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April 2007

April 23

Crowd comes out in support of Catholic education in Ontario

April 23, 2007

TORONTO - About 500 Catholic parents, pastors and teachers in Toronto staked a claim on the future of Catholic schools in the last of a province-wide series of consultations by the Institute for Catholic Education seeking community insight into future directions for Catholic education in Ontario.

April 24

China: Keeping the faith

April 24, 2007

BEIJING - Some time after Easter, Pope Benedict XVI was to issue a letter to Chinese Catholics that many hope will call for reconciliation and unity between those who have registered with the government and those who have not registered.

Centered on God, we can face all challenges

April 24, 2007

Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year C) April 29 (Acts 13:14, 43-52; Psalm 100; Revelation 7:9, 14-17; John 10:27-30) An encounter between the old and the new is seldom peaceful or smooth. The old does not give way gracefully, and the struggle is often hateful and hurtful. The new is not necessarily correct, but often it is not even given a fair hearing.

The situation of refugees and displaced persons in Iraq

April 24, 2007

Editor’s note: The following is a joint statement submitted to the fourth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva by Dominicans for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers), Dominican Leadership Conference, Pax Christi International, Congregations of St. Joseph and Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, and five non-governmental organizations in special consultative status. Dominicans for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers), Dominican Leadership Conference, Pax Christi International, Congregations of St. Joseph and Sisters of Mercy of the Americas express their deep concern for refugees and internally displaced people of Iraq. An estimated 100,000 Iraqis leave their country each month, including many of Iraq’s best educated professionals. Approximately two million Iraqis have fled since the 2003 invasion and about 1.8 million Iraqis are internally displaced.

Reflections on the passing of John Billings, a gentle giant

April 24, 2007

The passing of Dr. John J. Billings on April 1 at 89 years of age will elicit, throughout the world, two kinds of responses. The first will concern his illustrious career as a medical doctor, researcher, founder and teacher of the Billings Ovulation Method. His work in developing and promulgating this method of natural family planning was recognized by Pope Paul VI in 1969 with a papal knighthood and earned an additional star by Pope John Paul II in 2003 for his 50 years of work in this field.

Mired in Afghanistan

April 24, 2007

The recent deaths of eight Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan underline once again the troubling direction of Canada’s largest initiative in the global struggle against terrorism. It is not so much the fact that soldiers are dying in a military conflict that is so worrisome — though this is tragic enough — but the seemingly ad hoc management of this military venture by the Conservative government.

90 minutes I just can’t forget

April 24, 2007

The summer before my last year of theology studies, I spent seven weeks in East Africa involved in various ministries related to HIV/AIDS outreach. One of the outreaches consisted in accompanying social workers from a Catholic hospital in Kampala on home visits to check on patients who had begun anti-retroviral drug regimens (ARVs). This is how I came to know Katana Stella.

Public boards seek amalgamation of Ontario’s Catholic system

April 24, 2007

TORONTO - Six Ontario public school boards have passed motions calling for abolition of publicly funded Catholic education and that has Rick Johnson a little upset and embarrassed.

Benedictine monk to lead meditation community retreat

April 24, 2007

TORONTO - A healthy dose of silence and the discipline of meditation are on tap at St. John’s Convent, 233 Cummer Ave. in Toronto, when the Christian Meditation Community of Toronto hosts its May 11-13 retreat.

Mississauga teen wins American essay contest

April 24, 2007

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Nishaat Hussainbhoy understands the value of a good Catholic education after having grown up in the United Arab Emirates, a predominately Muslim country with limited freedom of expression.

World Youth Day organizers tap into Toronto leaders’ experience

April 24, 2007

TORONTO - The organizers for World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia, have discovered that the Toronto experience holds some valuable lessons. As the officials from Down Under who were in town just before Easter learned, the two cities have a lot in common.

April 25

Changing paths on the road to the priesthood

April 25, 2007

TORONTO - Two years ago Ignacio Pinedo was to be ordained a missionary priest with the Scarboro Missions religious community based in Toronto, but close to his ordination date the superior asked him to take some time off to discern his call.

Debunking some of the atheistic secularists

April 25, 2007

New books bent on discrediting religious belief and practice are never in short supply. But in the last couple of years we have witnessed a mini-boom in anti-religious publishing of the classic, interesting sort — ferociously opinionated, high-minded, inclined to view Christianity as something very dangerous. The basic arguments may be rather shop-worn, but they are stated in compelling and sometimes surprising new ways.

Take your run at religion, but let’s be fair about it

April 25, 2007

It must seem to most Christians as if attacks on the integrity of their faith — as opposed to bona fide studies, queries and investigations — have become de rigeur. After all, just a cursory glance at the weekly bestseller lists will confirm the suspicions of the besieged that it is an open field when it comes to excoriating religion, in general, and Christianity, in particular.

Cardinal’s Dinner chair named

April 25, 2007

TORONTO - William Downe, president and chief executive officer of BMO Financial Group, has been appointed as chair of the 28th annual Cardinal’s Dinner, the largest fund-raising dinner in Canada.

Spring into summer

April 25, 2007

Spring fever always seems to hit me really hard. When the sun starts to shine a little brighter and the snow starts to melt, I can’t help but get excited. Actually seeing my deck again and not a blanket of white is encouraging each time I look out the window. I love it when I can walk outside without gigantic boots and wear just a light jacket instead of a huge parka. It always makes me smile to feel the sun’s warmth on my face and not have to cover it up with a scarf. I just love spring!

The challenge with chastity

April 25, 2007

TORONTO - Jacek Kowal slides Christopher West’s Theology of the Body into his CD player when he drives from Ottawa to visit his girlfriend Marlena Hardy in Toronto.

What is chastity?

April 25, 2007

Editor’s Note: Our student interns asked employees of the archdiocese of Toronto’s Catholic Pastoral Centre how they define chastity and how they teach it to their children.

Development and Peace comes to CIDA’s defence

April 25, 2007

TORONTO - The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace has jumped into the debate on whether to abolish the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Christians are what’s missing in the Holy Land

April 25, 2007

NAZARETH, Israel - The Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Israel, the Bishop of Nazareth, is very clear in his desires for his local church in the midst of conflict and a declining Catholic population.