Browse › 2012 › August

August 2012

August 10

King’s students experience life on reserve

August 10, 2012

By the time Alexandria Lepore was finishing up her honours degree in Catholic studies and history from King’s University College in London, Ont., this spring, she knew she wanted to become a youth minister. So when the opportunity came up to take a 12-day trip to do some youth programming, she jumped at the chance. “It just sounded like the perfect opportunity to feel out what the job would be like,” Lepore said. But this was no ordinary trip. Lepore and 13 other students, 11 from King’s College, two from St. Peter’s Seminary, along with Fr. Michael Bechard and Sr. Susan Glaab, headed out on June 28 to the Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation reserve in northern Saskatchewan, close to the border with the Northwest Territories. It took three planes from the southwestern Ontario city to reach the reserve, located on Lake Athabasca, 1,275 km northwest of Prince Albert. Bechard, director of campus ministry and chaplain at King’s, had visited the reserve the summer before with Glaab, and decided to organize this trip. “I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for some of our young people to work with some of the young people up there and be involved in some sort of exchange,” he said. “They saw a part of Canada that very few Canadians will ever see.” The group spent the better part of a week on the reserve, getting to know the community and joining its members in prayer. Then, they accompanied the Fond du Lac people on a 40-minute boat ride to a little island called Pine Channel. It is there that Bishop Murray Chatlain of the diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith — and a graduate of London’s St. Peter’s Seminary — leads an annual pilgrimage for the Fond du Lac people along with two other nearby nations. Chatlain, with assistance from Bechard, led the adults in liturgical and devotional experiences while the students from King’s focused their attention on the kids, leading activities and crafts, and providing different educational programs. Lepore, a youth minister at King’s, has plenty of experience working with children. But this time, she said, was different — simpler, less structured. One day, she said, she was trying to lead the children in an activity of making knotted twine rosaries, and instead saw some of them using the twine as a jump rope. “It was a little hard to deal with the organized chaos,” Lepore laughed. “It was frustrating at first but in the end, that’s what we’re called to do — love unconditionally and just be present.” Lepore said the children took to the King’s students immediately — a sentiment echoed by Jolene Smith, a masters of divinity student at St. Peter’s. “They made it very easy (to bond),” Smith said of the children. “They came to us. They were very kind and welcoming.” Both young women say some of the best moments of the pilgrimage were when everyone spent time in prayer together. “They have a really deep faith,” Smith said. And Lepore notes that a highlight for everyone was a confirmation ceremony for 125 young people. As for Bechard, he couldn’t be prouder of his students. “They did a really, really good job in terms of the program they did for the children,” he said. “Kids were there waiting for us when we got up in the morning and we had to send them home at night to go to bed. “There was a real interaction and mutual respect.” Keeping camp, of course, had its challenges — “I didn’t really enjoy my shower in the lake,” Lepore laughed — but Smith notes that they were more prepared than they thought they were, and they all found themselves missing the island upon returning home on July 10. “At the end of the trip, we all still wanted to be together,” Smith said. “Four days later, we were having a reunion. The experience really bonded us and it’s something that we share with each other. “It’s still with us. It’s something that I’m constantly thinking about,” she added. For Lepore, the trip, which Bechard is hoping to turn into an annual journey, just might change her life’s plan. “Just seeing the genuine love and the faith and the welcoming of the children, it reinforced that this is where I want to be,” she said. “I don’t know if there (are) any jobs available but… I’d really consider staying there (to work). I fell in love with the culture in northern Saskatchewan. I’d really like to go back.”

August 11

New work the age-old story of redemption

August 11, 2012

TORONTO - If people mistake the new larger-than-life crucifix at Edmonton’s St. Joseph College for something old it won’t bother Toronto artist Gregory Furmanczyk. Furmanczyk is getting ready to ship his new sculpture to Edmonton for an official unveiling some time this fall. The crucifix, with a corpus of hardened plaster made to look like marble hanging on a wooden cross, was commissioned by Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith for the new chapel at St. Joseph’s Seminary. “It’s the age-old image of the story of redemption,” is how Furmanczyk describes his new work. Smith and the seminary gave Furmanczyk leeway to produce a piece of liturgical art that would be unique. “Firstly, I did it as my own expression,” he said. “You create something you want to create.” While the artist makes no bones about paying homage to Michelangelo and 17th-century masters, he chose to emphasize the redemptive peace of Christ rather than suffering on the cross. “I wanted to project a feeling of peacefulness and mysticism,” he said. He likens his crucifix to Michelangelo’s famous Pieta. Furmanczyk is best known as a portrait painter of official, public figures — from Heather Smith, the first female Supreme Court of Ontario Chief Justice, to Alvin Curling, the first black Speaker of the Ontario Legislature. But he has also built a career as a sculptor and painter of religious works. His Jubilee Cross was the centrepiece of Jubilee 2000 celebrations in the archdiocese of Toronto. He has painted a traditional icon of Christ the Pantocrator for Toronto’s Our Lady of Sorrows parish and has provided stations of the cross to St. Marguerite D’Youville in Brampton, Ont.

Newman Centre’s new pastor not there to reinvent the wheel

August 11, 2012

TORONTO - As the new chaplain at the Newman Centre, Fr. Chris Cauchi is looking forward to serving the spiritual needs of students at the University of Toronto. “Newman is such a vibrant place,” Cauchi told The Catholic Register. “I’d like to first observe what’s going on, learn, and I’m very blessed I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Many priests and laypeople before me have already laid the foundation. “My hope is to be able to nourish and support that growth that is going on here.” Cauchi moved into the Newman Centre June 27, taking the reigns from Fr. Michael Machacek. He’ll also serve as pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located just next door to the Newman Centre. Cauchi, who turned 32 on Aug. 11, was first assigned to be associate pastor at St. Barnabas parish in Scarborough, where he helped co-ordinate the youth ministry. When he moved to St. Michael’s Cathedral two years later, he was involved with the young adult ministry along with being the assistant chaplain for Ryerson chaplaincy. Born in Canada, his family decided to move to its native Malta when he was three years old. It was in Malta where he entered the seminary. “We have the policy of the internship year,” said Cauchi. “We have to do it outside of the diocese, so being Canadian, I thought it would be good to do it here.” He returned to Malta for his theology but his diocese of Gozo has a policy where you must serve abroad for at least two years after ordination. “So in my case I came here and from two years it became seven and I’m still here. And I like it.” His appointment to Newman came as a surprise, he said. “But I’m very glad to be here.” His role will comprise three components: the parish, the residency formation program and the chaplaincy outreach to students, he said. “I want to emphasize my mission would be to try to make justice with the three of them.” The challenges of the job will reflect the challenges of every Catholic, said Cauchi. “How can we remain rooted in the tradition of the Church? How can we grow personally and communally in our relationship with Christ? How is Christ calling this community to leave behind what’s familiar and go to the unfamiliar territory that Christ may want us to be? “These are some questions that every believer needs to focus on, that our community is focusing on. And I think the Holy Spirit will continue to guide this community and this process of change.”

August 12

Ministry gives care to the caregivers

August 12, 2012

TORONTO - Each Sunday laughter, Tagalog chatter and tear-drenched tissues fill the pastor’s lounge at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. That’s where about 20 women meet each week for the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry that runs out of the parish in the Bathurst and Eglinton area of Toronto. All of the women have families in the Philippines that they have left behind to work as nannies in Toronto. The ministry was formed to help ease the suffering caused by separation from their loved ones thousands of kilometres away. “Every day is a struggle for me because I am not happy any more,” said Riza San Pedro, a 34-year-old live-in caregiver. “What I am doing for me to cope is in the morning I’m just reading some passages in the Bible and sharing it with some of my friends through texts. Then in the evening I’m praying the rosary. That’s every day.” Prior to coming to Canada in 2009, San Pedro worked as a nurse. Now she’s a nanny, a single mother of two and separated from everyone she knew back home in the Philippines — including her family who she supports by working abroad. San Pedro came to Canada through the federal government’s Live-in Caregiver Program. Since her arrival, San Pedro has bounced from abusive employer to abusive employer while constantly seeking some sense of comfort. “I was trying to find a church that could understand a caregiver like me and what I’m going through,” she said, a search that lead her to Our Lady of the Assumption and the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry which has helped her to rediscover dignified employment, self-esteem and friends she can relate to. “All of them have their children in the Philippines. They’re all sacrificing over that and they have different ways of coping with that loneliness that they feel from being away from their children,” said Faye Arellano, the ministry’s volunteer co-ordinator. “It’s almost like an extended family (here). Everyone can relate to each other, even in their problems.” Formed three years ago, the ministry was originally named the Grass Roots Hub but quickly rebranded itself as the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry to provide greater clarity for caregivers seeking a consoling outlet. This comforting happens through Bible study, socializing and accessing the Internet which many use to communicate with the family they’ve temporarily left behind. “I take my hat off to them for having that strength and bravery to just focus on their purpose for coming here,” said Arellano, adding the women’s goal is permanent residency in Canada and eventually bringing their families here. “For most of them it’s that they want to provide their families with some food on the table and even the basic needs that their family requires.” The government’s Live-in Caregiver Program, which underwent adjustments in 2010, offers what Manuela Gruber Hersch, president of the Association of Caregiver and Nanny Agencies Canada, called “a very generous immigration path to become permanent residents.” She says this with authority having emigrated from Austria as a live-in caregiver while a teenager — but things were much different then. Today a six-month caregiver course is required before entering the immigration program. Graduates can then use agencies, such as those represented by Gruber Hersch, to find an employer in Canada who must pay travel costs at no penalty to the employee. Once here, employees must complete 3,900 hours of work, 10 per cent of which can be overtime based on a 37.5-hour work week, within a minimum of 22 months and maximum four years. Upon meeting these conditions, they can apply for an open work permit which allows them to move out of their employer’s home, and the caregiver industry if desired, as well as apply for permanent residency. These reflect some of the policy changes that came into effect April 1, 2010 which sought “to protect live-in caregivers from abuse and exploitation and make their transition to permanent residence simpler,” said Bill Brown of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. As these policies were developed during Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s 2009 coast-to-coast consultations with caregiver agencies, media outlets began publicizing the struggles of these workers, who are almost exclusively women. This heightened attention struck a nerve at Our Lady of the Assumption, prompting pastor Fr. Ben Ebcas Jr. to call upon his parishioners to form a ministry. “He called a community meeting asking people what can we do about our suffering caregivers and that’s where I first started getting involved,” said Arellano. “We thought the church would be good to step into that, to step up to the plate, because as Catholics this is really the only way to live the Gospel challenge of really helping the marginalized. From there on it’s just built up.” Now Arellano assists about 20 caregivers on any given Sunday, some who aren’t even Catholic but still find relief with the ministry. That number swells to more than 45 when events are held at the parish by the Archdiocesan Filipino Catholic Mission, of which the ministry is a branch. While an absence of family is the common thread of sadness for these workers, it is not their only struggle. Many, like San Pedro, suffer work-related problems ranging from abusive conditions to self-esteem issues derived from a sense of social status demotion from becoming a nanny. “Everyone would acknowledge that they are going through a tough time but alas, because of this faith that we believe in, even suffering takes on a different meaning,” said Arellano. FOUR TALES OF HARDSHIP, SEPARATION Meet four women from the Philippines working abroad as live-in caregivers. While their experiences in Toronto are different they share a hardship — sacrificing family life to provide for those they love and left behind. This suffering brings them back to the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry every Sunday where they temporarily find relief from the pain. Here are but four stories of many as told to The Register’s Evan Boudreau: the good, the bad, the unjust and the tragic. The good Gina- [images/stories/Gina-.jpg]At 46 years of age, Gina Magcalas has already spent half her life working abroad, including all 12 years of her son’s life. “In the Philippines it’s hard to find a job,” said Magcalas, who holds a bachelor of commerce and specialized in accounting. “After I graduated I applied (for jobs) and they always asked you where is your background. How can I have ... experience with a job if they will not accept me.” This forced Magcalas to search elsewhere for work. She began working abroad as a nanny travelling to Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and now Canada, the furthest she’s been away from her son Ralph Jacob. Magcalas medicates homesickness by cladding her living quarters with photos, most of them containing her son. Despite this hardship of the heart, Magcalas considers herself fortunate. “I’m one of the lucky nannies who came here (because) I have a good employer and nice accommodations,” said Magcalas, who lives with a middle-aged couple and their four-and-a-half-year-old son Finnigan. “My employer told me if I wanted to go home I can but I said I wanted to wait until I got my open work permit.” So when Magcalas received her permit last December she immediately bought a plane ticket to attend her son’s elementary school graduation in April. It had been four years since they last saw each other. Now back to work in her employer’s St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street home, Magcalas is anxious to receive permanent residency status and sponsor her son’s immigration to Canada. The bad Riza-3 [images/stories/Riza-3.jpg]When Riza San Pedro decided to come to Canada she mistakenly thought it would be a paradise. “I’d heard that Canada is a very good country with more opportunities when it comes to jobs,” said San Pedro, who first worked abroad in Saudi Arabia as a nurse for five years. “But when I came here I was not so lucky because I struggled with employers. That first two years living here was like a living hell because I struggled to find a good employer.” Her last employer restricted food consumption, had her sleeping near the furnace and required her to scrub 10 washrooms twice a week. Then when San Pedro gave her two weeks notice on a Tuesday, they told her to leave that Friday. But hardship isn’t new to San Pedro. “The reason why I left (the Philippines), well it’s kind of personal. I had a very bad marriage — a nightmare,” said San Pedro, 34. “When my second child was born that’s when (my husband and I) really got separated.” Receiving no child support San Pedro knew that a nurse’s wage in the Philippines, about $400 a month, wouldn’t cut it. As a nurse in Saudi Arabia her wage tripled but the government offers only a six-year foreign worker’s permit. So San Pedro swallowed her pride, gave up her career and enrolled in the Canadian government’s Live-in Caregiver Program with the goal of permanent residency in Canada. That was three years ago and due to her unstable employment, San Pedro still faces several years before she can sponsor her children, aged 11 and 9. “It’s really frustrating,” she said with tears welling in her eyes. “Actually you cannot explain the feeling.” The unjust Winnie-2- [images/stories/Winnie-2-.jpg]When Winnie Cuento left her husband and three children in 2005 she never thought her permanent residence status would be jeopardized by her eldest daughter. “I received a letter (from the Canadian embassy in the Philippines) ... and they put your daughter is mentally retarded,” said Cuento, explaining why her permanent residency in Canada has been denied. “It’s hard for me because I know my daughter isn’t retarded. She is only a slow learner.” When applying for permanent residency a medical evaluation of the applicant’s dependent family members is required to determine their potential strain on Canada’s social services. Regulation 72 (1)(e)(i) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations states “a foreign national in Canada becomes a permanent resident if, following an examination, it is established that they and their family members, whether accompanying or not, are not inadmissible.” Another letter, sent by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, explained that her daughter’s medical condition, this time labelled developmental delay, “exceeded the average Canadian per capita health and social services cost, which is currently set at $4,806 per year.” According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, Cuento’s 16-year-old daughter would require Intensive Support Amount Level 2 special education, costing $12,000 per academic year, thus exceeding the average demand and making her inadmissible. “It’s hard for me at this time because they refused my papers and I worked so hard,” said Cuento, who appealed the decision by submitting an “individualized plan to ensure that no excessive demand will be imposed on Canadian social services,” an option contained in the letter from CIC. Despite offering to pay the education costs, Cuento’s appeal was denied. To make matters worse, her work permit expired. The tragic Marife- [images/stories/Marife-.jpg]The second time in six years Marife Gamino went home to the Philippines, she buried her eldest son Alfred. “That was a very hard time when I saw him in a casket,” said Gamino, who began working abroad as a live-in caregiver in 2005 to support her family. “I was never expecting that to happen to me last year in 2011.” A motorcycle accident hospitalized Alfred just months before he was to complete his degree in human resource management. Being halfway around the world in Canada, all Gamino could do was call. “He could not move but I knew that he heard me when I called on the phone because my sister told me and my other son told me ... he cried when I talked to him on the phone,” said Gamino, 44. Less than 24 hours later her son, then 20, died. “Since that has happened . . . I am stuck crying.” But tears won’t feed her three other children, husband and parents who she financially supports. So after the funeral Gamino said goodbye again and returned to her job in Canada. Her heavy heart finally got some relief on Dec. 7 — the date her late son would have turned 21 — when she received her open work permit after waiting 18 months. “Now I’m still hoping for that permanent residence so I can bring my family,” said Gamino, who credits the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry for her strength. “They were praying for me, for my family, so I kept strong. I’m still strong (and) today I still survive.”

August 13

Papal assistant indicted on theft charges in Vatileaks scandal

August 13, 2012

VATICAN CITY - Vatican magistrates have formally indicted Pope Benedict XVI's personal assistant, Paolo Gabriele, on charges of aggravated theft and have indicted a computer technician from the Vatican Secretariat of State on minor charges of aiding Gabriele after he stole Vatican correspondence. The publication Aug. 13 of the decision of Piero Bonnet, the Vatican's investigating judge, included for the first time the naming of a second suspect, Claudio Sciarpelleti, the Secretariat of State employee. Vatican police found an envelope from Gabriele in Sciarpelleti's desk and arrested him, according to the documents explaining Bonnet's judgment. While the computer expert gave "contrasting versions of the facts" to investigators, in the end it was determined that there was enough evidence to bring him to trial on a charge of aiding and abetting Gabriele after the fact. The Vatican magistrates did not set a date for the trial or trials, but Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said it would not be set before Sept. 20 because the Vatican court is in recess Aug. 14-Sept. 20. Lombardi said the charge against Sciarpelleti carries a "very light" sentence, which is unlikely to include any jail time. Pope Benedict could have intervened at any time to stop the investigation and legal process and he still has the option of clearing the two laymen without a trial. If the Pope does not intervene, Gabriele and Sciarpelleti would go to trial before a panel of three Vatican judges, all of whom are laymen and professors at Italian universities. Vatican law, like Italian law, does not foresee the use of juries in criminal trials. Gabriele, who will turn 46 Aug. 19, faces a sentence of one to six years in prison. Under the terms of the Vatican's 1929 treaty with Italy, a person found guilty and sentenced to jail time by a Vatican court would serve his term in an Italian prison. Bonnet's report quoted Gabriele as telling Vatican investigators he acted after seeing "evil and corruption everywhere in the Church" and he was sure Pope Benedict was not fully informed about what was going on. "I was certain that a shock, even in the media, could be healthy in putting the Church back on the right track," Gabriele was quoted as saying. "In a certain way I felt infiltrated" by the Holy Spirit, he said. Gabriele also made it clear that he had discussed with a spiritual advisor his concerns about the Church and his thoughts in taking the documents. In fact, Bonnet said, the priest affirmed that Gabriele had given him a box full of documents, which the priest told Vatican investigators he burned because he knew "they were the fruit of an act that was not legitimate" and because he feared they would be stolen from his residence which had been burglarized a few months earlier. Gabriele was arrested May 23 after confidential letters and documents addressed to the Pope and other Vatican officials were found in his Vatican apartment, Bonnet's report said. Many of the documents were the same as those featured in a January television program by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi and later published in a book by him. Most of the documents dealt with allegations of corruption, abuse of power and a lack of financial transparency at the Vatican. Gabriele told investigators how he met Nuzzi in an apartment near the Vatican and described in detail the measures he and Nuzzi took to avoid detection. Bonnet said investigators also found in Gabriele's apartment: a cheque made out to Pope Benedict for 100,000 euros (almost $123,000 U.S.) from a Catholic university in Spain; a nugget — presumably of gold — from the director of a gold mining company in Peru; and a 16th-century edition of a translation of the Aeneid. Gabriele was questioned repeatedly over the two-month period he spent detained in a room in the Vatican police barracks. He was allowed to return, under house arrest, to his Vatican apartment with his wife and family July 21 and will remain under house arrest until his trial. His lawyers had explained in July that the house arrest included a number of conditions: He may not leave his Vatican apartment or communicate, including by telephone or Internet, with anyone beside his immediate family, a spiritual advisor, his doctor or lawyers except with the express permission of the Vatican magistrates. The defense lawyers, Carlo Fusco and Cristiana Arru, have said everything their client did, he did for love of the Church and the Pope. However, whether or not any of those actions were crimes will be up to Vatican magistrates or a Vatican court to determine, they told reporters. Fusco had said Gabriele co-operated with Vatican investigators "very broadly" throughout the investigation. "One thing Paolo repeated to us and to the judge was that he always was and still is motivated by a desire to do something that would be an act of helping, an act of love for the Pope," Fusco said. The lawyers said Gabriele was not part of any network or conspiracy and they insisted he received no money for what he did. At the same time, Fusco and Arru said that Gabriele has expressed a desire to speak to the Pope and ask his forgiveness. Fusco said that did not mean that Gabriele did anything criminal, but the Pope has said he was saddened by what happened and Gabriele is sorry for that. Fusco also revealed that Gabriele had written "a confidential letter to the Pope," asking for his forgiveness and telling the pope he had acted alone. The lawyer said that because it was not part of the legal process, he had not read the letter, which was given to a commission of cardinals carrying out a separate investigation of leaks.

'Pious' Gabriele says he acted for good of Church

August 13, 2012

VATICAN CITY - Paolo Gabriele, the personal assistant of Pope Benedict XVI accused of illicitly copying private Vatican correspondence and giving it to a journalist, told Vatican investigators he acted out of concern for the Pope and the Church. Documents released by the Vatican Aug. 13 outline the case against Gabriele, including his own statements about his motivations, but also others' descriptions of him and selected quotations from reports filed by psychiatrists and psychologists asked by the Vatican to examine him. The documents explain why the Vatican had decided to formally indict Gabriele and try him on charges of aggravated theft. The trial date will not be announced before late September. Dr. Roberto Tatarelli, a professor of psychiatry at Sapienza University of Rome, reported that Gabriele showed no signs of "clinically significant disturbances" that could explain his actions or cast doubt on his ability to understand what he was doing was wrong. But the doctor wrote that Gabriele had a "simple intelligence" and a "fragile personality with paranoid tendencies, covering up a deep personal insecurity and an unresolved need to enjoy the esteem and affection of others," according to the report by Piero Bonnet, the Vatican's investigating judge. Summarizing what other witnesses told Vatican investigators, Bonnet said Gabriele was described as a believing and committed Catholic, able to carry out his job as a sort of papal valet "with the diligence and reserve it required." One unnamed witness described him as "very pious, attending the holy Mass celebrated by the Holy Father daily, and he prayed often." Another quoted by Bonnet said that while Gabriele worked conscientiously, he did not take the initiative or find better ways to do his job, but "did what he was told." Msgr. Georg Ganswein, Pope Benedict's personal secretary, told investigators Gabriele needed to be "continually guided and directed" and "sometimes it was necessary to repeat things more than once." Nevertheless, after about a year of working together, Ganswein, a German, said he began giving Gabriele simple administrative tasks, including drafting responses to letters and notes in Italian when the subject matter was not particularly sensitive. Two days after an Italian journalist published a book featuring private Vatican correspondence and documents, Ganswein called together Gabriele and the Pope's assistant secretary, the four women who care for the papal apartment and Birgit Wansing, a longtime administrative assistant to the Pope, Bonnet said. The monsignor went around the room, asking each person if they had given the documents to the journalist, Gianluigi Nuzzi. They all denied it, Bonnet said. Then, he reported, Ganswein told Gabriele in front of the group that two of the letters in Nuzzi's book were letters for which the monsignor had asked Gabriele to prepare a response. Ganswein told Gabriele that while he did not have hard proof that Gabriele leaked the documents, he had strong suspicions. "In response, I received a decisive and absolute denial," Ganswein told investigators. Vatican police searched the Vatican apartment where Gabriele lives with his wife and children and found copies of dozens of documents. They found a further 37 documents in the apartment Gabriele used at Castel Gandolfo when he accompanied the Pope to his summer villa, Bonnet said. Gabriele was arrested May 24 and initially declined to respond to questions on the basis of not incriminating himself. However, about 10 days later, he began co-operating fully, Bonnet said. He admitted photocopying the documents, taking them home and giving them to the journalist over a period of months. As time went on and he worried about getting caught, Gabriele would copy the documents on the printer hooked up to his computer rather than use the office copy machine, Bonnet reported. Gabriele also said he had given copies of some of the documents to his spiritual director. Many of the documents speak of power struggles and financial corruption within the Vatican. "From my position, I could observe the double papal function, that as head of the Church and head of the state (of Vatican City)," Gabriele told Bonnet. Particularly the way Vatican City was operating could be a "scandal for the faith," he said. "I was aware that the Holy Father was not informed about some of these things or was misinformed. With the help of others like Nuzzi, I thought things could be seen more clearly," Gabriele said. He said that "seeing evil and corruption everywhere in the Church," he reached "a point of no return" and felt compelled to act. "I was certain that a shock, even in the media, could be healthy in putting the Church back on the right track," Gabriele was quoted as saying. He said he was fascinated by the world of intelligence, or spying, and believed that in some way, the Holy Spirit played that role in the Church, and he was the Holy Spirit's instrument.

Canadian government to match donations for drought-stricken Sahel region

August 13, 2012

Eighteen-million Africans of the Sahel region who face drought-induced starvation now qualifiy for matching funds from the Government of Canada. Donations to qualified aid agencies received between Aug. 7 and Sept. 30 will be doubled with contributions from the Canadian International Development Agency. CIDA gets the ball rolling with a $10 million contribution to the Sahel drought matching fund. "It acts as a stimulus," said Michael Casey, executive director of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. "Of course it's a good thing." Development and Peace has been trying to stir up interest in the eight-country drought for months. It enlisted the help of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in late May. That appeal has pulled in $340,000 so far to help fund a $5-million feeding and agricultural rehabilitation program jointly conceived by Development and Peace and Canadian Foodgrains Bank. In addition, Development and Peace is working with Caritas Internationalis on longer term projects in the region. But the disaster stretching between Senegal in the west and Chad in the east hasn't taken newscasts and front pages by storm. "There's going to be more media now," said Casey. "It's been a slow onset and now we're coming to the starting line." The matching fund may reward tardy parishes that have not yet forwarded money collected so far to Development and Peace. CIDA officials say it doesn't matter when the funds were actually collected. They will be matched if Development and Peace receives them between Aug. 7 and Sept. 30. Matching funds are "an exceptional measure in response to catastrophic disasters striking developing countries," said an e-mail from CIDA's communications department to The Catholic Register. There have been seven matching fund appeals launched since Ottawa pioneered the approach in response to the massive Boxing Day 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. "It sends a signal to Canadians that the government is worried about the situation — that it's serious and they want Canadians to respond," said Canadian Foodgrains Bank spokeswoman Emily Cain. "It leverages people's money. It makes any donation go twice as far." A quiet media response to the crisis has translated into a lukewarm donor uptake so far, said Cain. Over the summer Canadian Foodgrains Bank has collected $25,000 for the Sahel. The partnership between Canadian Foodgrains Bank and Development and Peace has made the most of partnerships both agencies have with local actors in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, said Cain. "The Sahel can be a difficult place to work, but Foodgrains works through local partners. That means these are people who already know the systems, how things work in the country, and already have longer term relationships with communities," she said. Adding Caritas to the mix ensures there also are programs to respond to the drought in other countries, and to respond with programs that last longer than feeding stations and seed distribution. "That's been a really great partnership," said Cain. Because of the early warnings from Caritas, Development and Peace has been planning and working on its Sahel response since Christmas, said Casey. CIDA has so far spent $47.5 million on humanitarian assistance in the Sahel. Development and Peace hasn't had any of that money — which goes largely to direct, country-to-country aid or United Nations agencies. But Development and Peace does plan to apply for future funding CIDA makes available to its proven partners, said Casey. "We would certainly look at collaborating with others because that's all part of the leverage aspect. If we work together on these things with other agencies we can have greater impact," he said. "Our program has been very effective so far."

August 14

We are all called to serve

August 14, 2012

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Aug. 26 (Joshua 24:1-2, 15-17, 18; Psalm 34; Ephesians 4:32-5:2, 21-32; John 6:53, 60-69) Bob Dylan’s song “Gotta Serve Somebody” would have made perfect sense in the context of Joshua’s meeting with the Israelites. They had weathered the 40 years in the desert and had just entered the Promised Land to begin their permanent sojourn. Joshua first called for a commitment on the part of the Israelites to serve the God who had brought them out of Egypt, sustained them in the desert and given them the land they were entering. He gave them a choice: serve one of the many pagan gods you will find here or the God who brought you here. Choose — and don’t say that you will serve the Lord unless you intend to do so. The people declared enthusiastically that they would serve the Lord but their subsequent history bore sad witness to their infidelity and frequent lapses into idolatry. Joshua made no move to control them but just affirmed that he and his entire household would serve the Lord. He left them free to serve whomever they chose. We all serve somebody, even if it is just our own ego. We make the choice every day when we are put in situations in which our principles and ideals are challenged. Many choose country, corporation, culture, different ideologies or charismatic leaders and demagogues. Some allow themselves to be led by anyone but even that is a choice. We are absolutely free but our lives will be measured in the balance by the choices we have made. We live in an age in which many have chosen to serve a variety of “gods” and many more no God at all. We should respect their choice and make the same resolution that Joshua did: I choose, along with others of like mind and heart, to serve the living God. There is much to praise in the reading from Ephesians. The exhortation to love one another, to be tender-hearted and forgiving and to imitate God is every bit as important today, perhaps even more so. This is a way of life that never grows old and is valid in every time and place. It should be lived out in the family, at work, in the public sphere and in interpersonal relationships, and our failure to do so is responsible for much of the world’s troubles. At the same time, the passage also reflects a bit of the cultural values of the age in which it was written. While it is important for husbands and wives to love and cherish each other, we would not hold up “subjection” as an appropriate expression of this love. Christ does not subject any person to another. We should only be subject to God. As we have seen the last few Sundays, the teachings of Jesus concerning His body and blood were extremely difficult for many of His followers to accept. Jesus did not back down or waver, saying in effect that they hadn’t seen anything yet! He was actually going to return to His place of origin — God the Father. More shock language followed: the flesh is useless; only the spirit gives life. He was not denigrating the body or the created order but only insisting on the inability of humanity to reach or experience God without something added from the realm of the spirit. The words spoken by Jesus are spirit and life — not the literal words but the message contained in them. These words spoke of the need for faith in Him and for reception of the gift of God’s life-giving spirit. Many of His followers chose to bail at this point — they were confused and angry. Jesus asked Peter and those closest to Him rather wearily if they were going to disappear too. Peter was a bit perplexed — he probably didn’t really understand everything that Jesus had said, but he was convinced that Jesus alone held the keys to a transcendent life with God. They knew that Jesus was the bearer of the light from God. Peter speaks for many in that he did not fully understand everything and had many questions. It is in being faithful to the path and to the Lord that truth unfolds, hearts are transformed and minds enlightened.

Camp with a difference gives youth building skills

August 14, 2012

TORONTO - On Aug. 11 campers travelled about three hours from Toronto to St. Mary of Egypt Refuge for the inaugural week of the "Youth Camp ... with a difference." "We're not so much wanting to entertain kids,” said Mary Marrocco, the refuge’s executive director. “We really want to help them to become strong, solid people by teaching them skills (and) doing that in a community way and having them actually contributing to the building of the place." That’s literally building. These campers, aged 13 to 18, were to spend seven days evaluating design concepts, learning basic woodworking skills and constructing a physical structure — in this case an outhouse. They’ll do this while still enjoying the 1.16-square-kms of wooded property in Queensborough in eastern Ontario, working on crafts and participating in prayer (which is optional as the camp is non-restrictive). According to Marrocco, even money didn’t get in the way of registration for campers. "Our priority is for the people for whom the fee might be difficult,” she said. “If people phone us and say, 'I'd really like to send my kids there but I really cannot afford to pay the $250,' then we say you're first on our list." A limit of 15 campers ensures all-inclusiveness as each person will have a designated role during the construction process, said Marrocco. "Another difference is that it's not a big camp with a couple hundred kids and staff, it's more of a family atmosphere," she said. "None of the kids are building it by themselves, but they'll all be given a real part to do that will contribute to the real building." Overseeing the construction is Luc Lafond, a 58-year-old semi-retired automated equipment designer. Lafond’s involvement, as well as the camp itself, came about last fall when he stepped forward to organize a group of volunteers and lead them in building a cabin for the refuge. During the three weeks of construction something changed in Lafond. “In the past I was always giving my money, doing what I would have called my share,” said Lafond. “I realized that it is never too late to start helping others and it’s not just by putting money in an envelope that is the most efficient.” With this new sense of satisfaction from community service, and having observed a lack of basic construction skills in young volunteers, Lafond offered to co-ordinate a construction-themed summer camp. "What I realized was that the kids who were helping us, they didn't know how to hold a hammer or use a screwdriver,” he said. “I said this is mind boggling. When I was a kid I grew up with my dad in his garage and he showed me everything. I never realized how lucky I was to have a father that showed me all that so I thought maybe I could turn around and do the same for those kids who do not have that opportunity.” Marrocco, and the refuge’s sponsors who were involved in the conversations, liked Lafond's idea so much that soon he found himself volunteering for a second camp. Week two is aimed at the parishioners of St. Silouan the Athonite, mission parish of the Carpatho-Russian Orthodox diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. With campers slightly older, most between 16 and 18, and of a specific faith, the projected will reflect their Orthodox faith. “The second week is mainly directed to the kids at our church,” said Lafond, who was baptized Catholic but attends an Eastern Orthodox church with his wife and daughter. “We’re building the Iconostasia, the wall in an Orthodox Church separating altar and the people.” Although St. Mary of Egypt Refuge is a Catholic faith-based refuge, the parish’s mission, St. John the Compassionate Mission, has partnered with the site since opening in 2001. “We are really in a partnership with the refuge. It has to do with the personal relationship that Mary Marrocco had over the years with the mission,” said Deacon Pawel Mucha. “The relationship between us and the refuge is so good. I would say the distinctions (between religions) are pretty blurred.” He repeatedly said what is more important is the “common ideal of service” shared between the mission and refuge. The second camp begins on Aug. 17.

Assisted suicide exemption creates "exception to murder"

August 14, 2012

OTTAWA - Groups opposing euthanasia have expressed alarm over a B.C. judge's recent ruling that allows Gloria Taylor, a B.C. woman dying of a degenerative nerve disorder, a constitutional exemption to an assisted suicide should her symptoms worsen in the next year. Taylor, one of the plaintiffs in the controversial Carter case decided last June, had been granted the exemption when B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lynn Smith struck down Canada's laws against assisted suicide and euthanasia as unconstitutional on Charter grounds. Smith ruled the laws would be kept in force for a year so Parliament can react with new legislation, but allowed Taylor the exemption while the law is still in force. In July, the federal government appealed the Carter decision, including the constitutional exemption. On Aug. 10, B.C. Justice Jo-Ann Prowse, however, ruled removing the exemption would cause Taylor "irreparable harm" by taking away the solace and peace of mind of knowing she could obtain an assisted suicide and by removing her ability to have one before her symptoms became unbearable. "The suggestion that denying Ms. Taylor the exemption would have caused her irreparable harm is absurd," said Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) assistant director Peter Murphy. "Surely to kill or to facilitate killing is to do irreparable harm. "Do we really want to live in country where individual judges hold the keys to life and death?" he asked. "The value of human life can never be measured by some subjective notion of its quality." Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) executive director Alex Schadenberg questioned whether judges were "overstepping" their bounds. He pointed out the Supreme Court of Canada upheld Parliament's laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide in the 1993 Rodriguez case. Sue Rodriguez, who also had ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, found an anonymous doctor who helped her end her life in 1994. "It appears to me that judges are trying to make decisions that fit what they want rather than the law and judicial precedence," Schadenberg said. "They're writing their laws, their own script, and it's very concerning to me." The Carter decision will be argued before the B.C. Court of Appeal March 4-8, 2013 and many have argued the constitutional exemption is an exception only for Taylor. But Schadenberg pointed out that others may seek exemptions under the principle of equality before the law. "Other people who fit the criteria would have to be taken seriously," he said, noting he expected lawyers in the Ginette LeBlanc case to be argued in Quebec this December to ask for one. LeBlanc also suffers from ALS. "Technically, the law has not changed. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are still completely illegal. Rodriquez is still upheld," Schadenberg said. "But a judge is saying it is okay in this circumstance, the laws do not apply. It's not about Parliament, not about the Supreme Court, it's about a single judge. We're putting the power of life and death in the hands of a judge or a doctor." Schadenberg said the federal Attorney General can appeal this latest ruling on the constitutional exemption and urged Canadians to let Justice Minister Rob Nicholson know they want him to do so. Schadenberg said that assisted suicide is the intentional killing of a human being. "That's homicide," he said. "We are creating an exception to murder."

August 15

Romney's running mate comes from longtime Wisconsin Catholic family

August 15, 2012

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Paul Davis Ryan, whom Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced Aug. 11 as his running mate for the White House, is a lifelong Catholic whose children attend their parish school in Wisconsin. Ryan's inclusion on the presumptive Republican ticket marks the first time both halves of the major party matchup will have Catholics seeking the vice presidency. Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is the first Catholic to hold the post. The last time the Republican nominee for vice president was a Catholic was in 1964, when New York Rep. William E. Miller was the running mate of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater. Ryan, 42, was born and raised in Janesville, Wis., where he lives with his wife, Janna, and their three children. The fifth-generation Wisconsin native graduated from Nativity of Mary Elementary School and Joseph A. Craig, a public high school, both in Janesville. Ryan first ran for public office in 1998, winning election to the 1st Congressional District seat. Ryan has since been re-elected six times and will remain on the ballot for his congressional seat as he seeks the vice presidency. Concurrent candidacy is allowed in Wisconsin. Msgr. Delbert Schmelzer, a priest of the diocese of Madison who was pastor in Janesville for 12 years during Ryan's youth, said Ryan comes from a strong Catholic family. Schmelzer believes Ryan's Catholic faith influences his public life. "He emphasizes that our rights come from God and nature. He has a strong vision for the future," said the priest, calling Ryan "a great gift to our country." Ryan's great-grandfather founded Ryan Incorporated Central, a mass excavation construction business, and his grandfather served as U.S. attorney for western Wisconsin. His father, Paul Davis Ryan, an attorney, died of a heart attack at age 55. His son, Paul, the youngest of four children, was 16. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan is the principal author of a Republican budget plan budget that delineates a decade-long plan to reduce spending on non-military programs as a step toward reducing the country's $15-trillion deficit. The GOP budget also calls for remaking Medicare, establishing Medicaid as a block grant program for states to administer and simplifying the tax code by closing loopholes and lowering individual and corporate tax rates. Ryan cited the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity as keys to securing a future in which everyone has the opportunity to achieve and to preserving the public safety net for those citizens who are truly in need. The principle of subsidiarity as found in Catholic social teaching calls for decisions to be made and actions taken at the most local level possible. Ryan's argument that the budget reflects Catholic social teaching brought criticism from some within the Church, including theologians and social ministry activists. Two bishops who head committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for a more measured approach to the budget. The congressman co-sponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act and the Right to Life Act, which both would write into law that life begins at the moment of conception. He has voted to ban use of federal money to pay for abortion or any part of a health plan that covers abortion. He also has voted against allowing same-sex couples to adopt and opposed repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military, reported The Associated Press. The AP said Ryan has supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. He also has supported immigration legislation calling for expanding the fence along the U.S.-Mexican border and backed a 2005 bill passed by the House that would have criminalized the act of offering basic assistance to undocumented immigrants.

Syria's increased instability raises fear among Christians

August 15, 2012

Aid is getting to displaced Christians fleeing the fighting in Syria, but there's no telling how Syria's Christian minority will cope as fighting shifts and the country's new reality takes shape. "Based on our frequent contacts with our partners in Syria, I can say that they are still able to meet the demand (for emergency shelter, food, medicine and clothing). However, the question is for how long?" Issam Bishara, Catholic Near East Welfare Association regional director, told The Catholic Register in an e-mail from Beirut. Numbers of internal refugees are on the rise as fighting spreads throughout Syria, Bishara said. CNEWA is delivering aid to Christians and Muslims through the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Damascus and in Akrama-Homs, the Greek Melkite Patriarchate of Antioch in Damascus, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch working with families displaced from Homs and Wadi al Nasarah (Valley of the Christians) and the Melkite Greek Catholic parish in Al Qaa, a Lebanese village on the border with Syria. Christians haven't been targeted in the fighting so far, said Samer Laham, the Greek Orthodox director of ecumenical relations and development. "Christians are affected as well as Muslims in the country," said Laham in an e-mail from Damascus. "In some places they are targeted because they live in one area and that area has been invaded by rebels and is being shelled by government security forces. Rebels in many places tend to go to the Christian areas to find refuge and protection, which is the reason they put the Christian populations at risk." Syrians have seen what happens when a Baathist government falls. The overthrow of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government in 2003 by American-led forces triggered an exodus of close to two million refugees who crossed the Iraq-Syria border. While Middle-Eastern Christians may not have loved the old dictatorships of Iraq, Syria and Egypt, they're fearful of the alternatives on offer. "They are seeing what is happening in other places and have found no success stories of democracy in the Arab world are taking place," said Laham. "Christians are afraid of the new, coming system that is not clear at all." Fundamentalist politics based on an appeal to religion as a bulwark against a corrupt, foreign culture isn't the only problem Christians face in the Middle East. "Christians are always the weaker body and pay the price of other conflicting groups," said Laham. "This is why they might be an easy target for revenge from all other parties." Laham rejects the idea that Syria is engulfed in civil war. "We are not witnessing a civil war yet and hope not to witness that at all," he said. He blames outside forces for an escalation in violence. "The war can stop if the external powers stop arming the so-called Free Army and stop sending terrorists for jihad in Syria," he said. CNEWA Canada has launched an emergency appeal to support Syrian Christians as they deal with fallout from the fighting. "if we could reach $100,000 by Christmas that would be good. If we could get more that would be better," said Carl Hetu, CNEWA Canada's executive director. "The needs are changing and increasing every day as the war intensifies." Syrian Christians have become advocates for peace and dialogue as the conflict rages, said Hetu. "A lot of the good stories are about Christians welcoming the Muslims, sharing their food, praying together," said Hetu. "And Shiites and Sunnis welcoming Christians into their homes. Those are the stories not told, but are happening." The crisis has spurred Syrian churches to work ecumenically for less violent solutions to the political impasse. "They found a new vocation — a vocation of dialogue and peace," Hetu said. "This is the vocation of the Christian in the Middle East, not only in Syria. If there's a lesson learned in Iraq it's that the churches can play a uniting role if they are united and they show that among themselves they can be. The Church, if it continues to play this role when the fighting is over, it can help the healing." But that doesn't mean Christian communities in Syria are secure. "The problem is being a minority and being in villages. When they leave, what will happen to their property? What will happen to them? Are they going to come back?" Hetu asks. "Any kind of disturbance in the daily life of Christian villages or communities, nobody is sure it will be the same once the war is finished. Will they go back to their villages? Will the balance of power be the same?" TORONTO CHRISTIANS UNITE IN PRAYER FOR SYRIA Prayers for peace in Syria have united a large swath of Christians in Toronto. A dozen churches, Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic, came together at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church Aug. 9 for a three-hour weeknight ecumenical prayer service. St. Mary's in the northeast corner of the city was full to overflowing with Christians who have relatives and friends in Syria and many who immigrated from Syria. Franciscan Friar of the Atonement Father Damian MacPherson represented Cardinal Thomas Collins, who was traveling at the time, at the service. MacPherson contributed the Peace Prayer of St. Francis. Protopresbyter Stavophor Vasilije Tomic of St. Archangel Gabriel Serbian Orthodox Church led about 400 faithful in praying the words of Blessed Pope John Paul II from his May 7, 2001 visit to the Golan Heights in Syria. "May they be inspired to oneness of heart and mind in working for a world that will be a true home for all its peoples. Salam! Salam! Salam!" is the conclusion to the papal prayer. Clergy present at the prayer service represented the Armenian Apostolic Church, Coptic Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Presbyterian, Iranian Christian, Maronite Catholic, Armenian Evangelical, Anglican and Syriac Orthodox.

Pro-life Crossroads walkers are convinced tide is turning

August 15, 2012

OTTAWA - Twelve Crossroads walkers who hiked through Canada for the past three months wearing "Pro-Life" t-shirts ended their trek in Canada's capital convinced public opinion is turning against abortion. "We have such a great country," said Patrick Wilson, 21, the leader of the Canadian Crossroads group that ended its cross-country trek Aug. 11. "We had a lot of positive support. I think the tide's turning." "There was so much encouragement in the most unexpected places," said Lindsay Richey, 20, of Armstrong, B.C. "People that we expected would be angry or aggressive ended up being pro-life." Richey said at one point a man driving his car past them on the highway turned around to come alongside them again to tell us "how proud he was to see people of his generation standing up for pro-life." "It inspired him and made him happy," she said. And in Winnipeg, a man driving a souped-up sports car pulled up near the group at a stoplight and asked Wilson what the group was doing. "Why are you pro-life and not pro-choice?" he asked. "He looked like a complete dude," Wilson said. "I just liked his car." But then the man stunned him by saying, "I'm adopted and if it wasn't for people like you I wouldn't be there today." "He was just so touched," Wilson said. "This came at a time when we were encountering a lot of opposition." Wilson said these hopeful signs would happen just when the walkers were feeling a little discouraged and wondering if they were doing any good. The opposition they encountered included "a lot of middle fingers flashed at us, long glances and people yelling at us to go home," but what Wilson said bothered him the most was apathy. "I'd almost prefer people take a stand, stand for something instead of living in la la land, with no sense of morality, and have no reaction at all." For Richey, her most discouraging moment came inside a Catholic Church in Toronto when a parishioner told her he was pro-choice and didn't like what she was doing. She asked how he could be pro-choice and Catholic at the same time. "I'm a realist," was his response. "It was very challenging, but at the same time so fulfilling," Richey said. "I could offer up all the hardship and difficulties for the cause of pro-life." The Ottawa pro-life community welcomed the walkers. "We're proud of you," Wanda Hartlin, Campaign Life Coalition communications co-ordinator, told the walkers upon their arrival on Parliament Hill. Pro-life activist Frank Barrett presented each of the walkers with a certificate of appreciation from Conservative MP Pierre Lemieux, a pro-life MP who was unable to attend in person. Crossroads groups began their walks in the mid-1990s. The Canadian group was one of five that began walks on May 13, leaving from Vancouver.

August 16

U.S. March for Life founder Nellie Gray, 86, dies

August 16, 2012

WASHINGTON - Nellie Gray, who started the annual March for Life parade to protest the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide, has died at age 86. She was found dead in her home Aug. 13 in Washington's Capitol Hill neighbourhood by a March for Life staffer, Gene Ruane, who said the medical examiner will determine the cause and date of her death. The March for Life has grown into one of the signature events of the pro-life movement. After the first march in 1974, Gray, a Texas native, established the March for Life Education & Defense Fund to sustain it. Each year in her remarks, Gray exhorted pro-lifers to promote and adhere to a series of "life principles" that would eliminate abortion and enhance life, to which she said there should be "no exception! No compromise!" Ruane, an administrative assistant with the March for Life, told Catholic News Service Aug. 14 that leadership of the organization would be assumed by Terrence Scanlon, who has been its vice president "since the beginning." Funeral information was not immediately available. Gray was a member of St. Mary, Mother of God parish in Washington. Born June 25, 1926, in Texas, Gray served as a corporal in the Women's Army Corps during the Second World War. She later earned a bachelor's degree in business and a master's in economics. She worked for the federal government for 28 years at the State Department and the Department of Labour, while attending Georgetown University Law School. Gray later practised law before the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 2010 profile, Gray said she wasn't a Catholic as a child, but "I had elements of the Catholic faith in my life." As a young woman, she encountered a priest who brought to light what the Catholic Church was about, and he tutored her until she joined the Church. Gray also spoke of the march's origins. "I received a call from the Knights of Columbus," she recalled. "I didn't even know who they were, but they explained their stance against abortion and needed a place to meet to discuss plans for a march. That place was my living room. About 30 people gathered there and they asked if I could help get speakers for the event since I knew Capitol Hill well. "What I couldn't get was a master of ceremonies for the event," she added. "Politicians didn't want to get involved in a march, and people at that time weren't interested in marches after the civil rights movement and other things. That left the emcee job to me." Tributes to Gray poured in as news of her death spread. "The indelible mark she has left in this world can be seen in the generations of lives saved as a result of her dedicated work on behalf of the unborn," said an Aug. 13 statement from Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. "As we approach the tragic 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are confident her legacy of pro-life activism will continue to inspire and effect change." "As a colleague in national pro-life leadership, Nellie was always an inspiration to the rest of us," said an Aug. 13 statement by Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life. "Her devotion was on display that same year, 2008, when, despite being in the hospital during the March for Life, she nevertheless was present at all all-day meeting of national leaders the very next morning." Gray "mobilized millions to protest the injustice of Roe v. Wade and to speak out on behalf of unborn children, who have no voice of their own. While Miss Gray did not see Roe overturned in her lifetime, the movement she helped build — especially its young members — will not rest until the right to life is restored once again," said Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for policy and communications at the U.S. bishops' Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, in an Aug. 14 statement. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, co-chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus, called her an "extraordinary pro-life leader" who was unstoppable as emcee of the march "even in the worst of weather and poor health." Because of her leadership, the Roe decision "has been marked annually with a sombre remembrance that gives voice to the defenseless unborn and the women wounded by abortion," Smith said Aug. 14. "In Nellie's name we will continue her legacy of unceasing commitment to defending the unborn." Gray is survived by three nieces and one nephew, all of whom live in Texas.

Precious Blood Sisters time in Charlottetown comes to an end

August 16, 2012

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - After 83 years, the Sisters of the Precious Blood have bid adieu to Charlottetown. A farewell Mass and reception was held Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption, at St. Dunstan’s Basilica in Charlottetown to honour the Sisters of the Precious Blood as they close their monastery and the remaining Sisters move on to other parts of Canada. The basilica was filled to capacity, and under the direction of Leo Marchildon, a massed choir sang Marian hymns appropriate to the feast. Declining numbers and a lack of new vocations were cited for the end to the Sisters presence in Charlottetown, a presence dating back to 1929. The Precious Blood Sisters, in a statement, said, "We are deeply grateful for the 83 years during which we have carried you and your parents and grandparents in our hearts and held your needs up to the Lord. We are saying farewell, but this is not an ending. Prayer is not bound by time or space or geography. And though we will no longer have a presence in Charlottetown, we will still hold you in our hearts and lift your needs up to the Lord. We will not abandon you. You are etched in our hearts forever." Charlottetown Bishop Richard Grecco told the audience that the Sisters will be greatly missed in the diocese. "We shall miss dearly the prayerful touch with which you reached out to so many individuals and groups," said Grecco. "We are grateful that God called you to the religious life, and sent you to us for 83 years. Now as God sends you elsewhere, we ask you to keep us in your prayers, as we will all of you."

Faithful departed honoured at Catholic Cemeteries

August 16, 2012

TORONTO - Catholic Cemeteries' held its 25th Annual Mass for the Faithful Departed Aug. 15 at seven locations throughout the archdiocese of Toronto, offering those who've lost loved ones a chance to grieve together. "Essentially what we are doing is offering a sense of comfort to those who've experienced a loss," said Amy Profenna, manager, marketing and public relations for Catholic Cemeteries — Archdiocese of Toronto. "Coming together as a group at the cemetery and praying for your deceased loved one at the place of burial is very significant for a number of people." On average about 12,000 to 14,000 people attend this special Mass — held each year around the Feast of the Assumption — seeking the consoling atmosphere. Traditionally the services are celebrated in selected cemeteries but fears of rain forced this year's services indoors at nearby churches. While the formal components — the liturgy, hymns and sacraments — resemble a standard Mass, it is the unified reasoning for attending which makes the service unique, said Profenna. "(Families) are essentially finding a place where they are accepted in their pain within their abasement because everyone else there has also experienced a loss," said Profenna. "They can come and safely pray and work at that question of why did my loved one die." That's why Alda Bassani attended the evening Mass at St. Monica's Church, site of the Mass relocated from Mount Hope Cemetery. "It's wonderful that they bring us all together to pray for our loved ones," said Bassani, principal at Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School. "It's part of the grieving process to pray and to be with others that have been through the same thing." Earlier this year Bassani lost her father, Joao Machado, to kidney disease. He was 86 at the time of his death. Knowing the inevitable had been staring him in the face for years, Bassani's father had tied up almost all the loose ends in his life before passing. "He wanted to live one more year in order to see my son graduate from Harvard University," said Bassani, as her eyes grew increasing moist. Although her son Jonathan, who lives in New York State, couldn't attend, he contacted Bassani before the service through Blackberry Messenger saying he would be there in thought and prayer. Following the Mass, Bassani said the evening brought her closer to her father, who she described as embodying a joy of living and a zest for life. "It made me feel closure to my dad ... because of the singing, because my dad loved to sing," she said. "It was very helpful and I'll be back next year hopefully, if I'm alive and well." Fr. Brian Clough celebrated the Mass at St. Monica's while Cardinal Thomas Collins concelebrated the Eucharist at Holy Cross Cemetery in Thornhill, where the main service was held.

Flood calls forth aid

August 16, 2012

Half-a-million people stuck in evacuation centres while their Manila-area homes are underwater are getting a helping hand from Development and Peace. The development arm of Canadian Catholics is sending $100,000 to help its Filipino partners – Caritas Philippines, Urban Poor Associates and the Centre for Environmental Concern – deal with Manila-area flooding. A month of unrelenting rain has displaced close to three million Filipinos. Caritas estimates 1.1 million flood refugees are staying with family or friends, but another 500,000 are in schools, government buildings and community centres. Typhoon Saola began dumping heavy rain in the Philippines July 28. The typhoon was followed by seasonal monsoon rains. The government claims illegal settlements along creek beds have made the situation worse. The flood crisis has sparked another round of debate about relocating slum dwellers in Manila. But for Caritas-Philippines and its National Secretariat for Social Action, the question is what to do right now. As of Aug. 10 the Caritas emergency fund known as Alay Kapwa Fund stood at just 2.4 million pesos, or $56,000. "Aside from launching local appeal to the dioceses, NASSA Caritas-Philippines is also tapping international partners to join us in conducting the emergency response," said a NASSA Caritas-Philippines report. Toronto's sizable Filipino community is also coming together to help with a fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 17 at Our Lady of the Assumption, 2565 Bathurst St. 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The parish is using its patronal feast to collect non-perishable food, over-the-counter medicine and money. Contributions will go directly to Caritas Philippines.

August 17

Vietnamese authorities replace chapel items with images of Ho Chi Minh

August 17, 2012

HANOI, Vietnam - Government authorities from a district in Vietnam's Central Highlands forced ethnic villagers to remove Catholic pictures and items from their chapel, and authorities replaced them with images of the late communist leader Ho Chi Minh. A Church source told the Asian church news agency UCA News that government authorities from Kon Thuc hamlet, led by district security officials, visited the Catholics Aug. 12 after Mass and asked them to remove a cross and Marian image from the chapel. The source said authorities threatened to imprison the lay leader if Catholics from the leper village of Dak Pnan did not comply. Villagers had to carry the cross, Marian picture, altar and tabernacle to the lay leader's house, the source told UCA News. Authorities then put two pictures of Ho Chi Minh in the places where the cross and Marian picture had been. On Aug. 13, authorities dismantled the bell of the chapel after local Catholics refused to do it. The bell was also taken to the lay leader's house. One lay leader said authorities told parishioners that the building was to be used "for village activities, not for worship." Local Catholics said the building, sponsored by a France-based charitable organization, was built in 1999 for villagers, most of them ethnic Bahnar Catholics, to worship and hold their common activities. Since 2007, priests from other places started to visit weekly and provide pastoral services for villagers at the building, which has been used only for worship. On Aug. 13, Bishop Michel Hoang Duc Oanh of Kon Tum visited local villagers and encouraged them to live out their faith bravely and work for the common good. He has not made any public response to the events.

Church spokesman gives cautious welcome to moves by Egypt's president

August 17, 2012

ANTAKYA, Turkey - A spokesman for Egypt's bishops gave a cautious welcome to President Mohammed Morsi's reshuffling of top military officials. Fr. Rafic Grieche, spokesman for the Egyptian bishops' conference, told Catholic News Service that Morsi's decisions were "positive in the sense of politics, but we have to see how he uses these new powers." "In his first month of office, we still haven't seen anything positive. He did not implement any law that would please Christians," said Grieche, referring to long-standing demands to reform laws regarding personal status and the right to build churches. After President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February 2011, an Egyptian military council assumed broad powers, and Morsi was not the military's favoured candidate in presidential elections earlier this year. On Aug. 12, Morsi deposed two top generals and cancelled a constitutional decree issued by the military that had stripped the presidency of much of its powers — just before he took office June 30. Morsi replaced that decree with one that gave him broad legislative and executive powers and seemingly brought an end to the military's 60-year dominance of Egyptian politics. "In the time of Mubarak we couldn't say Christians were fully protected," said Grieche. He said that since the revolution began Jan. 25, 2011, there have been "several incidents between Copts and the military." "Christians were not very happy with the army, either," he said. Many Egyptian Christians blame the military for the killing of more than 25 Christian protesters in front of Cairo's state TV headquarters last October. Grieche said Morsi's mid-August changes made little difference to worshippers at his Melkite Catholic Church of St. Cyril in the upscale Cairo neighbourhood of Heliopolis. The parishioners already were worried by the political gains of Islamist politicians they are convinced have long-term plans to transform Egyptian society. The priest said many parishioners were "anxious," and several with the means to do so were moving to places like the Netherlands or the United States. Youssef Sidhom, editor of Christian weekly newspaper Watani, admitted that there were serious concerns about Morsi's changes but added that the situation was more nuanced. "The grave scenario (some believe) is that Morsi dealt a blow to the military in order to try and adopt his Islamist agenda," Sidhom told Catholic New Service. But the president's retention of two key military leaders as advisers and his choice of replacements did not suggest a "drastic change" in terms of the makeup of the military, Sidhom added. "Giving a civilian president full powers was remedying a sick situation. It was a step in Egypt's favour toward democracy," Sidhom said. "It is true that in the absence of parliament, Morsi has more powers than he had, but this also means he may be forced to speed up elections. We might see these in three months if he is sensible and avoids further legal clashes," Sidhom added.

O’Gara fostered dialogue among Christians

August 17, 2012

One of Canada's most eminent theologians and one of the greatest Catholic experts in ecumenism has died. Margaret O’Gara, Professor of Theology at the University of St. Michael’s College, entered the realm of eternal life on Thursday, August 16, at age 65. She had suffered from cancer for two years. In 37 years of work as a theologian O'Gara was able to foster dialogue among Christians for the sake of overcoming divisions between the churches. Besides her teaching, research, writing, and extensive public lecturing, she was a member of official ecumenical dialogues in Canada, the United States, and at the international level. She served terms as president of both the North American Academy of Ecumenists and the Catholic Theological Society of America. O'Gara's effectiveness came from a combination of her scholarly rigor, exceptional ability to listen sympathetically, uncommon energy, and contagious delight at the growth of mutual understanding and friendship. The same traits marked her strong personal relationships with her students and colleagues, the members of her extended family, and her many longstanding friends. The fundamental driving force of her life was her deep and abiding Christian faith. Visitation at Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home, 467 Sherbourne Street, on Wednesday, August 22, from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. Funeral mass at St. Basil’s Church on Thursday, August 23, at 10:30 a.m. Burial in Breckenridge, Minnesota.