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April 2009

April 1

$2 million raised on first ShareLife Sunday

April 1, 2009

TORONTO - This year’s ShareLife campaign is off to a good start, with some $2 million raised by the first of three ShareLife Sunday collections in parishes throughout the archdiocese of Toronto March 28-29. ShareLife’s overall goal this year is $14.3-million. The charitable fundraising arm of the archdiocese hopes to raise $12 million through its parish appeal and $1.625 million through the corporate campaign.

April 2

Catholics at odds with Vatican on moral issues

April 2, 2009

WASHINGTON- Telephone polling of Catholics and non-Catholics over three years shows the degree of difference between the two groups on abortion, the death penalty and other moral issues about which the Catholic Church has spoken. According to figures released March 30 by the Gallup Organization in Princeton, N.J., only on the abortion issue did a minority of Catholics overall find it acceptable — 40 per cent compared to 41 per cent for non-Catholics.

April 3

Voluntary guidelines for Canadian oversees mine companies

April 3, 2009

The federal government has opted for a voluntary code of conduct for Canadian mining companies abroad, with no sanctions for those that fail to comply. The 200,000 Catholics who have sent postcards to Ottawa asking Parliament to set rules for Canadian mining companies operating in smaller and poorer nations around the world have been answered with a set of voluntary guidelines, an office that will investigate complaints only if the mining company agrees and an industry-run “centre of excellence” to encourage mining companies to be more open when it comes to the environment, labour rights and corporate governance. For ecumenical social justice organization KAIROS , the voluntary guidelines are a step backward.

Canadian Nurses for Life seeks leader

April 3, 2009

Canadian Nurses for Life may retire along with its national director on June 1 if no volunteers step forward to take her place. Mary-Lynn McPherson, a retiring nurse and busy grandmother, has led the volunteer organization dedicated to fighting for nurses’ conscience rights in the workplace for about 20 years. She has set aside time in the past two decades to advocate on behalf of patients and nurses in the defence of human life from conception to natural death. This has included lobbying government, supporting membership with information and encouraging other nurses to be involved in standing up for their rights.

Canadian government less than honest about Columbian free trade deal

April 3, 2009

TORONTO - The ecumenical social justice coalition KAIROS claims the Conservative government has been less than honest with a delegation of Colombians who came to Canada to lobby against a free trade deal. KAIROS sponsored a delegation of Colombian church and civil society leaders on a visit to Canada in February. The group received assurances Canada wouldn’t proceed with an already negotiated free trade agreement between Canada and Colombia until concerns about the South American nation’s human rights record have been investigated.

Joe Rauti plays role of Christ for 41 years

April 3, 2009

TORONTO - As a young boy in his hometown of Calabria, Italy, Giuseppe Rauti (better known as Joe) grew up seeing the Way of the Cross re-enacted in the streets during Holy Week. His mother used to take him to daily Mass, instilling in him a love for the church and a great love of God — something unmistakably evident in the now 70-year old man who plays Jesus Christ in Toronto’s downtown Way of the Cross, which draws spectators from around the globe.

Caritas Foundation raised $50,000 from Harmony Ball

April 3, 2009

VAUGHAN, Ont. - The Caritas Foundation raised $50,000 through its 15th annual Harmony Ball fundraising gala on March 28. The funds will go to Caritas Project, a therapeutic community that has, in the past 20 years, supplied counselling, guidance and other services to individuals recovering from substance abuse and addiction. The Harmony Ball, in conjunction with Caritas’ annual Telethon kickoff, will allow Caritas to continue providing these programs and services to its community members.

No easy answers with end-of-life care

April 3, 2009

TORONTO - There are no easy and pat answers on the difficult question of artificial nutrition and hydration for patients with little brain function and less hope of recovery, bioethicist Moira McQueen told a packed lecture hall at the University of St. Michael’s College March 25. “Moral theology is quite humble about its findings. It demands moral certainty but not absolute certainty,” McQueen said in delivering her half of the fifth annual Cardinal Ambrozic Lecture in Bioethics for the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute. McQueen is executive director of the institute.

Cardinal's Dinner to benefit 20 Toronto charities

April 3, 2009

TORONTO - More than 20 charities have been given a boost from the proceeds of the annual Cardinal’s Dinner. The dinner, held last Oct. 30 and hosted by Archbishop Thomas Collins, helped raise $125,000 for 27 organizations in the archdiocese of Toronto. The dinner was begun in 1979 by the late Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter and has been run in recent years by Carter’s successors, Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic and Collins, with proceeds going to their favourite charities. Since its inception, the dinner has raised more than $5 million for local charities.

The Easter message

April 3, 2009

According to a recent online survey in Britain, only 22 per cent of people could identify Easter as the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s a startling number. And even taking into account the unscientific methodology that makes Internet surveying a suspect business, the finding evokes troubling questions. Millions of Catholics worldwide will fill churches during Holy Week to celebrate the joy of Easter. But will all of them be rejoicing the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?

Rescinding Obama's invitation would be un-civil

April 3, 2009

The University of Notre Dame is an expensive private college in the United States. It is known best for its football team, but it is also a symbol of Catholic ambition in that country. As strange as this may sound to Canadians, the United States has a caste system based on the prestige of one’s college. In a land where Harvard is at the very top, Catholic schools duke it out for the position of “Catholic Harvard.” Notre Dame, rich, famous and old, is probably Catholic Harvard. It sells millions of t-shirts. Notre Dame has invited every President of the United States to speak at its graduation ceremony since Eisenhower. Bill Clinton was the only one to turn it down. And now Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., has invited President Barack Obama to speak before the Notre Dame Class of 2009. He is to receive an honorary doctorate of laws.

We are destined for fulfilment with God

April 3, 2009

Easter Sunday (Year B) April 12 (Acts 10:34, 37-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18) Why was the original Easter proclamation “good news”? What did it mean to those who first heard the message? Does it still pack the same punch in 2009 as it did on Easter morning? If not, why not? These are questions that we must always bring to our celebration of Easter, for so often it is merely another feast on the liturgical calendar with little practical impact on individual lives. Peter relates the original proclamation with a sense of joyful wonder. The story is about this incredible God-filled man named Jesus and all the wonderful things He said and did. What could have been a crushing and tragic end was transformed by the hand of God who raised Jesus from the dead. And now Jesus stands astride all human history as its life-giving power and final judge.

Holocaust survivor spreads anti-bullying message through film

April 3, 2009

TORONTO - The story of a Holocaust survivor who uses her experiences to relate messages about bullying, racism and tolerance to students has been captured in a feature documentary. Stronger than Fire, by Toronto filmmaker Don Gray, captures the powerful tale of Eva Olsson, an 84-year-old woman from Bracebridge, Ont., who discovered a passion for speaking to students more than 12 years ago. She began facing her past after one of her three grandchildren convinced her to do a short presentation at her school.

Abstinence, fidelity and the church on AIDS prevention

April 3, 2009

On a plane last month taking him to Yaoundé, Cameroon, Pope Benedict XVI was asked whether the church’s approach to AIDS and HIV in Africa was realistic and effective. First, the Holy Father explained the church’s holistic program. He pointed out how the church’s approach of dealing with ignorance and misery on many fronts is naturally different from the necessarily narrower approach of public policy. Then the Holy Father critiqued the further reduction of public policy to a single means and method: “the problem cannot be overcome by the distribution of prophylactics: on the contrary, they increase it.”

Catholic Youth events cancelled for lack of interest

April 3, 2009

Every year, my diocese hosts a weekend youth retreat for high school students. I started participating when I was in Grade 9 and always counted the days until the next one. It has been a wonderful experience and has helped me to grow dramatically faith-wise. However, this year’s retreat was cancelled due to lack of registration. The diocese needed at least 25 youth for the retreat to take place; only six signed up. When I heard the news, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe so few people were interested. It certainly wasn’t for lack of quality or hard work by the diocese, so how could it happen?

April 6

Children's book tells Craig Kielburger story

April 6, 2009

TORONTO - Young children’s experiences can have a lasting influence on their lives. For Craig Kielburger, his first trip to help children in South Asia at the age of 12 was such an experience, and he has chronicled it in a children’s book called It Takes A Child. Kielburger is the founder and chair of Free the Children, a Toronto-based organization that aims to eliminate poverty and exploitation of children around the world through education and social programs, such as Adopt A Village. This program allows families that are confronted with poverty a chance to break out and live successfully, building schools and establishing health clinics among other things.

Earth Hour celebrated in Toronto area schools

April 6, 2009

TORONTO - Catholic schools in the Toronto area joined millions of people worldwide in turning off their lights for Earth Hour March 27, but for many, the practice is a daily routine. In the York Catholic District School Board, 18 elementary schools have been monitoring their energy consumption by classroom, with students rushing to turn off lights, computers and other appliances when a special warning LED “Save Energy” sign warns them of over-usage. The initiative is part of the board’s Eco Champion program launched last year. “So far these schools have saved 10 per cent of their total consumption on a yearly basis,” said Norman Vezina, the board’s senior manager of environmental services. “It’s amazing the impact they’ve had — you walk into (one of those) schools and you can’t leave a light on because students are chastising you.”

$600 million pledged for Ontario schools

April 6, 2009

TORONTO - It’s a $50-million cut for computers and textbooks, but $600 million more for Ontario’s publicly funded school boards next year. Although declining enrolment and the economic downturn are leading to cuts in computer and textbook funding, Catholic education groups say students will benefit from the Ontario government’s commitment, announced in the March 26 budget, to more funding for public schools. “These are difficult economic times for all sectors and I appreciate the steps the government has taken to maintain its support for effective initiatives around numeracy, literacy and secondary student success,” said Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association president Paula Peroni.

South Pole trek aids Hamilton Catholic schools

April 6, 2009

A trek to the South Pole helped raise $101,595 for schools within the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board. Four Hamilton, Ont.-area businessmen — Peter Turkstra, president of Turkstra Lumber, Steve Stipsits, owner of Branthaven Homes, Fred Losani, CEO of Losani Homes, and Mark MacLennan, director of manufacturing for The Econo-Rack Group Inc. — set out on their South Pole for Kids adventure in December in support of 35 charities that would provide help to underprivileged children. They raised $550,000 to support local causes. Losani said they chose charities where they knew the money would go directly to helping the children. The Catholic school board had been particularly pleasant to work with after the group’s 2006 fundraising trip to the North Pole which Losani, Turkstra and Stipsits had completed with two other men, raising a half-million dollars.

Equitable financing sought for Ontario schoool extracurricular activities

April 6, 2009

TORONTO - The Ontario Student Trustees’ Association says students don’t have equal access to after-school activities in the province. In a January 2009 report called “Equitable Education? The Cost of Extra-curriculars in Ontario’s Schools,” the association recommended that the provincial government and school boards adopt a standardized fee system in Ontario and address the lack of access to after-school activities by students who can’t afford to participate. “A substantial part of education is neither free nor equitable. The rich receive the benefit of experience while the poor receive a no-frills education; the wealthy can afford to participate in extracurricular activities while the poor cannot,” the report said.