Archdiocese of Toronto urging Catholics to call on MPPs for ‘equitable’ approach to a return to worship
Toronto’s Cardinal Thomas Collins wants Catholics to send a clear message to Queen’s Park: It’s time for a “fair and equitable approach to the return to worship.”
Into the Lenten desert
Forty days in the desert — that’s our usual starting point for Lent. But we would prefer to choose our desert, and most years we do. We decide what we will give up for Lent. We choose spiritual reading, take on volunteering and charitable acts, memorize a new prayer, set aside time for meditation. Diligent Catholics like to plan our desert experience.
A different look to Ash Wednesday
Millions facing starvation, WFP warns
The head of the UN World Food Program warned Pope Francis in a Jan. 28 meeting at the Vatican that famine looms in a number of countries as COVID-19 ravages communities around the world
Egg decorating brings some quarantine joy
Lockdowns brought upon by COVID-19 over the past 11 months have spawned a number of activities to keep peoples minds and spirits up.
Vatican Museums reopen to the public
VATICAN CITY -- As coronavirus restrictions eased slightly in most parts of Italy Feb. 1, the Vatican Museums reopened to the public after a three-month closure.
ShareLife comes up shy in difficult year
The Archdiocese of Toronto ultimately fell short of its $13.8-million target for the parish component of its annual ShareLife charitable appeal.
Gerry Turcotte: The best and worst of times
An early December editorial cartoon struck a sympathetic chord with me. It depicted a weary Father Time, sitting at a bar and pleading to be relieved of duty early. Enough is enough, his hoary visage seemed to say.
Tam asks for church aid in bringing end to pandemic
The end of our long COVID crisis may be in sight, but until we get there churches and faith leaders still have a job to do, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam told over 1,300 faith leaders on a Jan. 20, nationwide Zoom call.
Speaking Out: Leaders’ example sorely lacking
Canada’s provincial and federal politicians essentially locked the country down again over Christmas because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Tightening restrictions intensified the dreariness, the darkness and coldness of a Christmas season in Canada. These limits on freedom were even instituted in communities that were faring well with flattening the pandemic’s curve.
Francis Campbell: Togetherness of Mass a necessity of our faith
The doors to our Catholic church swung open again on Sunday morning, weeks after in-person Masses were shut down for the second extended period of the coronavirus pandemic.
High-performance school learns to cope with COVID
In a year marked by event cancellations, pandemic restrictions hindered competition plans for many high school athletes looking to obtain their diploma while also pursuing athletic ambitions in 2020.
Some provinces close churches to contain pandemic
Canadian churches faced new restrictions as public health officials tried to contain a post-holiday surge of COVID-19.
Fr. Raymond de Souza: Becket’s freedom fight echoes in pandemic
As 2020 closed, it was regrettable that the public observations of the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom (Dec. 29, 1170) of St. Thomas Becket did not take place due to pandemic restrictions.
Editorial: Focus on family
In his own way, Pope Francis is developing a different kind of vaccine to battle the effects of COVID-19. This is not a vaccine developed in a scientific lab, but it may well be a much-needed antidote to some of the unseen but crippling injuries that have accompanied the pandemic.