Our small English-language parish in a borough of Montreal is hardly a hot bed of serious surprises. Recently, though, we received some rather hard news.

London Ontario’s only candidate for sainthood, Henry Edward Dormer (1844-66) was a 21-year-old British Army ensign who only lived in London for a grand total of 220 days — the last seven months of his life — but left an indelible impression that still inspires his adopted townspeople a century and a half later. 

We were all lined up at our desks, blank forms at the ready an plenty of pens for St. Michael’s parishioners to use. 

Everyone in the group knew the greatest commandment. Love God, love your neighbour. Simple to say. Hard to do. 

Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 22 (Year B) Acts 4:7-12; Psalm 118; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

The other night I was watching TVO’s The Agenda and an erudite, award-winning author was talking about two taboos: politics and religion. It was fascinating television on several levels as she linked the two in Trump’s America.

Thanks to generous donors, St. Mary’s University in Calgary was recently able to complete the restoration of our nearly 100-year-old water tower. Built by the Sisters of Providence in 1921, the tower has stood over the Midnapore site for nearly a century, its fortunes waxing and waning — mostly waning — over time. 

Why won’t Pope Francis issue a formal apology for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system? 

Pope Francis has long held in esteem the late Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen van Thuan, the archbishop of Saigon who spent 13 years in a communist prison camp, including nine years in solitary confinement.

Third Sunday of Easter, April 15 (Year B) Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48