“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10) Most people assume that the pope’s cathedral is St. Peter’s Basilica, located within the walls of Vatican City.…
All Souls’ Day is one of the most hopeful moments of the Church year. That might sound like an odd assertion regarding a day also known as The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. Indeed, celebration of the day comes…
Having a feast for all the Saints is probably one of the most humble, practical, and happy things we can do as a Church. It is an act of humility because it makes us aware that there are countless saints…
Increasing critiques of Halloween have led many Christians to question the day’s festivities. Some argue that the day’s customs have roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, despite several scholars’ arguments to the contrary. Others, such as one official…
Every Fall we have the great fortune of participating in When Faith Meets Pedagogy, a conference for Catholic teachers from across Ontario. The conference offers us the opportunity to meet with leading religious educators and discuss the many ways we…
Our liturgical celebrations this weekend mark World Mission Sunday, an annual event in the life of the Church. But in one sense, every Sunday is a “mission Sunday.” At the end of each Mass, we are told to go and…
Thanksgiving is a perfect time to assess the role gratitude plays in our lives. In North America, many of us are so profoundly blessed that we run the risk of taking it all for granted. Sometimes we forget to offer…
This weekend offers a most unique moment in the sanctoral cycle as churches offer the annual blessing for pets, a lively and always unpredictable way to mark both the October 4th feast of St. Francis of Assisi and the gift…
October is the season of saints. It begins and ends with a celebration of sainthood and the call to holiness. St. Therese of Lisieux brings in the month with the feast day of this Doctor of the Church on Oct.…
St. Jean de Brébeuf is a giant of Canadian history. His writings in the Jesuit Relations, for example, offer an invaluable window into life in 17th-century Canada, while his gift for languages, which prompted him to create the first Huron…