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September 2013

September 8

More violence won’t bring Syrian peace

September 8, 2013

TORONTO - As U.S. President Barack Obama and Western allies continue to debate whether military action is the answer to Syria’s Aug. 21 chemical weapon use on its own citizens, Christian observers are uniformly warning of grave consequences and urging more diplomacy.

Up to 70 Iraqi refugees expected this month

September 8, 2013

TORONTO - While the Syrian refugee crisis grows, Toronto parishes continue to welcome Iraqi refugees. The archdiocese of Toronto’s Office for Refugees is expecting between 60 and 70 Iraqis to land here over the course of September.

Praying for peace in Syria, Pope calls selfishness the cause of war

September 8, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Leading a crowd in prayer for peace in Syria, Pope Francis said that war is ultimately caused by selfishness, which can be overcome only though expressions of fraternity and never with violence.

Artistic Glass Inc. is the story of Joseph Aigner

September 8, 2013

TORONTO - With the strength of a tradition of beauty and artistry in a centuriesold craft, Artistic Glass Inc. proffers its wares of stained glass.

September 9

Aid agencies fear increase in Syrian refugees if U.S. launches strikes

September 9, 2013

ISTANBUL - Tanil Kahiaian, a refugee from the Syrian city of Aleppo, said he is doing what he can for the others fleeing his country. He, his wife and two children escaped the Syrian war almost a year ago, and since he has watched "tens of thousands" pour into neighboring Turkey as he did.

#PerpetualPrayer

September 9, 2013

On Sept. 7, Christians, Muslims and people of all faiths and of good will prayed simultaneously in response to Pope Francis' call for a day of fasting for peace in the Middle East. Social media was abuzz.

September 10

Beloved Register columnist Msgr. Tom Raby passes away

September 10, 2013

Updated 09/10/13 KINGSTON, ONT. - Beloved former Catholic Register columnist Msgr. Thomas Raby passed away in Kingston Sept. 6. He would have turned 95 on Oct. 1.

Canada condemns forced conversions in Syria

September 10, 2013

OTTAWA - Canada's foreign affairs minister and religious freedom ambassador issued a joint-statement Sept. 9 condemning the forced conversions of Christians in Syria.

Columnist’s Church of the Good Thief to close

September 10, 2013

Parishioners at Kingston’s Church of the Good Thief were hit doubly hard with bad news last weekend.

September 11

How the arts keep us human

September 11, 2013

What is it about art that makes us re-evaluate our faith?

A life of prayer right ’til the end

September 11, 2013

For 30 years Carmel Joyce ensured Msgr. Tom Raby had a comfortable place to go home to, first as his housekeeper and then as his prayer companion.

The tale behind symbol of light when Pope Benedict visited ground zero

September 11, 2013

VATICAN CITY - When Pope Benedict XVI visited ground zero in 2008, he knelt alone and prayed inside the cement-walled crater where the World Trade Center once stood.

Msgr. Raby’s stories had a message

September 11, 2013

KINGSTON, Ont. - The Little World of Fr. Raby was in fact not very small at all and that world is now grieving the loss of the beloved priest whose compassion, humour and storytelling brightened countless lives for half a century.

Montreal archbishop warns against enshrining Quebec values in a charter

September 11, 2013

OTTAWA - Montreal Archbishop Christian Lépine has warned against the Parti Quebecois' plans to enshrine Quebec values in a charter.

Msgr. Raby was “the salt of the earth”

September 11, 2013

KINGSTON, ONT. - A humble, prayerful and dedicated priest, Msgr. Tom Raby was “the salt of the earth” who influenced countless lives as a pastor and writer, a crowded church heard at his funeral Mass.

September 12

Pope, writing in secular newspaper, urges dialogue with non-believers

September 12, 2013

VATICAN CITY - Writing in one of Italy's major secular newspapers, Pope Francis called for a "sincere and rigourous dialogue" between the Church and non-believers as an "intimate and indispensable expression" of Christian love.

Say yes to aid

September 12, 2013

It took the deployment of chemical weapons to fully awaken the world to the war horror that has stalked Syria for 2 1/2 years. Now global leaders must forcefully react, not with missiles, but with an immediate and profound assault on the humanitarian crisis that is destabilizing the region and raining immense suffering on millions of innocent Syrians.

Msgr. Thomas Raby, RIP

September 12, 2013

Thomas Joseph Raby — T.J. to his closest friends, always Mgsr. Raby to me — died a few weeks shy of his 95th birthday. Msgr. Raby was born on Oct. 1, and it pleased him that his birthday was the feast of the Little Flower. It is a measure of the length of his years that when Msgr. Raby was born in 1918, St. Therese did not yet have a feast day. She was not beatified until 1923, nor canonized until 1925. Indeed, Msgr. Raby was born during the First World War.

Chesterton’s peaks, valleys

September 12, 2013

Recently there was a Twitter discussion of my 1988 book Gilbert: The Man Who Was G.K. Chesterton. In that it was written a quarter-of-a-century ago, and I’ve written 10 books and thousands of articles since, I was partly flattered, partly amazed. There have also been several biographies of the grand Catholic author and journalist since then, some of them — frankly — rather better than mine. So, why the sudden interest?

You will never know what tomorrow may bring

September 12, 2013

The other day I had a “Count Your Blessings” type of day. It was courtesy of two friends; a new friend and a long-time friend.