As faithful from across the Archdiocese of Toronto gathered at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica on Saturday morning to mark ShareLife’s 50th anniversary, they did so under a single, unifying theme. While there was much to celebrate, Archbishop Frank Cardinal Leo summed the morning up under the simple banner of gratitude. 

“After 50 years, right now is a moment to give thanks and praise and show gratitude to the Lord who's put that desire (to love) in our hearts, gratitude to the donors and communities who have been extremely generous out of love for the Lord and love of His family, and gratitude for the generations of parishioners, supporters, clergy, religious, volunteers, Catholic schools, agencies, staff, and communities who have continued this very mission,” he told the congregation. 

Cardinal Leo was the main celebrant of ShareLife’s 50th Anniversary Mass, which took place on August 22. There, at the mother church of the archdiocese, he took a moment to give thanks to a mission that has long sought to uphold the dignity of human life and serve the most needy in our communities. 

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Saturday’s Holy Mass also coincided with the liturgical feast of the Queenship of Mary, with Cardinal Leo reminding those present that Her queenship remains one not marked by wealth or prestige but by humility, service, and love.

During the Homily, he spoke of how that same spirit of loving service is both the vocation of every baptized Christian, and that for half a century, ShareLife has embodied that mission throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto, supporting more than 40 agencies and ministries in a calling that goes far beyond an annual collection. 

“Our church, in a very unique way, and thanks to Archbishop Pocock and his prophetic gesture, has been spreading the kingdom of God among us. ShareLife is a ‘how’; how we strengthen and spread the kingdom of God in a manner of being. It is a way of reaching out, in that we are called to build, strengthen, and spread that kingdom,” he said. 

“ShareLife has been doing that, as well as calling us forward to be those wonderful agents of transformation in the lives of many people over many years.” 

As parishioners and ShareLife staff such as Michel McBride as chair of the advisory board and Arthur Peters as executive director listened on, Cardinal Leo presented the fundraising arm of the archdiocese’s work as a three-step movement that mirrors authentic Christian charity through awareness, love and concrete action. 

As he explained, one is no good without the other two, with ShareLife having been present as a testament to all three for 50 years. 

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“We can think of those in need, but that’s not good enough,” he reminded those in attendance. “ We love them as well, and then we do something about it. In doing so, we become the hands, heart, feet, lips, and eyes of Jesus for those persons, families, and communities who are suffering. 

It is that work inside the walls of the more than 40 agencies that ShareLife supports that has been able to do all this work through the help of the diocesan community and its many donors. For years, that work has been tangible, more than the thought of helping, or the mere act of writing a cheque. 

“In between that, there (is the thought) that they are our brothers and sisters, and that we love and care about them. We take care of them, and we do so because Jesus said so, and out of the love for Jesus,” he added. 

Cardinal Leo also thanked  the ongoing presence of the religious who have taken care of areas of education, social services, and health, and who continue to do so today, as well as our many parishes for their generosity that has helped sustain the mission. 

“All of us here today continue the mission, and no matter how big or small, it has got to come from the heart. We think about them, we help them, but we love them first, in Christ and for Christ,” he said. 

“Today, God, through us, continues to shape lives, transform families, and give those who are in need a second chance. In doing so, we strengthen, spread, and build up the kingdom of Jesus after the example of Our Lady.”

At the conclusion of Mass, Catholic Family Services of Durham executive director Elizabeth Pierce spoke to the audience with a similar sense of gratitude for ShareLife and the people who have supported its mission. As an organization assisted by ShareLife, she shared examples of just what that support has accomplished for real people in the community day in and day out. 

As that feeling of gratitude permeated the cathedral and was amplified by shared fellowship in the courtyard following Mass, it is perhaps Cardinal Leo’s reminder of Scripture, Matthew 25, that summed up the emotion of the commemorative day best of all. 

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“ From when our blessed Lord said, ‘I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me,’ the disciples of Christ have done that. We, in 2026, continue to do that through ShareLife,” he said during his homily. 

“Jesus also uttered those blessed words, ‘You did it to me,’ where He identified Himself with the lonely, struggling, outcast and poor. We do it to them; we're doing it to Him. Do we have the eyes of faith to see Jesus in that person? The heart of Jesus to love that person? It takes a supernatural heart and divine love to do so, and we have been doing that for 50 years. We praise the Lord and thank Him for allowing us to do that today,” he added.