Features

{mosimage}LONDON, Ont. - Toronto’s newest bishop from London has been a chemical engineer, a parish pastor, a professor, a seminary rector and now begins his journey as auxiliary bishop.

But to those who know him well, Bishop William McGrattan is a good friend, a systematic teacher and a creative leader who knows how to incorporate the laity into the church.

London Catholics praise newly ordained Bishop McGrattan

By
{mosimage}LONDON, Ont.- It was hard to tell friends, family and supporters apart at Bishop William McGrattan’s Jan. 12 ordination.

Close to 1,000 joyful people, including 150 priests, nearly 35 bishops and archbishops and about 40 relatives, packed St. Peter’s Cathedral in London to give a hug and their congratulations to a long time friend, associate pastor, teacher, seminary leader and now auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Toronto. He is also titular bishop of Furnos Minor.

Bishop Nguyen ordained a bishop for all

By
{mosimage}TORONTO - Bishop Vincent Nguyen has slipped on the ring, donned his mitre, taken hold of his staff and become a shepherd in the church he loves with all his heart.

Tears flowed in the pews occupied by Nguyen's family — eight siblings, six of whom flew in from their Vietnamese homeland — and friends at St. Michael's Cathedral Jan. 13 as Nguyen was ordained Canada's first non-white bishop.

Toronto celebrates two new Shepherds

By

2BishopsCoverOn January 12 in London and January 13 in Toronto, Bishops William McGrattan and Vincent Nguyen were ordained to serve as auxiliary bishops for the archdiocese of Toronto. Each event was attended by more than 1,000 people and The Catholic Register was on hand to provide full coverage.

The following links are to the articles which appeared in our special section on their ordinations on January 17, 2010.


Community fights to keep Neil McNeil at home

By
{mosimage}TORONTO - It’s a half-century tradition that Neil McNeil High School supporters say they’d like to keep: having their school at the very site where the Spiritan Fathers founded it 1958.

Neil McNeil, along with four other schools in its cluster group in the Toronto Catholic District School Board, is undergoing a school accommodation review this year. The schools — which are part of four clusters of 17 schools under review — either have too many or too few students and could be consolidated, relocated or closed. In December, the board decided to close two schools and relocate another.

Helping Henry Carr's dreams come true

By
{mosimage}TORONTO - Fr. Henry Carr High School got a boost from the Toronto Police Service in its quest to build its state-of-the-art sports stadium.

The police services board kicked in $50,000 to help make the northwest Toronto school’s dream become a reality.

38 Toronto schools targetted for full-day kindergarten

By
{mosimage}TORONTO - The Toronto Catholic District School Board has announced a preliminary list of 38 schools for the province’s new multi-billion dollar, full-day kindergarten program, slated to start next fall.

About 63 full-day kindergarten classrooms will be open for an estimated 1,500 students in Catholic school boards across Ontario next year.

Trustees, teachers seek more special ed funding

By
{mosimage}TORONTO - The Ontario government needs to invest more in special education to narrow the $68-million funding gap that 29 Catholic school boards across the province face this school year, says the head of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association.

“The problem with special education funding (in 2009-2010) and that gap is that boards are forced to take money out of other areas to fund the special education needs of our students,” Paula Peroni told The Catholic Register.

Venerable Mary Ward's path of sainthood

By
{mosimage}TORONTO - A congregation founded 400 years ago received a surprise ending last month to its year-long anniversary celebration.

On Dec. 19, Pope Benedict XVI recognized the “heroic virtues” of Sr. Mary Ward, the English founder of the Congregation of Jesus and the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary —  also known as the Loretto Sisters — declaring her “venerable.”

2009 In Review

By

{mosimage}

A review of the past year from the pages of The Catholic Register.

Ontario school boards prepare for new equity strategy

By
{mosimage}TORONTO - A new equity policy for Ontario school boards could mean more prayer spaces for non-Catholic students and gay/straight student alliances at Ontario Catholic high schools next year.

The provincial government introduced its equity and inclusive education strategy last year. Boards are required to have equity and inclusive education policies in place by next fall. The policies range from religious accommodation to tackling discriminatory biases like gender or racial discrimination and systemic barriers to education.