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May 2020

May 15

Jesuit facility closes after outbreak claims five lives

May 15, 2020

Following five COVID-19 deaths in one horrific week, the Jesuit long-term care facility in Pickering, Ont., is closing temporarily.

Leah Perrault: Real love creates space to grow and discover

May 15, 2020

Space is not a word I associated with love for most of my life. I grew up longing for the freedom of stretching further away from the intimacy of my family and small Saskatchewan town. I sat in the farmhouse window sill in my bedroom, staring up at the expansive, prairie sky of stars, full of wonder at all the space in the universe for all of us.

National March for Life goes online to deliver pro-life message

May 15, 2020

OTTAWA -- Canadians were urged not to be afraid to speak out to protect life from the moment of conception until a natural death during the first ever online National March for Life on May 14.

May 16

Executive’s life takes a divine turn

May 16, 2020

Sheri McConnell has no doubt some divine intervention was involved in her taking on the role of executive director of Mary’s Meals Canada in March.

Peter Stockland: A shadow of hope emerges in crisis

May 16, 2020

On the doorstep of what would become the COVID-19 crisis of spring 2020, a wise woman I encountered called me out on the distinction between hope and expectation.

May 17

God's Word on Sunday: God’s work for us is on Earth

May 17, 2020

Ascension of the Lord, May 24 (Year A) Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20 What did Jesus tell the disciples during the 40 days He was with them after the Resurrection? We can only imagine and speculate, and some in the early Church did just that.

Wedding plans take a sharp detour

May 17, 2020

EDMONTON -- Like many brides-to-be, Kristina Roxas often dreamed about a perfect fairytale wedding.

May 18

St. Peter's Basilica reopens to the public

May 18, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Almost 10 weeks after St. Peter's Basilica was closed to the public in cooperation with Italy's COVID-19 lockdown measures, the faithful and tourists were allowed back in May 18.

St. John Paul was a good shepherd, Pope Francis says on saint's birthday

May 18, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- St. John Paul II was a man of deep prayer, who loved being close to people and loved God's justice and mercy, Pope Francis said.

May 19

Catholic leaders warn of humanitarian, environmental tragedy in Amazon

May 19, 2020

LIMA, Peru -- Catholic leaders warn that as the coronavirus pandemic spreads into the Amazon basin, the region may face a "humanitarian and environmental tragedy."

African church leaders work to curb domestic abuse during lockdown

May 19, 2020

NAIROBI, Kenya -- On the night of May 9, Edward Okello, an aeronautical engineer, died when a kitchen knife was plunged into his chest. Vigilance Shighi later said she did not know how the weapon hit her boyfriend, who had beaten her.

Catholic colleges, universities face pandemic's financial punch

May 19, 2020

WASHINGTON -- The coronavirus pandemic that has impacted the health and economy of the nation particularly dealt a blow to Catholic higher education, from the large universities with hefty endowments to smaller liberal arts schools.

May 20

Will a COVID-19 vaccine be linked to aborted fetus?

May 20, 2020

A coalition of Catholic bioethical groups is urging the Canadian government to invest in COVID-19 vaccine research that doesn’t use cells derived from electively aborted fetuses.

Archdiocese plots plans for re-opening

May 20, 2020

As Ontario and other provinces slowly begin to re-open a society that’s been in lockdown for more than two months, Church officials are well on their way in preparing for the lifting, or modifying, of the ban on large-scale gatherings like Mass celebrations.

Speaking Out: Reclaiming time during pandemic

May 20, 2020

It has been over two months since the enacting of shelter-in-place and social distancing orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus has forced us into new circumstances, going forward in an uncharted “new normal.”

Alpha Canada continues to offer gateway to faith

May 20, 2020

Alpha evangelistic courses have been engaging both young and old in what it means to be Christian for over 40 years — and a pandemic wasn’t about to stop that mission.

Safety top priority as Catholic schools stay closed

May 20, 2020

Partners in Catholic education are in agreement with Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision to cancel in-class learning for the rest of this school year.

Bob Brehl: Back-to-the-future pandemic activities

May 20, 2020

While in a bulk food store recently, complying with social distancing rules, I was led around by an employee whose job was to scoop out items I wanted and bag them.

Vatican distributes notes on cleaning, protecting church objects

May 20, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- To help prevent damaging artistic and historically significant objects, the Pontifical Council for Culture released suggestions for cleaning and disinfecting church buildings, furnishings and sacred objects.

May 21

Grieving a ‘hidden tragedy’ of pandemic

May 21, 2020

The quiet victims during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic have been those grieving the death of a loved one.