ST. JOHN PAUL II
It became so natural, but when Saint John Paul II was elected as Pope in Rome in 1978, it was almost beyond comprehension. He was the first non-Italian in centuries to become bishop of Rome. But it took almost no…
RELIGION INJECTS $67.5 BILLION INTO CANADIAN ECONOMY
It’s long been a truism that organized religion is beneficial to society through its volunteers, its schools, social programs and fostering of a population willing to sacrifice for the greater good. But what’s it worth in cold, hard cash? A…
WORLD FOOD DAY
I’m one of the lucky ones. I’ve never had to worry about having enough food. Yet in the city where I live, food security is an issue for many people. In 2019, more than 39,000 people visited an emergency food…
THANKSGIVING
This year it’s a salamander gratitude— something found under rosy, painted stones upended on the damp bed of a dead river. It’s alive but mute, a form of life discovered to your surprise but somehow oddly soothing. Already the same…
NEW ENCYCLICAL IS A CRI DE COEUR FROM POPE FRANCIS
I can already imagine the criticisms of Fratelli Tutti, the new encyclical by Pope Francis on fraternity and social friendship released yesterday, October 4. They’ll accuse him of interfering in politics and the economic sphere, being naïve about human nature,…
HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS
When I think upon my faith as a child, I know that it was a safety net that saw me through traumatic and happy times. Faith in God is an anchor that can make a world of difference to a…
A SAINT FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE AND POOR SPELLERS
Somewhere among my memorabilia files is a little reminder note written by a 7-year old me. It reads: “Tell mom to take me to see the poope.” (That’s not a typo. Spelling has never been my strength). I had been…
SAINTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, PRAY FOR US!
As I child, I found great comfort in knowing that there were guardian angels out there, guiding us and protecting us from harm. The prayer “Angel of God, my guardian dear…” was prayed often in our house. Later, when I…
BREBEUF AND COMPANIONS
You ember-eating, living thuribles coughing a smoke heavy and holy into the face of a wilderness that turns away with twisted smile, you aren’t nearly as alone as the cold and failure would beat you into believing. There are many…
MOMENTS OF GRACE AND GRATITUDE DURING A PANDEMIC
I once heard a talk given by Bishop Paul Andre Durocher on the topic of grace. He filled his presentation with concrete images to break this open. He told the story of a little boy in Grade 2 who was teased…