How important is a land acknowledgement? It may seem like a trite and pointless exercise, a trivial response to the injustices of colonialism. However, imagine a new generation of Canadians who understand the history of this land from the perspective…
Ah, summertime… Time to kick back and relax, spend time with friends and family outdoors, take a break from the usual routine, and of course catch up on your reading! Here are a few great reads from Novalis for the…
On a Tuesday night at St. Ignatius Parish 14 young people stand ready to be anointed with oil. They have come from many different situations and different schools. Some of them are new Canadians. We often talk of how discouraged…
Today is World Communications Day, which we mark every May, on the feast of the Ascension. This is appropriate: in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus sends out the eleven disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” –…
Dear Church, On this Mother’s Day, I am writing this letter on behalf of all mothers, explaining what we need from our Christian community. The first thing I would like to say is that motherhood is a complex reality. In…
We adopted our first child when she was 11 days old. We were told by the social worker that her birth mother loved her dearly but could not offer the life she hoped for the child. Hearing this, we…
One of our Catholic Social Teachings is the dignity of work. People ought to be able to use their skills and knowledge to accomplish a purpose and to have self-worth and self-esteem. The work may not be perfect in the…
The church is called by the Lord to serve the world so that the Gospel can be proclaimed “to the end of the earth.” Throughout history, as the world changed, the Church has been challenged to find new ways to…
Last week, the city of Ottawa was ravaged by another ice storm. The huge pine tree in my backyard lost many heavy limbs and the yard was full of the pine needles, twigs and branches. We are lucky that the…
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! After the 40 days of Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving, after the three intense days of the Triduum, here we are at the empty tomb, rejoicing! Today’s gospel is action packed. Mary Magdalene…