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October 2010

October 11

Brother André: Celebrating Canada's newest saint

October 11, 2010

Brother André [images/stories/features/br_andre/BrAndreCover1.jpg]On October 17 Brother André, founder of Montreal's St. Joseph's Oratory, will become just the second Canadian-born saint when he is canonized at a Vatican ceremony presided over by Pope Benedict XVI. To celebrate the event, The Catholic Register has produced its own homage to the life of this remarkable man. In a series of articles and photos, we have examined the life and legacy of Brother Andre, a poor, illiterate, orphan who, after moving between several menial jobs, was accepted by the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal where he lived a remarkable life of faith, hope and charity until his death in 1937. He is credited with hundreds of miraculous healings and, through his determined efforts, became the driving force behind construction of the spectacular St. Joseph Oratory atop Mount Royal in Montreal.

October 12

Images, Perceptions and Spectacle

October 12, 2010

The reality and vitality of faith is deeply personal, revealed in community and questioned aloud by the secular media. In recent days all three perspectives are on display. The Catholic Register’s magnificent and extensive treatment of the forthcoming canonization of Brother Andre is filled with detail and anecdote. It is a big event and deserves attention. The story of Brother Andre is almost magical in its elements and truly inspiring in its arc. And it is one that touches non-Catholics as well as Catholics. At times, of course there is a sense of the perplexed as evidenced in Rosie Dimanno’s treatment of the life of Brother Andre and the after-life of the Saint. At other times, there is great expectation, as in this account of the expected pure tourism potential of yet another Canadian Saint being named. And it is an opportunity to be reminded of how far the touch of Brother Andre extends as reported in this American paper’s account of a a group of very special pilgrims on their way to celebrate. Of course the story of Brother Andre is also a story about Quebec and the changes it has witnessed in the 73 years since his death. Charles Lewis in the National Post this past Saturday reminds us in a vivid and disturbing manner that faith is often about witnessing. The story of the difficulties faced by pro-life groups on University Campuses is gaining more and more attention all the time. It has been a divisive issue in the past involving court cases and intervention by civil libertarians. But the situation in Ottawa seems to be taking the matter to a whole new level. This is not just a Canadian phenomenon as these news stories from the U.S. suggest and it is not just a student issue given that pro-life faculty are now banding together to create a space where they can discuss life issues. And if Charles Lewis’ reporting and the example of Brother Andre’s Canonization remind us of the twists and turns of witnessing, the Pew Forum’s survey on religious knowledge is giving lots of us much to think about in terms of what we know and don’t know about religion in general and our own faith in particular. You might have heard the news that Atheists are the best informed when it comes to questions of religion, and Catholics seemed to have done particularly bad as this Washington Post Columnist suggests while calling the poor showing as a ‘scandal of ignorance’. On the other hand, this Washington Post Columnist chose the opposite tack in distinguishing between ‘knowing God’ and ‘knowing about God’. Jimmy Akin at the National Catholic Register in the U.S. makes a brave case for why it might be expected that Atheists are more likely to know about all religions than Catholics and he does ask some good questions about what a general survey on religious facts actually demonstrates.

October 13

Anyone but incumbents, Toronto voters urged

October 13, 2010

Catholics United for a Responsible Ballot [images/stories/education/education10/cathunited.jpg]TORONTO - A newly formed group of retired principals and educators is urging Toronto Catholics to vote the current crop of trustees out of office. They want voters to cast ballots for anyone but the incumbents. At an Oct. 12 press conference following noon Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Bob Dixon, chair of Catholics United for a Responsible Ballot, called for a clean sweep of the scandal-plagued board.

A litany of Toronto trustee indiscretions

October 13, 2010

TCDSB logo [images/stories/schoolB_logos/TCDSBLogo.jpg]TORONTO - Two Toronto Catholic trustees have been removed from the board, another could soon follow and many others have been embroiled in a spending scandal that has engulfed the Toronto board for almost three years. Below is a timeline of the major events. Dec. 2007: Catherine LeBlanc-Miller is acclaimed board chair and, following several media reports about trustee misspending, she asks the provincial government to examine trustee expenses.

Censorship claims mar Toronto candidate meetings

October 13, 2010

Angela Kennedy [images/stories/education/education10/angelaspeaks.jpg]TORONTO - Two Catholic education organizations are voicing criticism of election candidate meetings for school trustees that, they claim, are tightly controlled sessions that offer little opportunity for debate or direct questioning of candidates. Penny Boyce-Chester of the Greater Toronto Catholic Parent Network attended the Oct. 6 meeting for Ward 8 at Cardinal Leger High School in Scarborough. “This is a very censored meeting,” she charged. “The moderator decided which two questions he was going to ask from the box and his interpretation of how he was going to word these questions. That really bothered me.

Toronto trustees should step up or get out

October 13, 2010

Toronto school board vote [images/stories/misc/misc10/schoolbdvote.jpg]Many parents are exiting Toronto’s all-candidate Catholic school-trustee meetings feeling angry and frustrated that their voices are not being heard. And who can blame them? In too many cases, as Ontario’s Oct. 25 municipal elections draw near, discussions at these meetings are being deliberately diverted from the years of flagrant misspending, self-serving decision making and sad-sack management by members of Toronto’s dysfunctional Catholic board.

God is our ultimate judge

October 13, 2010

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Oct. 24 (Sirach 35:15-17, 20-22; Psalm 34; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14) Justice is often portrayed as a blindfolded figure holding a set of scales implying that justice is blind and even-handed. Unfortunately, we know from experience that this is not always the case. We have seen notorious cases in which the perpetrator of a heinous crime wiggles through the net and walks away free thanks to a very expensive and high-powered defense team. Often justice depends far too much on where a person is situated in the social and economic scale and the influence of one’s personal connections. On the other hand, many have been unjustly accused and convicted for lack of an effective spokesperson or defense. Even winning a judgment against a huge corporation can be an empty victory for they have the resources to drag the appeals’ process on forever. All of this can leave us with a sense of bitterness and cynicism and it was no different in the time in which Sirach was written. The author assures us that we all stand before the judgment of one who cannot be bought, manipulated or influenced in any way. God is impartial — it does not matter who we are. God listens to and judges the unvarnished facts of the case according to the principles of divine justice. And the judgment that is given is always fair — no appeals necessary or allowed. Will we see this justice in our own lifetime? Sometimes that is the case. People who are unjust and unkind to others sooner or later bring it down on their own heads — as the old saying goes, “what goes around comes around.” Cruel or unjust systems — political, economic or religious — ultimately sow the seeds of their own destruction. But even if justice is not given in this world we all eventually meet ourselves for human beings cannot cheat or trick God. It is important to live with a sense of moral purpose and to seek justice always, both for ourselves and others. At the same time we must accept with serenity the fact that justice will not always unfold according to our preferred time and method. The author of 2 Timothy, a follower of Paul, likens our spiritual journey to a race. The most important thing is not winning the race but finishing it. It is fidelity and commitment that is required rather than perfection. Paul was probably tempted to cut and run at times but as the passage says, he kept the faith. The crown of righteousness is a symbol for the “prize” given to those who keep trying regardless of difficulties, failures or mistakes. Our own culture does not value commitment or long-term fidelity as much as in the past — perhaps this is an antidote for our own “cut and run” attitude. This wonderful story of the tax-collector and the Pharisee is as valid today as it was when it was written. It is not about Pharisees, it is about us and about all religious people. If the story were told today in a Christian setting nothing would change except the labels. The target is spiritual smugness and the conviction that one has arrived spiritually. The Pharisee in the story did not look deeply into himself — if he had done so, he would have realized that he despised in the tax collector what he feared most in himself. Being zealous and punctilious in obeying laws and rules does not create a just and loving person. The tax collector is one who is free of denial or illusions — he knows and feels his brokenness and desperate need for God. No excuses, no plea bargaining, no game playing, just a heartfelt plea for forgiveness. This story has so much to teach us today, especially about the tendency to despise those of whom we do not approve. The debates that swirl around the issues of our day can scarcely be called debates for they lack the civility, decorum and respect that form the heart of the debating tradition. Demonization and character assassination of those who think or act differently are the projection of our own inner darkness. St. Paul had it quite right with his insistence that we have all fallen short of the glory of God and stand in need of mercy and forgiveness. A little humility and charity go a long, long way.

Catholic press can help heal Church's woes

October 13, 2010

What with the woes besetting the newspaper industry, any gathering of journalists these days is likely to be a gloomy affair. But the Vatican’s recent international congress of Catholic journalists, by every account, was marked by a decidedly mixed mood, with sober reflection on the problems now facing Christian media throughout the world mingling with strong and reasonable hope for the future of the Catholic press. Convened in early October by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the congress heard speakers describing the steady hail of bad news now battering both traditional secular and Catholic media, according to reporters who were there. Operating budgets continue to shrink due to steep declines in both paid circulation and advertising income. The upward-trending migration of former print-media readers to the various news and opinion platforms offered by the Internet and cable television is another threat. But the Catholic press is also afflicted by some issues peculiar to itself. Greg Erlandson, president of Our Sunday Visitor Publishing in the United States, said that Catholic publishing suffers because Catholics today know less about what their religion teaches and understands about human and divine life. There is “a growing distrust of institutions” and, as a consequence, there is “a resulting decline in Catholic identity.” Speakers said the culminating blow to the trust many had in the Catholic Church and its media has been what Archbishop Celli called the “difficult and painful” sexual and other abuse cases that have rocked the Church from the local parish level up to the Vatican itself. Catholicism, however, encourages believers to see the blessing inherent in even dark and heart-breaking moments. One of those moments, at least for Catholic publishing, is now. For Archbishop Celli, the abuse cases, horrible as they are, could lead “the entire believing community to a greater commitment to following the Lord and placing itself at the service of humanity with an even greater witness of life capable of demonstrating what we bear in our hearts.” By means of this renewed program of mission, and through effective recommitment to factual rigour and honesty, the Catholic press can restore the Church’s damaged credibility. This welcome burden falls on reporters, who have the job of being first-on-the-scene eyewitnesses of the events of the day, and of the personalities who are shaping these events. Despite the profound technological changes now taking place in the information society, “the principles of journalism haven’t changed,” Amy Mitchell, vice-director of the Pew Research Centre’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, told the congress. “The ideas of verification, authentication, of being transparent with your readers or listeners about the information you know, the information you don’t know, about where you’re coming from, the influences you have — all of those remain constant.” But responsibility for cogent journalism also falls on the shoulders of the columnists, commentators, editors and others who attempt to make sense of things within the framework of Catholic thought. “Of no less importance (than reporting),” Archbishop Celli said, is “the role that the Catholic press has within the Church because it can be a privileged instrument in the not easy task of promoting and nourishing an intellectual understanding of the faith.” Keeping these values alive in the contemporary world is a tall order, especially in a time of financial uncertainty and widespread scepticism about the institutions of social democracy, including the traditional secular and Church media. Nobody at this conference, to my knowledge, doubted the difficulty of doing so. But the viability of the Catholic press in contemporary Canadian and Western society largely depends on meeting that order fully — and never forgetting the God for whom Catholic journalists are doing it. The enduring task of the Catholic press, Benedict XVI told participants in the congress, is “to help modern man to turn to Christ, the one Saviour, and to keep the flame of hope alight in the world, so as worthily to live today and adequately to build the future.”

St. Joseph's feast should be a holy day of obligation

October 13, 2010

The Oct. 17 canonization of Brother André of Montreal is a moment of pride for Canada’s Catholics, but something of a challenge too. How best to take advantage of the grace of this occasion? Often a new saint is rather obscure, little known outside of a local place or religious order. That’s not the case with Brother André, who is well known across the land. At the same time, though, one does not see in parishes a visible devotion to Brother André, as one does with Padre Pio or Mother Teresa. Our new saint is also one who is difficult to imitate. The work that he did, serving as a doorkeeper, is not very much done today, and his miracle-working sets him apart from the life of the ordinary Christian disciple. Yet the advice that Brother André gave to the thousands upon thousands who came to see him remains valid — Go to Joseph! Devotion to St. Joseph was the heart of Brother André’s specific charism. The great Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal gives extraordinary witness to that. Herewith then a proposal to apply the new saint’s advice to the life of the Church in Canada today: Make the Feast of St. Joseph a holy day of obligation. St. Joseph is the patron saint of Canada, and of the universal Church, so it would be fitting to declare his feast as a holy day throughout the country. A faithful Catholic is obliged by canon law to attend Holy Mass every Sunday, as well as on special feasts — the holy days of obligation. There are 10 such days for the universal Church. Four are feasts of the Lord Jesus: Christmas, Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi. Three are feasts of Our Lady: Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8), Mother of God (Jan. 1), and the Assumption (Aug. 15). Three relate to the other saints: Joseph (March 19), Peter and Paul (June 29) and All Saints (Nov. 1). Each country’s bishops are permitted to make adjustments and reductions. For example, in Ireland the feast of St. Patrick is a holy day. In Canada, the bishops decided years ago to reduce to the absolute minimum the number of holy days. The Church insists on Christmas, but permits the other three feasts of the Lord to be transferred to Sunday, so Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi are observed on Sunday in Canada. One feast of Our Lady must be kept, so in Canada we opted to keep only one, the feast of Mary, Mother of God. The three feasts of the saints can be abolished as holy days, and so we have. The result is that Canada has the fewest number of holy days possible — Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Along with the Australians, we are the bottom-dwellers of the Catholic world when it comes to holy days. But even the Australians are slightly better off, in that their Marian day is the Assumption, Aug. 15. Ours is Jan. 1, poorly attended by even faithful Catholics, and confused in the minds of many with New Year’s Day, a civic observance. It’s rather embarrassing to explain to Catholics in other countries that we Canadians opt for the fewest possible holy days, which ought to be days to celebrate the richness of Catholic liturgical and devotional life. So why not add St. Joseph’s feast to our list of holy days? The national patron’s feast is kept as a holy day by the Irish (St. Patrick) and the Americans (Immaculate Conception). The canonization of Brother André highlights that praying to St. Joseph is rooted in the history and popular piety of our people. As the largest and most imposing shrine in Canada, the Oratory of St. Joseph could easily become the focal point for the principal Mass in the country, drawing pilgrims and prelates from one coast to the other. And it would make concrete the advice of Brother André, Canada’s best known saint. The establishment of a third holy day would also be an important liturgical signal, namely that doing the bare minimum is not the operating principle of Catholic life in Canada. Most vibrant parishes already have what one might call unofficial holy days — feasts that are kept with greater solemnity, often accompanied by processions and parish socials. There is already a desire to keep such feasts, and to have a national feast kept across the country would build upon that desire, and build up the unity of the Church across Canada. St. André of Montreal, pray for us — and lead us to Joseph!

Prostitution ruling further exploits the vulnerable

October 13, 2010

In late September, Justice Susan Himel of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice struck down the last direct prohibitions in the Criminal Code against prostitution. If upheld (the federal government is currently applying to appeal it), the decision will make it legal to operate a common bawdy house, communicate in public for the purpose of prostitution and live off the avails of prostitution.

Toronto School Board scandal questions not welcome

October 13, 2010

TCDSB logo [images/stories/schoolB_logos/TCDSBLogo.jpg]TORONTO - For the 50 people attending Ward 11’s first all-candidates Catholic school trustee meeting, it should have been an opportunity to hear ouseted former trustee Angela Kennedy explain why a judge removed her from office, why trustees were forced to repay almost $30,000 after audits revealed spending irregularities and why the Toronto board is operating under provincial supervision. But Kennedy, who was found guilty of conflict-of-interest two months ago and removed from her seat as trustee and board chair of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, sidestepped discussion about her removal and the events which contributed to it. Particularly frustrating for many in attendance, the format of the event made it easy for her to do so.

October 14

As miners are rescued, Chileans unite in prayer

October 14, 2010

Chile Miner [images/stories/international/international10/chileminer.jpg]SANTIAGO, Chile (CNS) -- As miners were pulled one-by-one from the tunnel in the San Jose mine in Copiapo, where they'd awaited rescue since Aug. 5, Chile's churches were hosting round-the-clock vigils, special Masses appealing for the men's safety and other prayers of thanksgiving. At a Mass that began near midnight Oct. 13, as the first miner was being brought to the surface, Santiago Auxiliary Bishop Cristian Contreras Villarroel said the lives of the 33 miners should be seen as a sign of the need all people have for redemption. "There is no saint without a past, nor sinner without a future," he reminded the congregation in El Sagrario chapel next to Santiago's Metropolitan Cathedral.

Church opposes industrial process of in vitro fertilization

October 14, 2010

In Vitro Fertilization [images/stories/misc/misc10/ivf.jpg]TORONTO - Vatican officials aren’t being churlish killjoys or displaying their fearful medieval mindset when they object to the Nobel committee giving the world’s most prestigious science prize to the inventor of in vitro fertilization, Fr. Joseph Tham told an audience of about 70 people in Toronto’s Holy Family parish Oct. 6. “It’s difficult to explain to people, Catholics included, why IVF is wrong,” said Tham. Before entering the priesthood, Tham became a medical doctor at the University of Toronto. He now teaches at Regina Apostolorum University’s school of bioethics in Rome.

Israeli oath draws concerns from Synod of Bishops

October 14, 2010

Pope Western Wall [images/stories/international/international10/pope_westernwall.jpg]VATICAN CITY - Asking Christians, Muslims and others who want to become Israeli citizens to pledge loyalty to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state” does not demonstrate democratic respect for full religious freedom, said a patriarch from Egypt. The majority of members of the Israeli cabinet voted Oct. 10 to require the loyalty oath from new, non-Jewish citizens. The Israeli parliament still has to vote on the oath.

Veterans Affairs reaches out to homeless vets

October 14, 2010

Dion MacArthur [images/stories/toronto/toronto10/dionmacarthur.jpg]TORONTO - Veterans Affairs has come to The Good Shepherd mission in downtown Toronto looking for vets. And they’re finding them. In her first two weeks as the Veterans Affairs case worker at The Good Shepherd, Dion MacArthur had already identified 15 homeless vets ranging in age from mid-30s to mid-80s, having served Canada in missions from Afghanistan to the Second World War.

Media pressure taking toll on Catholic youth

October 14, 2010

It is difficult for youth to stand up to pressures placed on us by mainstream media. For example, the media pushes us to be physically perfect and tempts us to believe we should judge others based on their appearance. In contrast, the Catholic Church teaches that we should accept one another no matter our appearance.

Brother André immortalized in art

October 14, 2010

Leeza Shakkouri [images/stories/features/br_andre/leeza_painting.jpg]Markham, Ont. - When Leeza Shakkouri creates a painting, her audience is usually her art teacher and her classmates. But the Grade 12 student’s recent project was different. She painted a portrait of Brother André that was unveiled Oct. 9 at a Mass celebrating Brother André Catholic High School’s 25th anniversary. The portrait will be permanently hung in the school for the entire school body to enjoy.

Youth fascinated by Bosco relic

October 14, 2010

Don Bosco relics [images/stories/ysn/ysn10/donbosco_youth.jpg]TORONTO - More than a century after his death, St. John Bosco is still reaching out to youth. That message was evident on Oct. 5 when St. Benedict parish hosted the relic of St. John Bosco. The founder of the Salesian order, St. John Bosco dedicated his life to the service and salvation of young people. “I’ve heard so much about St. John Bosco but seeing him in person is truly inspiring,” said Harold Lumilan, a member of the youth group at St. Benedict’s parish and second-year psychology student at the University of Toronto.

Nuncio aims to fill offices that will empty over next few years

October 14, 2010

Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana [images/stories/canada/canada10/nuncio.jpg]Ottawa - Canada’s new apostolic nuncio is looking for holy men to fill the many episcopal offices that will become vacant in the next few years, especially in Quebec. Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, who arrived in Canada last February, said he is not looking for a person who can do everything, “because that is impossible. “The bishop has to be first of all a holy man,” the archbishop said in an interview. A bishop has to know how to work with advisors and collaborators.

St. Anthony's celebrates a century of worship

October 14, 2010

St. Anthony’s parish [images/stories/toronto/toronto10/stanthonys.jpg]Toronto - The very first sermon ever preached at St. Anthony’s on Bloor Street West was about social justice. “The dedicatory ritual completed, Mass was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Coyle of the Church of the Holy Family. Rev. Fr. Roach preached the sermon, pointing out the relationship of the Roman Catholic Church to the social and economic problems of the day,” wrote the Empire and Mail on Sept. 25, 1922.