{mosimage}TORONTO, Ont. - Over seven decades in the priesthood, Fr. Angelo Pucci has been a fine example of the priesthood to many.

In fact, his friends at Oakville’s St. James Barnabite parish say the 93-year-old former science and chemistry teacher has inspired at least seven former altar boys from the parish to enter the priesthood.

As Pucci approaches his 70th anniversary as a Barnabite priest, associate pastor Fr. Louis Lenssen, CRSP, said he admires Pucci’s example.

Paulist Fathers novice, Anthony Rosado, evangelizes with song

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{mosimage}TORONTO - During his two-month placement as a novice with the Paulist Fathers in Toronto, Anthony Rosado, 24, combined his love for evangelization and music in a unique concert series. 
In a performance called “Four Sacred Art Songs” held from March 9 to April 6 at St. Peter’s parish, Rosado featured original classical songs he composed last year. 
As a Paulist novice, Rosado has to perform the normal tasks of a novice, but he was also told he needed to do something “on his own terms” in the parish. This became his enthusiastic project.

Brother Anthony Canterucci continues his work in Toronto and Tanzania

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{mosimage}TORONTO - What does it mean to be a religious brother in modern society? Plenty, if you ask Brother Anthony Canterucci, a man who has served the Missionaries of the Precious Blood for 60 years. 
Canterucci, now 80, continues his work with undying passion. When he first started his vocation as a religious brother in his hometown of Niles, Ohio, his work included an assortment of tasks including administration, youth ministry and cooking. But since 1976, Canterucci has been a key co-ordinator in the order’s mission work in Tanzania, working from St. Alphonsus parish in Toronto.

Numbers rise in local Toronto seminaries

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{mosimage}TORONTO - There are more than 400,000 priests in the world, and that number has been slowly rising since 2000, according to the Vatican yearbook Annuario Pontificio. But do such big numbers relieve the anxiety of Catholics in North America and Europe who see an aging and dwindling priesthood manning the altars?
With more than 100 men in Toronto currently studying for the priesthood, perhaps local Catholics have become too used to gloomy forecasts.

Mississauga Slovak parish 75 years young

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{mosimage}MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Seventy-five years is a long time, but at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Slovak Roman Catholic parish all those years mask the truth about the parish. The truth is the parish is young.

Third-year University of St. Michael’s College student Stefan Slovak is a member of the parish council and an active organizer of the parish’s 75th anniversary celebrations. He was born in Canada to a Slovak father and an Irish-Canadian mother, grew up in the suburbs and has absorbed Slovak language and culture entirely from the expatriate community of 40,000 Slovaks in and around Toronto.

Whitehorse benefits from Catholic Missions In Canada's Tastes of Heaven

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TORONTO - Catholic Missions In Canada is holding its annual fundraising dinner, Tastes of Heaven, on April 22 with the goal of raising $100,000.

The dinner will help support 12 parishes and 21 missions throughout the diocese of Whitehorse. Whitehorse Bishop Gary Gordon will be the guest speaker. 

“This is a very unique event. People can meet the heroes of our dioceses and recognize the work they do,” said Kathleen Ancker, the National Director of Development for Catholic Missions In Canada.

Toronto Knights of Columbus aid seminarians

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{mosimage}TORONTO - The Knights of Columbus Toronto Council 1388 will celebrate 100 years of service by making a gift of $100,000.

At a gala dinner April 25 to mark its 100th anniversary, the Toronto Council will donate $100,000 to create an endowment to support Toronto’s seminarians. It is the largest gift in the history of Council 1388.

Liberal MP John McKay tries to woo Catholics

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{mosimage}OTTAWA - Liberal MP John McKay is reaching out to Catholic and Christian voters on behalf of the federal party.

He hopes to “redress” the relationship with faith communities — a relationship that has been hurt by Liberal tactics that have at times demonized Christian voters as “scary” or “anti-charter.”

“I am hoping that this initiative will free up some political space for faith leaders to speak into the marketplace of ideas and not feel that they will end up battered and bruised and run out of town on a rail,” said McKay.

Bishops join team investigating Development and Peace

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{mosimage}OTTAWA - Two bishops from eastern Canada will lead an inquiry into allegations that funds from the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace have gone to Mexican groups that have ties to abortion advocacy.

Archbishop Martin W. Currie of St. John’s, Nfld., and Bishop François Lapierre, P.M.É., of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., were to go to Mexico April 15-18 to meet with local bishops, announced the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Romance in the pews

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{mosimage}TORONTO - Spring and a young man’s fancy turns exactly where you think it does, and so does a young woman’s. Anything wrong with that?

Archdiocese of Toronto reaches out to lapsed Catholics

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{mosimage}TORONTO - The archdiocese of Toronto is launching a new, multi-media outreach campaign for lapsed Catholics.

The public awareness campaign, launched this month, includes radio ads, a web site and an online video message from Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins.

On the web site www.wearecatholic.ca , Collins talks about the work of Catholics in the city, including teaching at 500 schools and caring for the sick.