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April 2011

April 27

Service trip strengthens call to serve

April 27, 2011

Natalie Rizzo with one of the street children from Calcutta’s Loreto Day School Sealdah. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Rizzo) [images/stories/education/education11/education_call_calcutta_rizzo.jpg]NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - In the joy and resilience of the street children of Calcutta, Natalie Rizzo found her faith deepened and her passion for helping others awakened. Rizzo, the student trustee for the Toronto Catholic District School Board and a student at Toronto’s Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts High School, travelled to India last year with the Loretto Sisters as part of an outreach service trip. The program was offered through the TCDSB’s “Adventure Learning Experiences.” “It was a humbling experience to connect and share educational opportunities with the street children,” she said of her time volunteering at Calcutta’s Loreto Day School Sealdah. “My passion for social justice was very much heightened, (along with) the idea of responsible citizenship. When I got back from India, I wanted to run for student trustee and speak on behalf of the marginalized,” Rizzo, 18, told The Catholic Register at the recent Lighting the Way student conference in Niagara Falls.

Faith lessons come early

April 27, 2011

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board [images/stories/schoolB_logos/Dufferin-Peel.gif]TORONTO - It wasn’t an ordinary March Break trip for Maria Masucci and her sons, Christian and Michael. Masucci, a superintendent with the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board, took Christian, 11, and four-year-old Michael to the diocese of Jacmel in Haiti, where signs of the January 2010 earthquake are still all too obvious. Masucci says the purpose of the trip was to breathe life into her kids’ lessons of faith by helping one’s neighbour. Christian said he made new friends who taught him how to be grateful and “not to take simple things for granted.” In between soccer games, the St. Michaels’ Choir School student sang hymns for students at Le Bon Pasteur Elementary School. Michael chimes in that he “wants to be a bishop in Haiti” when he grows up.

Readying responsible citizens

April 27, 2011

Student trustee Olivia Suppa. (Photo by Sheila Dabu Nonato) [images/stories/education/education11/studenttrusteeoliviasuppa.jpg]NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - Being a Catholic student trustee has highlighted the gift of Catholic education for Olivia Suppa. “Catholic education brings so much diversity to our province,” said Suppa, president of the Catholic Board Council of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association and a student trustee for almost two years. “You graduate embodying what Jesus wanted to embody.” Suppa attends St. Jean de Brebeuf High School in Woodbridge, Ont., and took part in the recent Lighting the Way Catholic student leadership conference in Niagara Falls. Catholic schools, and being a trustee representing Catholic students, has taught her plenty. “I learned a lot about myself, politics, (how much of an impact) a contagious idea, a contagious voice can be,” said the Grade 12 student. Suppa said she was inspired by the Niagara Falls conference.

Jesus’ example inspires the next generation of Catholic leaders

April 27, 2011

For Laura Limarzi, the “sense of caring about others in our daily lives” is one of the things unique to Catholic education. (Photo by Sheila Dabu Nonato) [images/stories/education/education11/lauralimarzistudent2011.jpg]In the hallways of Ontario’s Catholic schools, the next generation of leaders is being formed. What does it take to be a Catholic leader? Our Catholic faith invites us to look to Jesus’ example and His lessons of faith, humility, compassion and love for God and neighbour. The hope of Catholic education is in our students who can provide this example of Christian leadership in their volunteer work and spiritual life. Through Jesus’ words and actions, we learn about the Christian model of servant leadership: A leader who puts His love for God and others ahead of Himself and recognizes that it is through works of charity, compassion and love, which are rooted in faith, where God’s love is manifested. For Catholic high school students, the challenge of being authentic Catholic witnesses becomes even greater as society becomes more secularized and popular culture presents viewpoints antithetical to Catholic values. An antidote to challenges that can weaken the faith and moral character of Catholic students, is having a solid grounding in spiritual and educational formation. Students need to have a solid foundation in their Catholic faith through an understanding of its rich history, traditions and teachings, with the support and mentorship of their parents and teachers.

Catholic schools make society better for all

April 27, 2011

A new study says the phenomenon of religious belonging and its social connectedness of religious schools have a positive impact on society. (CNS photo/Michael Alexander) [images/stories/education/education11/educationspecialchildrenapr27.jpg]Editor’s Note: The following Education Week essay by Msgr. Dennis Murphy is not intended as a comparison between the public and Catholic school systems but is only intended to underline the positive contribution that Catholic schools make to public life. As we approach the October provincial election the question of public funding of the Roman Catholic school system in Ontario will predictably be raised again. Opponents of Catholic schools will offer familiar arguments: it is unfair that one religious denomination has its own publicly funded schools; these schools represent a divisive force in our pluralistic society; a single education system would be more effective, cost efficient and save the taxpayer money; and a secular society should not be in the business of funding anything that is religious. Promoters of the Catholic system will respond that Catholic schools exist due to promises made as part of our Canadian Confederation and are therefore constitutionally guaranteed. While probably acknowledging that it is indeed unfair that Catholics are uniquely privileged, advocates of Catholic education will suggest the solution is not to abolish Catholic schools but to make publicly funded schools available to other parents. Proponents of Catholic education will point out there is no evidence that Catholic schools are a divisive force, as witnessed in the graduates not only from Catholic schools but from the religious schools that receive public funding in provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba. To the financial argument, the response will be that it is virtually impossible to prove that bigger education systems are more efficient and effective financially or educationally. Considering the cost of the much larger administrative units born through amalgamation of boards in the late 1990s, the argument that bigger is better rings hollow. To the contention that the province should not fund religious organizations and institutions, Catholic educators will point to Ontario’s long history of financially supporting not only their schools but religious hospitals, children’s aid societies and so on, all of which significantly contribute to public life. Finally they will cite data that belies any claim that ours is a secular society.

Belleville parish grows where others decline

April 27, 2011

Fr. Richard Whalen, pastor of Belleville, Ont.’s St. Michael the Archangel parish, stands outside the newly opened parish centre. (Photo by Melchizedek Maquiso) [images/stories/canada/canada11/bellevilleparishgrowing.jpg]BELLEVILLE, Ont. - At a time when many Canadian parishes are facing shrinking resources, St. Michael the Archangel in Belleville has opened a new parish centre that is quickly becoming a busy pastoral and social hub for a lively and engaged congregation. “Belleville has a reputation as a strong Roman Catholic community although we are only about 20 per cent of the city’s total population,” said Fr. Richard Whalen, pastor of St. Michael’s. Certainly the opening of a new parish centre speaks to the vibrant spiritual life of Belleville. This southeastern Ontario city already had busy church halls at the parishes of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary and St. Joseph and, when available, schools also offered space to assist St. Michael’s. But demand kept growing in the downtown parish, the oldest in Belleville. “St. Michael’s is in one of the more established neighbourhoods of the city. It has strong Irish Catholic and French Canadian roots,” said Whalen of the parish founded in 1829. “That included many rural residents who have now moved into town and retained that strong tradition.

A cherished moment shared with a soon-to-be saint

April 27, 2011

Emanuel Pires is introduced to Pope John Paul II on Strawberry Island, north of Toronto, where the Pope stayed during World Youth Day 2002. Pires was one of 14 youth who lunched with the Pope that day. (Photo courtesy of Emanuel Pires) [images/stories/faith/faith11/emanuelpiresjpii2002.jpg]It was a surreal and exhilarating moment in my life that helped to galvanize my faith. I’ve been asked about it many times, shown photos to family and friends, yet I have never truly felt comfortable talking about it. Equal parts disbelief and unworthiness have made it difficult to discuss the day during World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto that I had lunch with the late Pope John Paul II. When I was first told that I was one of the pilgrims selected to represent youth from around the world to have lunch with the Holy Father I was both excited and scared. I sat down in my chair awestruck with the opportunity to meet the Holy Father. Many dignitaries, celebrities, holy men and women had met the Pope but the chance to break bread with him had my senses temporarily numb. What followed was excitement and joy. I told some friends but generally kept it quiet until a few days before meeting him. I found it amazing that the Holy Father made a point of sitting down with young people during WYD. To make the time to have a deeply personal and intimate moment with a few of us spoke volumes.

Coming down the mountain to priesthood

April 27, 2011

Nathan Andrew Siray [images/stories/faith/faith11/nathanandrewsiray.jpg]Editor’s note: this is the final instalment in our series of profiles of the men who will graduate from St. Augustine’s Seminary this spring and be ordained to the priesthood for various dioceses. Growing up next to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Nathan Andrew Siray said there were two choices of what he would do with his life: be a doctor like his dad or a professional snowboarder. “There was no place for the priesthood in this young boy’s mind,” he said. But when Siray attended World Youth Day in Paris in 1997, he was inspired by Pope John Paul II to deepen his faith. “I remember coming home thinking I was going to be a more zealous Christian soul,” said Siray. “But then high school came and I decided, ‘Well, let’s just have fun.’ Religion can wait.”

Home front is battlefield for religious persecution fight

April 27, 2011

A Christian man shouts while holding an image of Christ during a Jan. 4 protest in Cairo. Angry protesters battled police as they demanded more protection following a New Year’s Day bombing at a Coptic Orthodox church. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has promised to fight religious persecution abroad. (CNS photo/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany, Reuters) [images/stories/canada/canada11/election_war_apr26.jpg]OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s promise to fight religious persecution abroad has won applause from religious freedom advocates, but some would like to see more attention paid to religious freedom on the home front. In Mississauga April 23, Harper told a diverse crowd that included many who came to Canada after fleeing religious persecution that he would establish an Office of Religious Freedom to ensure the defence of persecuted religious minorities remained a priority of foreign policy. “While we are thankful in a country that spares us such tests, we must not let our comfort be an excuse to shirk our commitment to the cause of freedom,” he said. Harper praised the memory of Shahbaz Bhatti, the Roman Catholic Pakistani minister of religious minorities who was assassinated March 2 for his defence of Christians unfairly targeted by that country’s blasphemy law. “This is very good for the religious minorities of Pakistan and around the world,” said Peter Bhatti, the founder of International Christian Voice and older brother of the slain Pakistani minister. “This office will highlight and monitor the situation of what is happening to religious minorities.” Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff also supports taking on religious persecution on foreign shores.

Faith-based framework will deal with sexual-orientation bullying

April 27, 2011

TORONTO - Ontario’s bishops and school trustees are encouraging Catholic high schools to enhance existing anti-bullying policies by establishing support groups for students being bullied due to sexual orientation. Under the direction of the bishops and the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, a committee will be formed to draft a framework for how such groups would operate within the teachings of the Church. The committee, to include a bishop, students, parents, trustees, clergy and other educators, will work with the Institute for Catholic Education to have a policy prepared by September. In a memorandum addressed to Catholic educators, the bishops and trustees acknowledged that recently there has been “much discussion” about this issue. That public discussion, which included news reports about Catholic school boards opposing so-called gay-straight alliance clubs, led to a decision to enhance the broad anti-bullying protocols that have been in place for almost a decade. The expanded framework to deal with bullying due to sexual orientation will be available to any Ontario Catholic board that wishes to implement it. Nancy Kirby, president of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, emphasized that the proposed groups are not gay-straight alliances (GSA), which are prominent across North America. GSAs deal with lifestyle issues. The enhanced Catholic framework, which builds on existing anti-bullying protocols, will deal exclusively with the issue of bullying and complement the existing teaching that “bullying is wrong under any circumstances, at any age.” “After speaking to our students, the supports that we do have in place, some students who are of same-sex orientation feel they are not adequate for the support they require,” Kirby said. “Compassion, care and service to the most vulnerable in our communities are vital and important tenets of our Catholic faith,” said the April 15 memo prepared by the bishops and trustees. “We are not aware of an increase in harassment of this type, but any type of bullying or harassment in Catholic schools will not be tolerated.” A committee, to be chaired by an Ontario bishop, will convene this month to develop a province-wide policy for Catholic schools. Kirby said topics on dating, marriage and relationships could be discussed in the support groups but “everything would be based on our faith, with that perspective in mind.” The new framework is “requesting (all) boards to implement this when it comes forward,” Kirby said, but it will not be mandatory for schools. Although the committee will be convened to examine one specific type of bullying, its work will be based on existing policies that strive to ensure all students are educated in a safe and caring environment that does not tolerate any type of bullying or harassment. To that end, in addition to addressing bullying due to sexual orientation, the committee will “collect and share the best resources and practices” from across the province to combat all forms of bullying so as to ensure that Catholic schools “are places of welcome according to the Gospel.”

Party promises to youth from across the spectrum

April 27, 2011

Canada goes to the polls on May 2nd [images/stories/features/freature11/electionguides2011.jpg]With so many promises being made in the lead-up to the May 2 election, it can be easy to lose track of the issues that matter. Here are the promises the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP are making to young people, straight from their party platforms. The Liberal Party [images/stories/logos/logos11/liberal_logo2011.jpg] Employment - To encourage youth getting hired, a Youth Hiring Incentive will give small and medium-sized businesses a full rebate on Employment Insurance premiums for every Canadian youth — between the ages of 18 and 25 — hired. Education - Addressing the costs of post-secondary education, the Canadian Learning Passport will provide $1,000 a year (or $1,500 a year for low-income families) over four years for every high school student to use towards college or university. Health Promotion in Schools - Through the proposed Canadian Health Promotion Strategy, the Liberals will work with the Council of Ministers of Education to set targets for physical activity in schools and encourage education and promotion of healthy foods in primary and elementary schools. Service - Initiate a Canadian Services Corps to financially support Canadian youth wishing to do volunteer service abroad. - The Canada Service Corps will forgive $1,500 in student loan debt for young Canadians who donate at least 150 hours of service in a year, in a Canada Service Corps volunteer position, after graduating from post-secondary education. The Conservative Party [images/stories/logos/logos11/conservative_logo2011.jpg] Employment - Extend support for the Canada Youth Business Foundation, which provides loans and mentoring to young entrepreneurs. Education - Enhance the Canada Student Loans Program for part-time students to respond to increased demand for assistance in career transition through post-secondary education. - Double the work exemption for Canada Student Loans to allow students to benefit more from part-time employment. - 30 industrial research chairs will be established at colleges and polytechnics so students can interact with innovative researchers. Youth Crime - Propose to make permanent its Youth Gang Prevention Fund to help at-risk youth avoid criminal activity. New Democratic Party [images/stories/logos/logos11/ndp_logo2011.jpg] Education - The NDP proposes to increase the funding to the Canada Student Grants Program by $200 million a year, targeting accessibility for aboriginals, disabled and low-income students. - Make post-secondary education more affordable by directly attacking rising tuition costs with an $800-million transfer to the provinces and territories to lower tuition fees, as per the NDP’s Post-Secondary Education Act. - Raise the education tax credit from $4,800 per year to $5,760 to help with increasing education costs. Employment - Re-introduce the federal minimum wage law to set a national standard of earning for those who make the lowest wages in the work force. To access the party platforms, see www.itsyourvote.ca. (Compiled by Sarah Gagliano and Vanessa Santilli.)

The election issues that matter to the YSN team

April 27, 2011

Youth Speak News writers Annette Gagliano, left, and her sister Sarah, check out “It’s Your Vote,” a web site which gives youth all the information they need to make an informed decision on May 2. (Photo courtesy of Annette and Sarah Gagliano) [images/stories/ysn/ysn11/gaglianotwinselection.jpg]While overall voter turnout among youth may be low, that won’t be the case with The Register’s Youth Speak News team. Those who are eligible to vote plan on hitting the polls on May 2 — and with a wide array of issues guiding their votes. When Sarah Gagliano goes to the polls on election day, her choice will be guided by her faith. “I try to see all of the issues through a faith lens,” said Gagliano, a third-year life sciences student at the University of Toronto. “Faith should be lived out and help form our outlook on the world. Being critical of the platforms involves testing these proposals against ideas in the faith.” Preferential option for the poor, the common good, justice, dignity and peace are some aspects of Catholic social teaching that she keeps in mind when looking at the issues that matter to her: education, health care, the environment and the economy. For Greg Van Dyk, a second-year humanities student at the University of Victoria, job creation and a strong economy matter most to him, as he’ll be entering the work force in a few years.

Let your beliefs guide your vote at the polls

April 27, 2011

Annette Gagliano [images/stories/annette_gagliano.jpg]On May 2, Canadians will head to the polls to vote in Canada’s 41st general election. This will be my first time voting in a federal election and I plan on making the most out of this experience. I will be actively involved in the election process as a poll clerk in my riding — assisting in the polling and in the tallying of the votes. And I will definitely be filling out a ballot. But, for a growing number of young Canadians, exercising their duty to vote is no longer a priority. As Catholic youth in a society where secularism tends to dominate, it is of utmost importance that we participate in elections and ensure we cast our ballots. Data from the College Student Alliance’s web site “It’s Your Vote,” a site created to encourage students to vote, says that since the 1960s young voter turnout has been declining — and at a significant rate. In the last federal election in 2008, only 37.4 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted. Moreover, since a significant number of young people do not bother to vote, politicians may be inclined to not include issues that are pertinent to youth because of that demographic’s apathy when it comes to voting.

Golden Rule lecture

April 27, 2011

Fr. Harry J. Gensler [images/stories/toronto/toronto11/frhenryjgensler.jpg]Fr. Harry J. Gensler is a Golden Rule junkie. In fact, the Jesuit priest and professor of philosophy at John Carroll University in Cleveland wrote both an MA thesis and PhD dissertation on the Golden Rule. He’s also published 12 books on ethics and logic — most involving the Golden Rule. And on May 11, he’ll be sharing his knowledge on the Golden Rule in a lecture at Scarboro Missions. He’ll be discussing how to use it wisely and avoid fallacies. For more information, call (416) 261-7135 ext. 296 or e-mail [email protected].

Brand new cathedral for Ethiopian Orthodox to open at the end of the month

April 27, 2011

An architectect's drawing of the New Church Building of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Saint Mary Cathedral in Toronto, Canada [images/stories/toronto/toronto11/saintmaryethiopianorthodox.jpg]TORONTO - For Canada’s Ethiopian Orthodox community there can be no better symbol of faith in the Risen Christ this Eastertide than watching the rise of its new cathedral in west-end Toronto. Decades in the making, the magnificent structure has begun to soar majestically above an industrial-commercial neighbourhood northwest of Eglinton Avenue West and Dufferin Street. The completion of each new stage of the cathedral is cause for many hundreds of faithful hearts to beat with growing pride and anticipation. Since 1984, the congregation of St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has dreamed of building a cathedral to house its growing numbers. They have been worshipping in a converted factory. All that prevents a visitor from driving right past it is a small sign in front of the building and a modest cross above it.

ShareLife campaign coming in ahead of last year’s record pace, so far

April 27, 2011

Anna Pavan, executive director of Rose of Sharon, says the ShareLife money it receives goes directly into aiding the young mothers and their children that Rose of Sharon serves. (Photo by Michael Swan) [images/stories/toronto/toronto11/annapavinsharelife.jpg]TORONTO - All the money that Rose of Sharon sees through the generosity of donors to ShareLife goes a long way in supporting young mothers and their children in York Region, said executive director Anna Pavan. “We provide services to pre-natal and parenting teens,” Pavan, the executive director of the not-for-profit charitable organization, told The Catholic Register. “So it’s allowing us to have five counsellors, to be able to provide parenting programs to our young mothers and a child development centre where babies are cared for while the mothers are attending school or parenting programs.” Rose of Sharon is one of the more than 30 agencies supported by ShareLife, the charitable fundraising arm of the archdiocese of Toronto. As part of its parish campaign — with a goal of $12.3 million this year — the first ShareLife Sunday took place on April 3. The reported results added up to $4.16 million, an increase of about 10 per cent over the same reporting time last year, according to Bill Steinburg, communications manager at ShareLife.

Right to Life ads hit subway

April 27, 2011

[images/stories/toronto/toronto11/ttcadvertrighttolife.jpg]TORONTO - A Toronto Right to Life campaign has taken to the subway system to promote adoption as a life-affirming alternative to abortion. The ads began running April 18 and will continue til May 15. “I wanted my baby to have a Dad and Mom,” reads the ad from a birth mother. The ad features the silhouette of a family. “The purpose of the ad is to raise awareness and understanding about infant adoption,” said Toronto Right to Life in a statement. “All of this can help women make an informed, pressure-free decision about adoption as a life-affirming choice.” The ad also features the AdoptioninCanada.ca web site that contains information about open adoption, testimonials from women who chose to place their children for adoption and pregnancy assistance organizations. Toronto Right to Life's TTC advertisement [images/stories/toronto/toronto11/ttcadvertrighttolife2.jpg]

April 28

Parents, students give wide-ranging opinion's on TCDSB equity policy

April 28, 2011

150 parents, teachers and students met April 27 for the second consultation on the TCDSB's proposed equity policy [images/stories/education/education11/equitymeetingpar2011.jpg]TORONTO - Opinions varied, mostly along age lines, as the Toronto Catholic District School Board held the second consultation meeting on its proposed equity policy. About 150 parents, students and teachers gathered April 27 at Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School to discuss the policy. Two distinct sides became clear after 14 small groups broke off to discuss the policy which aims to combat discrimination based upon sexual orientation, race and religion in Toronto's Catholic schools. While parents and teachers were more concerned with ensuring the Catholic identity of schools, students among the group emphasized the need to prevent homophobic bullying by establishing gay-straight alliances (GSAs). The TCDSB will make a report on the input from the two consultations as well as an online survey, said TCDSB spokesperson Emmy Szekeres-Milne. The report could come as early as May 19, she said. During the three-hour meeting, participants broke off into smaller groups to discuss the policy, which the provincial government has mandated be in place by September. After 20 minutes, a representative from each group reported back to the larger group.

April 29

A Canadian, German & Polish Pilgrim Walk Into St. Peter's...

April 29, 2011

Archdiocese of Toronto Blog. Their team have set up a special webpage, archtoronto.org/jp2, to celebrate the beatification of Pope John Paul II. You can also follow proceedings on their facebook and twitter accounts. Up for 24 hours + can be an interesting feeling. Not getting much sleep on a flight across the ocean is nothing new. So when you arrive in Rome at 7:30 a.m. you have two options: a) sleep and stay on a very strange body rhythm schedule or b) acclimatize as best you can and try to adjust to the new timeline as soon as possible. So Emanuel and I chose the latter road to travel today. We picked up our media accreditation which will provide us with some excellent access to various sites throughout the next several days. The traditional Vatican Press Office has been expanded to include a Temporary Accreditation Centre, regular home to the Pontifical Council of Social Communications to accommodate the thousands of communicators expected to descend on Rome. The weather Thursday in Rome was beautiful, about 20 degrees celsius, a little cloudy and breezy but the sun crept throughout most of the day. Walking through St. Peter's Square it's evident that plans are in full swing to prepare for the weekend events with everything from portable toilets to security barricades and other prep underway. Estimates at this point are that at least 1 million people will be making the trek but hard to know what final numbers will look like. [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_J0lbf096k5E/TbnDC1iBaaI/AAAAAAAAB8U/IKrrFqNQFAY/s288/3.jpg] Stepping back, at any given time, if you're to peruse the crowds, many in national colours, you'd see a Canadian, German & Polish pilgrim walking side by side, hand in hand or even singing together as they all come together for this most joyful occasion. Public transit is the way to go here so we managed a few subway rides - interesting to note that to accommodate the massive crowds, subways will run from 5:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Saturday and 4:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning. All that said, you can expect that some stations may experience temporary closures, as they did in the Jubilee year for World Youth Day 2000 when it just wasn't safe to allow any more pilgrims into the subway. I can still recall leaving the final mass at WYD Rome at about 11:00 a.m. and making my way back to our meeting point at the end of the subway line about 7:00 p.m. In between, there was a walk of about 20 km, 5 subways stops closed and 40 degree heat. Ah yes, pilgrimage at its best. Why do I get the feeling we may be prepping for the sequel? [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_J0lbf096k5E/TbnDDRuLodI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/bo9DyssJWCM/s288/2.jpg] We also had the chance to connect with Archbishop Collins along with his M.C. Fr. Ed Curtis for a rooftop interview that will likely remain an exclusive - trust me when I say there was some great lines but remember that part about technical difficulties? Well let's just say that we'd prefer that you be able to understand the wisdom of His Grace and not be fighting the mighty wind that was present on the rooftop - we'll try for a retake at some point in the next few days. As for media coverage at this point, we've got strong interest from the Toronto Star, 680 News, CBC and a few others that we're working on, both from Rome and the home office in Toronto. Suffice it to say, most folks back in Canada will likely enter Royal Wedding mode Friday but we'll be stopping by the Canadian College to visit with some of our Toronto priests, attend a Vatican press conference and work on some more proactive media opportunities. So it's just about time to work on a little sleep given that this has been one of the longer work days of the year. After dinner with pilgrims from Windsor, Bradford and Etobicoke, one might say that we're off to a great start. In short to recap, Rome is well on the way to setting the table for a million friends to come for a visit...first come, first served. Should make for quite a line for this buffet of faith! Follow the latest updates over the weekend at www.archtoronto.org/jp2/

April 30

Web site tells stories of how Pope John Paul II changed, saved lives

April 30, 2011

A screenshot of the new karol-wojtyla.org website [images/stories/international/internation11/jpiiwebsitelaunched.jpg]VATICAN CITY - Hundreds of people have been giving public witness to the ways Pope John Paul II changed or even saved their lives. Men and women of all ages and nationalities have sent personal stories to www.karol-wojtyla.org, a web site run by the diocese of Rome dedicated to the late pope's beatification and canonization. As of April 28, the multilingual site published more than 400 testimonies from people sharing the ways they feel Pope John Paul interceded on their behalf or brought them back to the Church. Many are notes of thanks for prayers answered, such as a risky surgery gone well or troubles in the family resolved. Others are personal accounts of meeting or seeing the pope during one of his many trips abroad and the feeling of being in the presence of a holy and charismatic man. Others were influenced by the way Pope John Paul reached out to people in every walk of life. One woman wrote that she was driven to prostitution to support her family and had lost her faith in God. "I ask for pardon ... in a moment of anger, I tore your picture to pieces," she wrote.