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April 2014

April 11

What dark nights do for us

April 11, 2014

After Mother Teresa died, her diaries revealed something that shocked many people. During the last 60 years of her life she struggled to imagine that God existed and had no affective experience of either the person or the existence of God. Yet, during all those years, everything in her life incarnated and radiated an exceptional, one-in-a-hundred-million selflessness, altruism and faith commitment.

Selfless love takes us on God’s path

April 11, 2014

Resurrection of the Lord (Year A) April 20 (Acts 10:34a, 37-43; Psalm 118; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-18) Christians do not often sound joyful and excited when describing the wonderful deeds of Jesus. Perhaps more disturbing is the fact that many would be hard pressed to describe the activity of Jesus in today’s world or in their own lives.

A pre-Lenten journey shows just how blessed my life is

April 11, 2014

Like most Canadians, the thought of travelling to the Caribbean during the dead cold of winter has always had magical appeal. That appeal has been reinforced by two teenagers who have done a pretty good job over the years of reminding me that almost “everyone we know” had taken one of those all-inclusive trips to the sun.

In our churches, Jesus takes precedence

April 11, 2014

It’s sad to think of a church in ruins. Land and Sea, the entertaining CBC television documentary show that chronicles the joys and struggles of Atlantic Canadians, recently had an interesting feature on churches in the region that have fallen into disrepair.

Belief, no, but faith?

April 11, 2014

Trust an atheist cell biologist turned journalist turned activist turned best-selling author to pinpoint the damage of pushing faith from public life.

PQ needed to recall history and Quebec’s new saints

April 11, 2014

When in Rome for the 2013 conclave, one heard frequently enough the quip that Latin America had had its best week in history. On March 5, Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s thuggish dictator, died, having reduced his petro-rich country to a barter economy suffering from acute toilet paper shortages.

A faithful servant

April 11, 2014

The front cover of this week’s paper was originally going to feature three priests who were ordained within minutes of each other 40 years ago and now serve in neighbouring Belleville, Ont., parishes. They were intended to represent the thousands of men and women, ordained and laity, who faithfully serve the Church and whom we celebrate each year in our popular Call to Service feature section.

Three pastors, united for four decades

April 11, 2014

BELLEVILLE, ONT. - The pastors at Belleville’s three Catholic churches come in three different flavours — traditional, spiritual and goofy. All three flavours come courtesy of St. Augustine’s Seminary, class of 1974.

April 12

A ‘Gift of Life’ triggers call to save others

April 12, 2014

TORONTO - Shortly after immigrating to Canada, a then 25-year-old Tom Mirtrovski discovered his kidneys were failing.

Church can do much more for human rights

April 12, 2014

A significant Catholic scholar of the post-Vatican II era is struggling to be heard on a deeply Catholic subject — human rights.

Seeds of vocation planted in Catholic schools

April 12, 2014

Recently I met with a former student of mine who is looking forward to his ordination. We discussed other students, memories and events, things that happened during his years at our school. As I was about to leave he said, “You know, school was where my vocation started. It was where the first seed was planted. Catholic schools that I attended helped shape my faith.”

Spirituality at ease with life’s mysteries

April 12, 2014

Prayer can be carried by the simplest of words. For American author Anne Lamott, those words are help, thanks and wow.

Looking after spiritual needs in the golden years

April 12, 2014

TORONTO - Sr. Mary Rose Marrin is attempting to fill a ministry gap in the Archdiocese of Toronto for a demographic that is continuing to grow: those reaching their golden years.

Jesuit Volunteers taking it to the city streets

April 12, 2014

Toronto - Jesuit Volunteers Canada is going to town. The rural-based, one-year service program is recruiting volunteers for an urban expansion into Toronto.

Helping find God’s place for you

April 12, 2014

TORONTO - For the past two years, Jennifer Ellis has been spending Saturday afternoons in good company.

Protestantism’s ‘fatal flaw’ draws Lutheran to Catholic Church

April 12, 2014

EDMONTON - After almost 60 years as a Lutheran, Fr. Joseph Jacobson entered the Catholic Church. Following his conversion, he prepared and privately published a 68-page volume titled A Gift of Love, The Joys and Treasures of a New Catholic. Its purpose is to give a serious account of why he became Catholic, and what he learned and experienced afterwards.

Finding comfort in Our Lady of Guadalupe

April 12, 2014

Toronto - The same year Deacon Gerard Almeida returned to his ministry at Toronto’s Nativity of Our Lord parish, he set eyes on the Marian icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This April, he will realize his dream of installing a sister replica of the icon as a permanent fixture of his home church.

April 13

Pope sends Passover greetings, asks prayers for Holy Land trip

April 13, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Offering Passover greetings to Rome's Jewish community, Pope Francis also asked for prayers for his upcoming trip to the Holy Land.

Questions persist after testing of ‘Jesus Wife’ papyrus

April 13, 2014

A year and a half after unveiling a slip of papyrus that she dubbed “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife,” Harvard Bible scholar Karen King released the results of long-delayed testing on the controversial fragment that appear to show it is not a modern forgery.

Indian sisters nurture hope, reconciliation in teeming South Sudan camp

April 13, 2014

JUBA, South Sudan - When South Sudan's fledgling democracy suddenly unraveled in December, what started as political infighting within the country's ruling party quickly ripped along ethnic fault lines, often pitting neighbours against each other according to the tribal markings on their faces.