Browse › 2014 › September

September 2014

September 5

Faith after flying the coop

September 5, 2014

When I was eight, one of my friends made a statement that baffled me: she didn’t know any of her cousins. Growing up, I had this precon-ceived notion that everyone had a large family, and every Sunday my peers, like me, would go to church, walk down to their grand-parents’ house afterwards for brunch and play with their cousins long into the afternoon.

Hope for children through the power of education

September 5, 2014

TORONTO - Amanda, a former youth-in-care with the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, is acutely aware that her 19-month-old son’s future is dependent on her success in school.

Euthanasia no way to promote human rights, dignity, coalition argues

September 5, 2014

Killing off the old, the infirm and the disabled won’t promote the human rights, dignity or freedom of anybody, the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition argues in a factum submitted to the Supreme Court of Canada Aug. 28.

Bones of contention: Catholic dioceses fight over Archbishop Sheen’s body

September 5, 2014

NEW YORK - In life, Archbishop Fulton Sheen was exceptional, a riveting Catholic preacher on radio who outpolled star comedian Milton Berle in the early days of television, winning two Emmys and a following that was the envy of Bible-thumping Protestants.

In Google Hangout, Pope Francis helps launch worldwide social network

September 5, 2014

VATICAN CITY - The wisdom of "It takes a village to raise a child" has been lost as kids are either overprotected by permissive parents or neglected, Pope Francis said.

September 6

Parish, school join forces to save humanitarian project

September 6, 2014

RICHMOND HILL, ONT. - When a humanitarian project that turned old milk bags into sleeping mats stalled, Cathie Furfaro found new partners for the initiative at the nearby parish.

Scarborough Retirement maintains strong Catholic ties throughout 25 years

September 6, 2014

TORONTO - For the past 25 years Scarborough Retirement Centre has been providing Catholic seniors a like minded community where they can comfortably live out their golden years.

In their homes, hearts, Albania's faithful defied atheist regime

September 6, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Walking to a cemetery on All Saints' Day, watching television past 10 p.m., even slaughtering a kid goat on Easter were once so highly suspect in Albania, they would trigger neighbourhood spies to tip off communist authorities.

OCSTA seeks more candidates for trustee elections

September 6, 2014

Despite reports in August that about half of the candidates for Ontario's school board trustee positions were running uncontested, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association isn't worried about the election's integrity.

Sistine Chapel feels fallout from 'Francis effect' on attendance

September 6, 2014

VATICAN CITY - The "Francis effect" has spilled over into the Sistine Chapel, bringing a surge in visitors but also increasing risks to maintenance of what Antonio Paolucci, director of the Vatican Museums, calls "the world's chapel."

September 7

At L’Arche, no gift is too hard to bear

September 7, 2014

Today’s L’Arche finds itself challenged at both ends of life.

Celebrating life at fork in the road

September 7, 2014

There’s a fork in the road on Manger Street in Bethlehem, just before you reach the separation wall and the main Israeli checkpoint. Down the road that runs parallel to the wall you find Ma’an lil-Hayat, a L’Arche project. The Arabic name means “Human Life.”

L’Arche at 50: Half a century of kindness and care

September 7, 2014

L'Arche has been with us for 50 years. A half century ago, in a very different world, Jean Vanier started something in the French countryside that has made the whole world think about what it means to be human, what we owe to our humanity and how we care for the broken and fragile among us. Fifty years of kindness and care, hope and humanity is worth celebrating.

September 8

Pope Francis says war is senseless slaughter, can always be avoided

September 8, 2014

VATICAN CITY - War is just "senseless slaughter" and should never be seen as inevitable or a done deal, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis mourns murder of three missionary sisters in Burundi

September 8, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis mourned the deaths of three Xaverian Missionary Sisters of Mary, who were murdered in two separate attacks in their residence in Burundi.

September 9

Sex abuse victims: Irish cardinal’s resignation not soon enough

September 9, 2014

BELFAST, Northern Ireland - For years, the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, refused to heed repeated calls for him to step down over alleged cover-ups of sexual abuse of children by clergy.

Pope Francis sends condolences to family of second journalist slain by ISIS

September 9, 2014

MIAMI - Pope Francis sent a letter of condolence to the family a Steven Sotloff, the second U.S. journalist slain this summer by ISIS, also known as Islamic State.

September 10

Internally displaced Iraqi Christians not refugees

September 10, 2014

TORONTO - Mahir Aboudi’s aging mother and father — on the run from the Islamic State and holed up with thousands of refugees in Irbil, Kurdistan — can’t join their son and his family in Canada as refugees because they haven’t yet crossed an international border, Conservative cabinet member Jason Kenney told Aboudi and his family.

Imams decry ISIS ‘barbarism,’ ‘satanic deeds’ at Ottawa rally

September 10, 2014

OTTAWA - Religious leaders, including two Imams, denounced the barbarism of the Islamic State and urged the protection of Iraqi Christians and other minorities during a Parliament Hill rally on Sept. 6.

Faith leaders urge peace and action

September 10, 2014

TORONTO - The people came to pray and were told to act.