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August 2010

August 12

Bible inspiration for Chinese art exhibit

August 12, 2010

kk_acceptance [images/stories/arts/arts10/kk_acceptance.jpg]TORONTO - Katherina Kwan and Yvonne Cheng are not professional artists, they say, they are just ordinary people who want to explore their faith through art. “The Eternal Wisdom — Tao,” an art exhibition running Aug. 21-26, is Kwan and Cheng’s chance to let others share in this exploration. The six-day event, held at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, will showcase their Catholic Chinese art and calligraphy.

St. Jerome's, professors still in labour negotiations

August 12, 2010

St. Jerome's University logo [images/stories/education/education10/sju_logo.jpg]As hints of back-to-school begin to drift into academic consciousness, professors and administrators at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ont., are still in labour negotiations. The SJU Academic Staff Association was certified as a union by the Ontario Labour Relations Board April 24. The professors said they needed the legal protection of a labour contract in light of changes in how the Catholic college at the University of Waterloo is governed. “Negotiations are underway, but proceeding slowly,” staff association president David Seljak told The Catholic Register in an e-mail.

Catholic boards refute claims of phony Catholics seeking jobs

August 12, 2010

GTA school boards [images/stories/schoolB_logos/miscSchoolBd.jpg]TORONTO - As a recent graduate from teachers’ college, Guelph, Ont.’s Jesse Lloyd, a non-Catholic, applied to teach at a Catholic school a few years ago. But he says didn’t get the job because of the requirement to be Catholic. In his college days, he remembers how a few of his colleagues talked about being lapsed Catholics and having to relearn their Catholicism — or at least put up an appearance of Catholicity — in order to qualify for a teaching position at a Catholic school.

Community of great importance to Durham scholar

August 12, 2010

Timothy Ko [images/stories/education/education10/timothy_ko.jpg]From preparing for school debates to raising awareness about poverty and homelessness, St. Mary Catholic High School’s top ace Timothy Ko says his high school experience has been a mix of academics and community involvement. “Being part of a community is really important,” said the Pickering, Ont., student. “All my friends kept me in a good mood while at school... If I see someone else doing well, I want to do well.” Ko had the highest marks in the Durham Catholic board, ending his high school career with a 97.7-per-cent average.

Gereb is Halton's top student

August 12, 2010

Eszter Gereb [images/stories/education/education10/eszter_gereb.jpg]Whether it’s studying physics, her toughest subject, or being a member of the “Ecosaders,” Assumption High School student Eszter Gereb says she likes to challenge herself in everything she does. Gereb, 17, graduated as Halton Catholic District School Board’s top student with an average of 97.2 per cent. The Burlington, Ont., student hopes to add physicist to her list of accomplishments. Gereb said she found physics to be her most difficult subject, but adds it also turned out to be her favourite.

Mom helps Chiang excel in York

August 12, 2010

Albert Chiang [images/stories/education/education10/albert_chiang.jpg]When his grandfather needed eye surgery, St. Robert Catholic High School student Albert Chiang was there to accompany him. During the hospital visit, Chiang spoke to his grandfather’s doctor and was fascinated by the process and the profession. So this summer, Chiang is volunteering at North York General Hospital. He will be studying at McMaster University in the health sciences program in the fall. Chiang, who’s 99.33 average at the Thornhill, Ont., school was just shy of Charis Lam’s 99.83 average for tops with the York Catholic District School Board, said this experience sparked his motivation to pursue a career as an eye surgeon. (Lam declined interview requests from The Catholic Register).

Smrke tops Toronto with 100%

August 12, 2010

Brianna Smrke [images/stories/education/education10/smrke.jpg]TORONTO - Brianna Smrke had a perfect ending to her year final year of high school. The 18-year-old Michael Power/St. Joseph High School student graduated as the top student in the Toronto Catholic District School Board with a flawless mark of 100 per cent in all six of her courses. The secret to her success? Smrke says it’s been a supportive family and a positive school environment that helped her develop as a well-rounded student and person. “I didn’t know I would be the best,” Smrke said, adding she just kept working hard, a habit she developed early. Her diverse experiences in sports, arts and community work also helped build up her skills, she said.

Bearing our crosses

August 12, 2010

Self-denial may not be the most popular part of the faith for a lot of Catholics, but by offering up our sacrifices as prayers we can find new ways to carry our cross daily. Though the topic of self-denial often escapes common dinner-table conversation, it is one of the most fundamental aspects of Catholic and Christian faith. The Ten Commandments and The Beatitudes are teachings that, in essence, simply tell us to deny ourselves. Whether it’s refraining from sin by not stealing or humbling ourselves to a meekness like Jesus, self-denial is taught throughout Catholic doctrine.

Mother Teresa still resonates with Canadians

August 12, 2010

Mother Teresa of Calcutta [images/stories/features/feature10/teresa.jpg]Canada is not like Calcutta. Mother Teresa was not like most Canadians. But somehow the life of the tiny Albanian nun who ministered to the abandoned, the forgotten and the dying in Calcutta speaks to Canadians. August 26 is the centenary anniversary of the birth of Blessed Mother Teresa and events are taking place worldwide to honour the occasion. At a July showing of relics of Mother Teresa at St. Barnabus parish in Toronto, Sr. Mary Frank of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity saw people standing in line with tears in their eyes.

Walking the Gospel Roads

August 12, 2010

Amanda Castellvi [images/stories/ysn/ysn10/gospelroads.jpg]STONY POINT, N.Y. - Together with three other young Canadians, I travelled to Stony Point, N.Y., in late July to walk alongside fellow youth on the Gospel Roads. Salesian Gospel Roads (GR), a week-long service retreat program, has been running throughout the United States for more than a decade. With 50 other youth from four different states and three other Canadians, Judy Sebastian, Andre Violante and John Rugosi, I participated in one of nine GR programs this summer, marking Gospel Roads’ first Canadian participation. “My hope is that participants, beyond experiencing a beautiful week of serving with other youth and personal reflection, get a better understanding of their call to service,” said Victoria Velasco, director of the Stony Point Gospel Roads, which ran from July 25-31.

Active life, active faith

August 12, 2010

Hike Prayer [images/stories/ysn/ysn10/hikeprayer.jpg]TORONTO - Nature is God’s greatest cathedral for those attending this year’s Hike & Prayer. Run by Faith Connections, the young adult ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the annual Hike & Prayer event allows young people an opportunity to engage their faith while being active. The hike, themed “Celebrating Summer,” takes place Aug. 22 at Edwards Gardens in Toronto, and is open to young adults, ages 18-39.

Ragot leads Dufferin Peel grads

August 12, 2010

Dufferin-Peel [images/stories/schoolB_logos/Dufferin-Peel.jpg]BRAMPTON, Ont. - For Notre Dame Catholic High School student Don Marcial Ragot, moving to Canada from the Philippines came with some hurdles, including adjusting to a new culture and learning a new language. But it took just two years for Ragot, who was enrolled for a semester in the Brampton school’s English as a Second Language class, to finish with the highest marks at the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. He ended his high school career with a 98.83-per-cent average.

Basilian priest charged with abusing Ottawa student in 1972

August 12, 2010

The Basilian Fathers are encouraging any possible victims of sexual abuse by Fr. Kenneth O'Keefe to come forward. O'Keefe was charged Aug. 11 with one count of indecent assault stemming from his contact with a teenaged boy at St. Pius X High School in Ottawa in 1972. But if there are other victims or other unreported incidents to be dealt with, the Basilians want to hear about them and will work with police and the court system to see justice is done, said Basilian spokesman Fr. Tom Rosica. "We are committed to making available financial support for restorative therapy for anyone who has been abused by Fr. O'Keefe or by any other Basilian," said a statement from the religious order.

August 13

Pope does not accept resignation of Dublin auxiliary bishops

August 13, 2010

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin [images/stories/international/international10/martinarchbishop.jpg]DUBLIN - Pope Benedict XVI has decided not to accept the resignation of two Dublin auxiliary bishops who resigned in the wake of the Murphy Report investigation into clerical child abuse in the archdiocese. Auxiliary Bishops Raymond Field and Eamonn Walsh resigned Dec. 24 after coming under intense pressure because they served as bishops during the period investigated by the Murphy Commission. In a letter to priests of the Dublin archdiocese Aug. 11, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin confirmed the development.

August 16

Cardinal Ouellet bids goodbye to Quebec and Canada

August 16, 2010

SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BEAUPRE, QUE. - Cardinal Marc Ouellet affirmed his unqualified commitment to the Gospel as he bid his farewell to the Quebec archdiocese Aug. 15 before heading off to assume a new role at the Vatican. At his last public celebration of the Eucharist before departing to Rome, the new Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops acknowledged some people may have been hurt by some of his words in public debate or some of his pastoral decisions. In recent months, Ouellet has faced a wave of negative attacks in the news media for his forthright stance in defense of human life from conception, even in cases of rape.

August 17

Mayoral candidate Rossi hopes to have churches deliver Toronto social services

August 17, 2010

Rocco Rossi [images/stories/toronto/toronto10/rossi.jpg]TORONTO - When Torontonians speak about diversity, they tend to limit the discussion to spaghetti and souvlaki, Bollywood and butter chicken, says Rocco Rossi. But the Toronto mayoral candidate believes spiritual diversity should be included in the discussion as well. “At the heart of that diversity are the many faiths and value systems which underpin the diverse groups that live and prosper in the city,” Rossi told The Catholic Register Aug. 16, day four of his faith tour of Toronto.

August 18

There are no 'losers' dining at God's table

August 18, 2010

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Aug. 29 (Sirach 3:17-20, 28-29; Psalm 68; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24; Luke 14:7-14) The virtue of humility has suffered much from human misuse. Often it is understood as passivity in the face of injustice or allowing oneself to be used as a doormat. Sometimes it is used as a tool to dominate and control others.

August 19

Honduras charges three linked to Canadian-owned mine

August 19, 2010

[images/stories/international/international10/goldcorp.jpg]LONDON - Honduras' environmental prosecutor has filed criminal charges against two mining executives with a Canadian company and a former government official after a British Catholic aid agency provided evidence to show that they ignored the alleged pollution of rivers. The mining officials, Christian Pineda and Renan Santamaria, could face up to six years in jail if convicted of contaminating water and polluting the environment around the San Martin gold mine, the largest open-cast gold mine in Central America until its closure in 2008. Pineda and Santamaria are employed by Entre Mares, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Goldcorp Inc., a gold-mining company based in Vancouver.

August 20

Strangers Everywhere

August 20, 2010

The news is filled with stories about immigration and 'strangers'. Making sense of immigration should be old hat to us by now, given the strength of the argument that we are all immigrants. This is a national story with the unfolding events surrounding the arrival of another ship filled with Tamil Refugees. It is a Toronto story with the issue rising up in municipal elections, a diocesan story with details of Archbishop Collins sponsoring a Iraqi Refugee Family , as reported by the Register's Michael Swan and an international story with Arizona acting as a focal point for arguments from all sides. It is an issue that won't go away, nor should it. It raises fundamental issues of charity and justice and has been on the Vatican's agenda for decades. If we look with either horror, concern or confusion at the situation in Arizona, it is important to realize that the issue is heating up in Canada as well. And as Kelly McParland of the National Post notes, we shouldn't be too smug because the polls aren't painting a pretty picture of our attitudes or values. It's not a simple matter by any means, but it does require thinking through and possibly some hard choices. Without doubt politicians will be getting deeply involved in the issue this fall, which may not be a good thing. As Catholic Bishops from America, Canada and Mexico have recently argued, we need to drill down deep as to causes, consequences and reactions to all parts of the immigration puzzle. And as Catholics, perhaps it's worthwhile to reflect as Ross Douthat did recently on the history of Anti-Catholic immigration scares and the complicated issues raised.Ultimately this is a human story and Andrew Coyne offers an intriguing way to think about the human, economic and even cultural questions.

August 23

The Church needs bishops who are bold men of faith, says Ouellet

August 23, 2010

Cardinal Marc Ouellet [images/stories/canada_bishops/ouellet_crozier.jpg]QUEBEC CITY - In his new duties helping the Pope choose bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet will be looking for bold “men of faith” who have “the guts to help people live it out.” A bishop has to lead the community, so he needs a deep supernatural vision as well as the capacity to assess the political, cultural and sociological context, said Ouellet, the new Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Above all, a bishop must be “audacious in proposing the Word and in believing in the power of the Word and the power of the Spirit.”