Youth Speak News

Fresh from his ordination into the priesthood in 2017, Fr. Favin Alemão found himself at the centre of what seemed to be two different worlds: as associate pastor at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica and minister to the Ryerson University Catholic Students Association. 

This past March Break, I found myself as a pilgrim visiting amazing places like Barcelona, Assisi, Siena and the Vatican. It was part of a school trip that Chaminade College School organized for me and 16 of my fellow classmates and it was an amazing life experience. 

Madeline Dawson knew she could count on the Jesuits to throw a great party. 

Chela Torres said attending the Mass felt like a dream. 

I’m something of an expert at first-year. I’ve been a first-year three times, a second-year twice, a third-year once and now I’m going into my last year at Brock University — unless the Lord has other plans for me. (Please Lord, don’t have other plans for me).

Last week I came across an article that claimed consecrated hosts were for sale at an online store.

The article claimed that a vendor sells many items for satanic black masses, including “real Catholic hosts consecrated by a priest.”

Youth ministers have to be a jack-of-all-trades in a parish community. 

They work as a bridge between parishes, schools, parents and priests while empowering youth to be full, active and conscious participants in the parish. 

St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica is more than just a historical monument. For the faithful people of the Archdiocese of Toronto, it is an expression of honour, worship and tradition.

When I was young, I did not clearly understand why every May, Vietnamese girls would dress in the traditional Vietnamese áo dài, hold bouquets of flowers and dance in front of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary before Masses in May. 

Being a young Catholic often means straddling a line between being part of the secular world and embracing who you fundamentally are in the Divine Plan.