It should not be suprising that here in Quebec City, the cradle of Christendom in North America, that the liturgies have been surpassingly beautiful. There is a veritable cornucopia of worship services to attend, from the large daily Masses in the Pepsi Colliseum at the Expo City to the Adoration chapels, to the many Vespers and prayer services that happen daily at many of Quebec's historic churches.

{mosimage}QUEBEC CITY - Pilgrims who venture away from the International Eucharistic Congress grounds in this city are getting some living lessons in church history — almost 400 years of it.

Quebec City is celebrating the fourth centennial of its founding in 2008. And since the Catholic Church was there in the earliest years of this colony of France, it too is looking back into its own history and finding much to be proud of.

Looking for bright young, spirited and inspirational priests? In despair because you believe the media mantra about the dying priesthood? Have a little faith. They're out there, believe me. I keep tripping over them, especially here at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City.

{mosimage}QUEBEC CITY - Human beings may be fallible but the Catholic Church as an institution remains sanctified through the Eucharist, says Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J.

And it is this sanctified institution that always deserves defending, even if its individual members err, the archbishop of Buenos Aires and primate of Argentina explained in a large catechesis session here at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress June 18.

{mosimage}QUEBEC CITY - Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga urged Catholics to support a campaign to get the Canadian government to appoint an ombudsperson that would scrutinize domestic mining operations overseas.

At a press conference held at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress June 20, the cardinal/archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, thanked the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace for conducting the campaign.

I have many good friends in the United Church, and they always seem very respectful toward Catholic teachings and practices, even if they disagree with them. Yet it seems lately that every protest by disaffected Catholics takes place in a United Church. Perhaps I exaggerate, but a little incident here in Quebec reinforces that impression.

Pope Benedict XVI sent his regards and blessings Wednesday, June 18, to the 12,000 or so pilgrims gathered here in Quebec City for the International Eucharistic Congress. Below is the text of his message from the Vatican Information Service.

News is flowing like a river, as they say, from the International Eucharistic Congress here in a very wet Quebec City (it stopped raining long enough yesterday just to dry up the sidewalks for the next deluge). And much of that news is flowing to the TV world via Canada's Salt+Light TV.

{mosimage}TORONTO - Cardinal John Foley, grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, has urged a group of North American members of one of the Catholic Church’s oldest chivalric orders to be generous in their help to the inhabitants of the Holy Land.

{mosimage}TORONTO - A firestorm of protest continues to sweep across Canada in the wake of a July 1 announcement that abortion doctor Henry Morgentaler would receive the Order of Canada.

Catholic bishops from coast to coast joined numerous pro-life groups in condemning the decision by Governor General  Michaëlle Jean to give the country’s highest honour to the man whose name is most widely associated with the fact that Canada, almost alone among civilized nations, has no legal restrictions on abortion.