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

It’s been only nine months since S+L filmed at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton, but in that short period of time the sounds emanating from its chapel have become notably richer. This can be partly attributed to the new voices — as we reported on the S+L blog, enrollment of seminarians increased by 50% for ...read more

Last week I attended a Theology on Tap at the Ryerson University pub, hosted by the Catholic Chaplaincy operating out of the Archdiocese of Toronto. The discussion was led by a Ryerson professor of radio and television arts, and a practicing Catholic, on “Faith in a Secular World.” The assembly of about forty young people, ...read more

Schoenstatt is a Catholic community with secular institutes for men, women, sisters, priests, and federations for youth and families. This Catholic Focus episode is an introduction into the Schoenstatt community. ...read more

I have to be honest, I’ve never really had a great devotion to Mary. I didn’t grow up with one, although, as I’ve written before, my parish at home was “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” As a teenager I heard and read a lot about Medjugorje, and while I understood what the Church teaches about apparitions, ...read more

Today as we mark the World Day of the Sick and pray for those who suffer with illness, we thought to inspire you with the work of Saint Elizabeth health care. As an award-winning not-for-profit and charitable organization, Saint Elizabeth is known for its social innovation and breakthrough clinical practices. Their team of 6,000 nurses ...read more

Most projects that land on my desk are easy to get excited about. Covering a two-day conference on clergy sex abuse was frankly not one of them. While it’s an unquestionably important topic, I, like most Catholics, am simply tired of the demoralizing news. Sr. Nuala Kenny, one of the organizers of the “Trauma & ...read more

This week on Perspectives Weekly, we’ll be looking at the contentious issue of parish closures and amalgamations. What would you do if your bishop wanted to close your parish? Host Kris Dmytrenko and our guests Fr. James Mallon, pastor of Saint Benedict Parish in Halifax and director of the John Paul II Media Institute, and Fr. ...read more

A prayer vigil was held at Rome’s St. Ignatius Church on Dec. 7 to show contrition for clerical sexual abuse. The service was led by Canada’s Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who currently serves as prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops. Below is the full text of his homily. My venerable brother bishops and priests and ...read more

The reality of today’s Catholic Church is very different from decades past. It is common today to hear about cases of parishes being closed because of the lack of faithful. Listening to news of people who protest against the closures in some places, one can understand these people, but some times the change could be positive. ...read more