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July 2020

July 29

Youth adapt to new reality

July 29, 2020

The days of living-room Mass, celebrated while still in pyjamas, are no longer the only option as churches have slowly re-opened for public services.

Fr. Raymond de Souza: Syro-Malabar calendar elevates summer feasts

July 29, 2020

Our calendar of liturgical seasons is rather bare compared to some of our sister Catholic Churches. That is never more evident than in our long season of “Ordinary Time,” an uninspired translation of a banal original (in Latin, “Sundays of the Year”).

Students hit hardest by WE fallout

July 29, 2020

While the WE Charity scandal marches on, Catholic charities that had hoped to put young volunteers to work through the Canada Student Service Grant have been left wondering when and if they will ever see federal funding to support volunteer programs.

Four bishops appointed to revamped Development and Peace council

July 29, 2020

A nearly three-year process of investigation and review at the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace has resulted in a slimmed-down national council with four bishops appointed to the development agency’s governing body.

July 30

Loyola University Maryland removes Flannery O'Connor's name from hall

July 30, 2020

BALTIMORE -- Thirteen years after naming a new residence hall at Loyola University Maryland in honor of the Catholic author Flannery O'Connor, Jesuit Father Brian Linnane, the university's president, removed the writer's name from the building.

Parish statues targeted by vandals

July 30, 2020

Constant vigilance will be required from staff and parishioners at churches across Canada to safeguard against the rising tide of vandalism inflicted upon religious statues.

Editorial: A disturbing trend

July 30, 2020

The reports were scattered at first, isolated news stories throughout the year of a statue toppled here, another spray-painted with graffiti there. This summer they have come more frequently — senseless acts of anti-Church vandalism that have grown bolder and more destructive.

Readers Speak Out: August 2 - 9

July 30, 2020

Different rules Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologized for so many wrongdoings of late. He’s “sorry” about blackface; he’s “sorry” about SNC-Lavalin; he’s “sorry” about the conflict of interest with WE Charity — involving payments to three of his family members, exceeding a total of $300,000, in exchange for public relations appearances for the charity. This preceded Ottawa’s granting WE a nearly one-billion-dollar contract they then cancelled. Mr. Trudeau operates by different rules.

COVID takes heavy toll on Missions

July 30, 2020

Fr. David Reilander spent the early days of the COVD-19 shutdown alongside Catholic Missions In Canada’s financial and administration director Lina Kim diagnosing the potential impacts the pandemic would have on its operations.

Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow keeps fighting spirit

July 30, 2020

Setsuko Thurlow, 88, isn’t just disappointed. She’s choking back tears of frustration and grief as she describes the response she’s had from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on nuclear disarmament over the last four years.

Assisted suicide rate continues to climb

July 30, 2020

The number of medically-assisted deaths in Canada rose by more than 25 per cent in 2019 and made up two per cent of all Canadian deaths last year, Health Canada’s first annual report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada found.

Glen Argan: Patience a virtue when watching my Oilers

July 30, 2020

A long-time fan of the Edmonton Oilers, I hold in my heart the glory days of the 1980s when my team won five Stanley Cups in seven years. It was an exciting time for both me and the city. Although I lived most of those years in Winnipeg, I remained a dedicated member of the Oilers’ diaspora.

Ontario schools back in business in September

July 30, 2020

Ontario’s high school and elementary students will be back in school in September, with significant provincial investment in measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

July 31

New life for parish after devastating fire

July 31, 2020

ST. ISIDORE, ONT. -- When the historic church in St. Isidore, built in 1879, was destroyed by fire after a lightning storm in 2016, the community vowed off that the spiritual centre of the small French-Canadian community in eastern Ontario would rise again.

The story of my brother’s death

July 31, 2020

I’ve always done my best thinking through writing, and the death of my younger brother Chris last month has given me a lot to think about. The thing is, his life had meaning, and so did his death. I write this to share just a few reflections on that meaning.

Indigenous centre feeds youth in need

July 31, 2020

Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre donated 100 supermarket food vouchers and over 200 pre-made meals to help young people in need.

Sr. Helena Burns: Hip-hop and history find a classy blend

July 31, 2020

O, the irony! The historical figures lionized in the smash Broadway musical, Hamilton, are now having their statues torn down (or attempts to that effect) across the U.S.