Michael Swan, The Catholic Register
Michael is Associate Editor of The Catholic Register.
He is an award-winning writer and photographer and holds a Master of Arts degree from New York University.
Follow him on Twitter @MmmSwan, or click here to email him.
The shaping of a synod
Next October’s extraordinary synod called to talk about family will tell us as much about how the Church under Pope Francis understands itself as it will about contraception, gay couples and remarried divorcees.
Crossing the divide along the Path of Abraham
TORONTO - The Middle East, and particularly the generation-spanning conflict between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs, is hard to understand. Which is exactly why Toronto faith leaders took 33 Muslims, Jews and Christians to the heart of the conflict in March.
Bishop Lacey's spiritual life strong ’til the end
TORONTO - Bishop Pearse Lacey understood liturgy, he got social justice, he connected with the value of life but he never really understood indifference. When he was rector of St. Michael’s Cathedral, he would preside at summertime Masses on the Toronto Islands at St. Regis Chapel. On Sunday morning, no one came. So the monsignor, all outfitted for Mass, grabbed the sacristy bell and set off through the picnic grounds and along the beaches ringing the bell and announcing the next Mass.
TORONTO - When the Filipino revolution happened Fr. Charlie Gervais was there, in the middle, talking to soldiers and rebels, peasants and potentates. History unfolded in his parish, in the prayers and struggles of his people.
Polish culture, Catholic faith go hand-in-hand
TORONTO - When Poles want to introduce the world to Polish culture, it begins and ends with their Catholic heritage.
Stations inspired by compassion and Christ
When Fr. Jim Tobin was a young priest he found himself in a leper colony in Nigeria. He was almost 400 km east of the capital, Lagos, in Ossiomo. He was a hospital chaplain to about 200 people with active cases of leprosy. Another 600 people who had contracted the disease before treatment was available lived in a village down the hill from the hospital.
The Canadian-born superior of the Jesuits in Ukraine is in Brussels to make the case for Ukraine’s revolution — a revolution rooted in Christian, European and democratic ideals, he argues.
TORONTO - On the first-ever Pope John Paul II Day in Ontario, Toronto's Cardinal Thomas Collins celebrated the first-ever Roman Catholic Mass at Queen’s Park in the building’s 154-year history.
Vespers for artists
The world often treats artists as special, exceptional people. For nine years at Regis College the Jesuits have been treating Toronto artists just like everyone else by inviting them to pray.
Applications in limbo
Organizations that sponsor most of the refugees who come to Canada are still waiting to find out how many refugees each will be allowed to bring in this year.