Features

“Then He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them the authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness”
- (Matthew 10:1)

TORONTO - Pastoral care for the sick and the dying is a very important mission in the spiritual life of the Catholic Church. And just as it is important to plan for our earthly comforts, each of us should have a plan that encompasses our spiritual needs.

At St. Michael’s Hospital, as the priest-chaplain appointed by the archbishop, I work in the department of spiritual care (formerly known as the chaplaincy department) as part of a team consisting of several staff chaplains from different faith traditions. As the priest-chaplain I provide spiritual care specifically to the Roman Catholic members.

EDMONTON - Caring for the remains of those who have died is a serious business.

Today, however, not everyone sees things that way.

The current trend to cremation, for example, often means that the remains of a person do not always end up in a cemetery. Some people choose to scatter the ashes of their loved ones.

Facebook can’t replace a human face, but it can bring it closer.

ShareLife, the charitable fundraising arm of the archdiocese of Toronto, relies on human faces to get its message out and bring dollars in. But social media — including Facebook and Twitter — are bringing in more and more dollars and reaching out to more and more donors.

“ShareLife began as a grassroots movement with people canvassing door-to-door,” said ShareLife communications manager Bill Steinburg.

Few people realize that insurance can be used to make a substantial gift to their parish or favourite archdiocesan charity at a relatively low monthly cost.

Depending on your age, the amount of the policy and your tax bracket, a gift of insurance could cost you less than a dollar a day after tax.

One of the most frequently encountered situations in estate litigation involves the improper use of joint accounts.

Joint accounts are a useful tool but they can also be abused. In fact, lawyers have seen a sharp increase in litigation and disputes arising from the use of jointly held property.

To illustrate, let us assume a fictional Mrs. Smith who has four children. She has left all her assets to be divided equally among them after providing for a number of charitable bequests to her favourite charities. Keep her in mind as you read.

Holding Property Jointly

When making a donation to the Church in your will, remember that what you leave behind doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary.

Non-cash gifts, referred to as gifts in kind, can include stamps, coins, art, musical instruments, real estate, an old car, jewellery, books or computers, according to information published on the archdiocese of Toronto’s development office web site.

These may be gifts used in day-to-day parish activity that enhance spiritual development or help the Catholic community.

TORONTO - Organ donation is a very Catholic act because it lives the Gospel values, said Deacon Michael Hayes.

Hayes is a living example. He himself is an organ donor who has donated 70 per cent of both his liver and a kidney to help others survive.

“When our earthly days are done, you can take nothing with you which you’ve received, only which you’ve given,” said Hayes, quoting St. Francis of Assisi.

TORONTO - A new archdiocese of Toronto “Planned Giving” poster campaign is using the Apostle’s Creed to inspire legacy gifts to the Catholic Church.

It has a twist however. Instead of just words, the campaign features a poster of children’s drawings which brings the Creed to life.

The poster encourages parishioners to consider legacy gifts in the form of donations through bequests or donations through an insurance policy or family endowment.

A well thought out estate plan can also include gifts made during your lifetime. Gifts of securities have a special advantage in that if gifted directly to your parish or favourite registered charity of choice, you will not have to pay any capital gains tax. But more importantly, a gift of securities can be a wonderful way of making the special gift you always wanted to.

One such gift was made by Ms. Mary Louis, a faithful parishioner at St. Anselm’s parish in Toronto. (Her name has been changed to respect her anonymity). For more than 40 years, Mary spent much of her life caring for others.

MISSISSAUGA, ONT. - Teachers should address homophobia in Catholic schools and embrace the objective of gay-straight alliances, two presenters told delegates at a major education conference.

Kevin Welbes Godin, chair of the Catholic Association of Religious and Family Life Educators, and co-presenter Dave Szolloy, religious department head at Scarborough’s Mother Teresa Catholic High School, said GSAs are necessary to combat bullying in Catholic schools. They were speaking to about 30 teachers Oct. 28 at the When Faith Meets Pedagogy conference.