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June 2015

June 21

Canadians say leave God in anthem

June 21, 2015

OTTAWA - An Angus Reid poll shows most Canadians approve of banning prayer before official public meetings, but would not approve of removing God from “O Canada.”

School, community centre to consolidate under one roof

June 21, 2015

TORONTO - The Toronto Catholic District School Board and Villa Charities are entering a unique partnership to build a new state-of-the-art shared facility that will house Dante Alighieri Academy and the Columbus Centre.

Fr. Art MacKinnon: 50 years a martyr

June 21, 2015

With the phone pressed to her ear memories spring to life of a man from half a life ago. “Sure I remember him,” said Sr. Mary Jo Mazzerolle. “The day before he was killed he was in our house. He came to us to say Mass and afterwards he came to our house for supper.

King’s puts another green notch in its belt

June 21, 2015

King’s University College has always been green, said principal David Sylvester, not just in its school colours but also in practice.

Historic Quebec churches no longer untouchable

June 21, 2015

QUEBEC CITY - With the decision to close one of its largest and most important churches, the Archdiocese of Quebec is sending a clear message: The future of even the most majestic churches cannot be guaranteed any more.

June 22

People express heartache, outrage as they mourn shooting victims

June 22, 2015

WASHINGTON - The tragic taking of nine lives at a historically black church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, brought an outpouring of solidarity, compassion and sorrow from around the country.

Archbishop wants G-7, Vatican to do more to ensure Ukraine's security

June 22, 2015

WARSAW, Poland - The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church expressed concern that the world's richest countries are failing to honour a 1994 agreement that promised Ukraine security for giving up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons.

Pope Francis contemplates Shroud of Turin, calls it 'icon of love'

June 22, 2015

VATICAN CITY - It took place in silence and lasted only a few minutes, but Pope Francis' time of prayer and contemplation before the Shroud of Turin was marked with gestures of reverence and tenderness.

Mexico Supreme Court ruling makes same-sex marriages legal nationwide

June 22, 2015

MEXICO CITY - Mexico's Supreme Court has declared state-level laws, defining marriage only as the union of a man and a woman, discriminatory and unconstitutional. The decision, in effect, legalizes same-sex marriages in all 31 of the country's states.

Papal envoy, Maronite patriarch visit displaced Christians in Iraq

June 22, 2015

BEIRUT - Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, representing Pope Francis, and Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite Catholic patriarch, traveled to Irbil, Iraq, to meet with Christians who had fled from Islamic State forces.

June 23

Christians call for justice in demonstration at Galilee church hit by arson

June 23, 2015

JERUSALEM - Druze, Muslims and Jews joined thousands of Christians in a demonstration in Galilee three days after an arson attack seriously damaged the Benedictine Church of the Multiplication.

Synod working document expands scope of family issues, pastoral needs

June 23, 2015

VATICAN CITY - The working document for this fall's Synod of Bishops on the Family called for expanded discussion and pastoral solutions to challenges such as how economic disparity and environmental degradation affect families as well as the impact of infertility, aging and disability.

Sr. Nirmala Joshi, successor to Blessed Teresa, dies at 81

June 23, 2015

CALCUTTA, India - Sr. Nirmala Joshi, who succeeded Blessed Teresa of Calcutta as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity and led the order for 12 years until retiring in 2009, died early June 23 in Calcutta at age 80.

June 24

European bishops call on EU to welcome migrants fleeing war, poverty

June 24, 2015

MANCHESTER, England - Bishops across the European Union are calling on member states to be generous toward tens of thousands of migrants flooding across the Mediterranean.

Compassion in physician-assisted suicide 'hollow,' says L.A. archbishop

June 24, 2015

LOS ANGELES - After the California Senate voted to legalize physician-assisted suicide in the state, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez called it the wrong response to a "public health crisis."

Pope tells parents to be mindful of children's suffering

June 24, 2015

VATICAN CITY - The deep hurts that spouses inflict on each other cause great suffering to their children and, in some cases, lead to a separation that is "morally necessary" to protect spouses and children from more serious forms of violence, Pope Francis said during his general audience in St. Peter's Square June 24.

Cathedral closed over safety concerns

June 24, 2015

TORONTO - First construction stripped St. Michael’s Cathedral of its spiritual atmosphere, now it is blocking parishioners from entering the pews and sacred space.

Series of events combine to put ShareLife behind

June 24, 2015

Natural disasters around the world combined with a larger fund-raising campaign in the archdiocese tapping into the generosity of Toronto Catholics are making for one of the most difficult years in ShareLife’s history.

June 25

God’s power manifests when we surrender to Him

June 25, 2015

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) July 5 (Ezekiel 2:3-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6) Who could blame Ezekiel if he had refused the role of prophet? The job description did not sound promising or encouraging. He was being given a thankless task that was doomed to failure. His mission was to prophesy to Israel, which sounded harmless enough, but the divine voice painted a very unflattering portrait of the nation. Impudent, stubborn and rebellious are not words that would give one hope of success.

Best we can do in the circumstances

June 25, 2015

Recently I led a week-long retreat for some 60 people at a renewal centre. Overall, it went very well, though ideally it could have gone better. It could have gone better if, previous to the retreat, I had more time to prepare and more time to rest so that I would have arrived at the retreat well rested, fully energetic and able to give this group my total undivided attention for seven days.