a celebration of Evening Prayer. He ...read more
He celebrated his first Mass as a cardinal with Pope Benedict XVI, gave thanks with his priests in Toronto, and now His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins will go to the place where it all began for a special celebration. On March 22, Cardinal Collins will visit Guelph, Ont. and preside at a vespers prayer service. ...read more
Published below is a message from Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate for all of Ireland. In the Universal Church today, we celebrate the feast day of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. With great joy, on this, the Feast day of St Patrick, our National Apostle, I wish Irish people everywhere a ...read more
After an incredible mountain-top experience this past weekend, there continues to be a buzz in Rome. Earlier this morning, Cardinal Thomas Collins celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving in the Vatican crypt below St. Peter’s Basilica. He was joined by members of the Canadian delegation who accompanied him to Rome for the consistory celebrations. Reflecting upon ...read more