ST VINCENT DE PAUL
We recognize the name of this popular saint because of the stores that bear his name. Here in Ottawa, the St. Vincent de Paul Society has two thrift stores in the west end of the city as well as an impressive…
ON THE OCCASION OF THE WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, IT’S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3.
Here’s what we have to know: Environmental refuges at our boarder is inevitable We have a duty of love We’ve also been part of the problem Allow me to connect some dots between two documents to explain: The recently released…
ST. JOHN DE BREBEUF, ISAAC JOGUES & COMPANIONS
On September 26, the Catholic Church in Canada recalls that group of 17th-century Jesuit missionaries who have become known here as the Canadian Martyrs, or the North American Martyrs if you are in the United States. It is a sombre…
ST. PADRE PIO
St. Pius of Pietrecina (1887-1968) is generally better known by his more popular name: Padre Pio. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. Padre Pio was a man of deep humility, spirituality and compassion. Through his faith,…
RITUAL, RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY
The soul-stirring pageantry during the opening of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress earlier this month in Budapest came as a gift after a time of pandemic fast from communal celebration. It was a display of faith and community, as Catholics…
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Today’s culture has begun to realize that recent decades of overzealous positivity have led to unsustainable expectations for happiness and success, often with dire consequences. The mantra in this burgeoning awareness of mental health is: “it’s okay not to be…
GRACE AND GRATITUDE – EVEN DURING A PANDEMIC
There have been so many heart-breaking stories over the past 18 months. Thousands of our elders in long-term care died of the virus, while countless others had to stay in their rooms alone for weeks on end. People in hospital…
BACK TO SCHOOL IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES
When the pandemic began 18 months ago, I regularly thought of myself as living in extraordinary times. I am struck by how very much we have adapted. That which was unprecedented in human history has come to feel almost normal…
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION
Since Pope Francis offered the world his reflections in the encyclical Laudato Si’, my consciousness of caring for Creation has been notched up. I have always thought that by not littering, recycling, reusing, reducing, composting, not wasting food, etc, I…
INTRODUCING OUR NEW LIVING WITH CHRIST WEBINAR SERIES!
One of the most encouraging developments of our recent pandemic confinements has been our webinars. We’ve had as many as 600 people participate in our discussions on everything from the climate change crisis to dealing with dementia in our parishes.…