Saint Maximilian Kolbe
It is a profoundly humbling task to gaze at the life of Maximilian Kolbe and not be utterly blindsided by this radiant saint! Writer Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in this…
Category History
St. Lawrence and the Ministry of Deacons
Although many of us are accustomed to deacons serving in our communities, a permanent diaconate is a very new experience for those of us in the Western Church. Despite references to deacons in the Christian scriptures, and the profound witness…
Dispelling the Myths of Mary Magdalene
The New Testament accords Mary Magdalene a place of honour, not only locating her by name at the foot of the cross but also identifying her as one of the first witnesses to the resurrection. Saint Augustine called her the…
Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul
On this day the Church commemorates the significance of two of its most important saints. Peter and Paul represent the earliest days of the Church and were essential to the foundation of much of what we hold dear today. Peter,…
St. Anthony of Padua: Traditions and Customs
One of my favourite cities to visit in the U.S. is Boston. Besides its fascinating history and rich cultural tapestry, the city boasts a large Italian neighbourhood known as the North End. Like any good Italian community, it’s known for…
The Continuing Legacy of Catherine Donnelly
Novalis, in partnership with the Sisters of Service, held a successful book launch to celebrate the release of The Courage to Dare: The Spirituality of Catherine Donnelly Founder of the Sisters of Service by Kathryn Perry this May. This spring…
The Legacy of Catherine Donnelly
We at Novalis offer our congratulations to the Sisters of Service as they celebrate their 90th anniversary this year. This evening the Sisters of Service are hosting a book launch celebrating the life of their founder, Catherine Donnelly. Novalis recently…
A Celibate Celebrity: Father Alfred Burke
The following is an excerpt from our recently published book Singular Vision: The Founding of the Catholic Church Extension Society of Canada, 1908 to 1915. A prominent figure in the story, and in Canadian-Catholic history, is Fr. Alfred Burke. Author Michael…
The Year of Two Easters
Christ is risen! Truly he is risen! Χριστός ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ανέστη! (Greek) Христос воскрес! Воїстину воскрес! (Ukrainian) A number of years ago I experienced the joy and excitement of an Easter Vigil in a Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral. For many weeks…
A Spring of Two Popes
This past spring has represented some exhilarating times for the Catholic Church around the world. First we had the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, followed by the election of our first Pope Francis. Since his election in mid-March, Francis…