Feature

When I started with the Archdiocese of Toronto almost 21 years ago, I mentioned that one area of fund development that I was not strong in was planned giving. Soon after, we made a decision to commit resources to the area of Wills and estates.

As individuals progress through various life stages, a number of changes or experiences can add layers and complexity to our personal situation and possibly impact our final future goals and intentions.

“Beauty is a gateway to faith,” says Msgr. Michael Busch. As Rector of St. Michael’s Cathedral during its journey to becoming a minor basilica, he drew on his background in art as an evangelization tool to help parishioners and visitors connect with the sacred space.

This year, Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Hornepayne, Ont., celebrates 100 years of Catholic presence. Established in 1925, the parish has stood through the shifts of an isolated northern town whose identity has long been tied to the railway.

The Daily TV Mass’ worldwide audience continues to grow, and this 27-year-old multimedia institution is rewarding that support and loyalty with new, imaginative programming.

Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Services of the Archdiocese of Toronto has successfully expanded Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery and Funeral Home with a new facility that takes care of all arrangements in one place.

Joe Gennaro has long advocated that one of the reasons Canadian Catholics should donate to Catholic Missions In Canada (CMIC) is that 100 per cent of the funds are directed towards helping the faith flower in the remotest regions of the nation's north.

While keeping Christ in Christmas has long been a tagline to preserve the religious significance of Our Lord's birth date, Catholics are increasingly pushing to put the "halo" back in Halloween and reclaim the festivity's Catholic roots.

On Aug. 15, 1990, St. John Paul II issued Ex Corde Ecclesiae, an apostolic constitution on Catholic higher education. He meant the document to serve as a kind of magna carta for Catholic universities.

Faced with adversity and resistance from the beginning, St. Mark’s and Corpus Christi Colleges at the University of British Columbia have persevered and continue to deliver quality Catholic higher education.