TORONTO - Torontonians will not be flocking to shopping malls this Christmas, or any other statutory holidays, after city council voted to kill a proposal to extend shopping on holidays.

Council voted against the proposal May 12 and have sent it back to committee for more study.

Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins published an open letter to council May 11 urging councillors to "strongly oppose" the proposal that would have seen stores allowed to open on Christmas, Easter Sunday, Good Friday and other holidays.

Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins has published an open letter to Toronto city council to “strongly oppose” a proposal to permit shopping on holidays, including Christmas and Good Friday.

“Our whole community is made poorer when times sacred to the human spirit are sacrificed so that the last drop of profit may be extracted,” wrote Collins.

{mosimage}TORONTO - In the past decade the archdiocese of Toronto has opened 13 parishes and closed none. This is at a time when across Canada, and particularly in Quebec, parishes are closing or amalgamating.

{mosimage}TORONTO - A Canadian manufacturer is hammering its nails into an oratory which will be the centre piece of Ave Maria, a brand new Catholic town in Naples, Florida, that will host Ave Maria University and an oratory in the city centre. The town and university is the brainchild of Domino's Pizza chain founder Tim Monaghan.

{mosimage}TORONTO - The archdiocese of Toronto will be spiritual host for what could be the largest gathering of Catholic media ever held in Canada when the Catholic Media Convention 2008 comes to town May 28-30.

{mosimage}TORONTO - James Magee has been named this year’s Meritus Catholic Business person of the Year.

Meritus is a not-for-profit organization that provides networking opportunities for Catholic business people. Every year the organization honours a businessperson who lives out Christian values in their personal and professional life.

{mosimage}TORONTO - A Catholic Zen roshi from Texas is coming to town to explain what Buddhism teaches about compassion in a world that often fails to live up to our expectations.

{mosimage}TORONTO - The church has been praying for the unity of Christians for 100 years, and will keep doing so.

{mosimage}TORONTO - Native teens living in remote northern communities are not provided the same opportunities as southern Canadian teens, said the former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.  

{mosimage}TORONTO - Hundreds of parishioners pack St. Patrick’s parish for noon hour Mass each Wednesday. They flock from all over Toronto and beyond for weekly devotions to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.