Physicians' guild extols pharmacist

Health-care workers speak up for conscience rights

Cristina Alarcon poses with Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB. BCC file photo.

An ethical pharmacist has gained the praise of the local Catholic Physicians' Guild. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Help for Yazidis must also take other refugees into account, say advocates

Martin Mark, the director of the Archdiocese of Toronto's Office for Refugees, makes an appeal in July before the House of Commons Citizenship and Refugee Committee, asking for help for Yazidis facing genocide in Iraq from ISIS. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Refugee advocates welcomed a pledge to help Yazidis facing genocide, but some expressed concerns the program might overshadow the needs of refugees elsewhere. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

School launches new outreach to prisoners

High school students learn about and pray for lonely inmates, prepare to begin Christmas effort

St. John Brebeuf principal Ted Brennan (right) poses with students and prison ministry workers after a school assembly about the outreach in May. Gabrielle Hoffer / Special to The B.C. Catholic.

Students at St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary will bring a little Christmas cheer to some lonely prison inmates this year. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Canadian Catholics and Lutherans to remember Reformation

Catholics need not be concerned about plans to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, said Archbishop Richard Gagnon of Winnipeg. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Catholic Cemeteries prepares for month of Holy Souls

Gardens of Gethsemani to hold several Masses

A replica statue of the Pieta, located in the grounds of Gardens of Gethsemani. (Photo Credit: Catholic Cemeteries Archdiocese of Vancouver)

The month of November is traditionally the time when Catholics pray for all the deceased. Catholic Cemeteries has several Masses offered throughout the month for the various loved ones who have passed from this world.

Here are several of the Masses and their times:

Oct. 30: Monthly Mass of Remembrance at 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 31: All Hallows' Eve Mass Filipino at 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 31: All Hallows' Eve Prayer Vigil at 7 p.m.
Nov. 1: All Saints' Day Mass at 7 p.m.
Nov. 2: All Souls' Day Mass at 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 11: Remembrance Day Mass at 10 a.m.
Nov. 26: Reverently Laying to Rest Service at 10 a.m.
Nov. 27: Monthly Mass of Remembrance at 2:30 p.m.

All Masses will take place in the Evangelist Chapel at Gardens of Gethsemani. A full list of the events and details can be found here.

New research links contraception and depression

Danish study finds teens using the pill have an 80 per cent higher chance of becoming depressed

"Women who are prescribed hormonal contraception should be informed about these potential side effects," says Danish gynecologist Ojvind Lidegaard, surprised with the results of a recent study in his country. Chris and Kate Knorr / Design Pics.

The newly published results of a study in Denmark are showing what some women have already suspected: there's a link between contraception use and depression. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Jeff Durham feels betrayed by defeat of Molly and Cassie's Law

Baby Molly's parents.

Jeff Durham feels disappointed and betrayed by the defeat of Cassie and Molly's law Oct. 19, a bill named after his murdered unborn daughter and her mother, Cassie Kaake. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

St. Mary's helps 30 brides and grooms tie the knot

Massive convalidation event for civilly married couples likely the largest in archdiocesan history

Fifteen couples say "I do" in St. Mary's Oct. 15. Joe Ng / Special to The B.C. Catholic.

Getting married in the Church was a dream come true for Sherly Heck. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Catholic couple hope seminars can help Catholics

Edna and Bob Du Broy at an Empowering Relationships seminar they facilitated in October in Ottawa. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

A Catholic couple here has been holding seminars designed by an American evangelical they hope will take off in Catholic parishes the way the Alpha Course has. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

City and faith leaders talk climate change

Six panellists share concerns and ideas one year after Laudato Si' released

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, speaks at a conference on Laudato Si' and caring for the environment at the SFU Wosk Centre for Dialogue Oct. 11. Lioba Na / Special to The B.C. Catholic.

Local business, city, and faith leaders discussed climate change and the environment on the first anniversary of Laudato Si'. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Time to 'heal' poverty, leaders say

CPJ executive director Joe Gunn moderated a panel of faith leaders at a conference on ending poverty at Saint Paul University Oct. 20. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Faith leaders told a conference on poverty here Oct. 20 faith communities can play a key role in the societal transformation necessary to overcome poverty. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Priest owes his vocation to St. Teresa of Kolkata

Father Brian Kolodiejchuk describes moment he first considered joining Missionary of Charity fathers

Mother Teresa once walked up to a 21-year-old Winnipeg man and suggested he become a priest. He listened, and 23 years later became the main promoter of her cause for sainthood. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Doctors face crisis over their rights

Dr. Luigi Castagna doesn't think his job should thrust him into a protest movement, but a stalemate over conscience rights for doctors who object to physician-assisted dying may change that. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Communist labour camp survivors pray for China

Two Chinese priests share their experience in terrible conditions

Msgr. Matthew Koo (left) and Father Matthew Chu, SJ, speak at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre about being imprisoned in Chinese labour camps, just for the crime of being Catholic. They spent 27 years in labour camps. Photos submitted to BCC.

"Come out! Come out!" Screams roused Matthew Koo, now Msgr. Matthew Koo, from his bed in Xujiahui Seminary in Shanghai. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Cassie and Molly's Law is about choice

Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall's private member's Bill C-225 would make it a criminal offence to harm or kill an unborn child while committing a crime against the mother. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Those opposed to Bill C-225 (Protection of Pregnant Women and Their Preborn Children Act) risk endangering women says WeNeedaLaw.com director Mike Schouten. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Diocese of Nelson prepares for diaconate program

Deacons will serve in areas of need, such as ministry to prisoners and to migrants, says director

Father Bart van Roijen

The southern interior is preparing to carry out Catholic outreach throughout the community with the introduction of a new permanent diaconate program. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Delays in refugee arrivals hurt sponsors

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum in the foyer of the House of Commons. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

The president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has told the Immigration Minister delays in refugee arrivals is hurting the private sponsorship program. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Family still speaks out against starvation death

Terri Schiavo suffered a serious brain injury and died in 2005 after her feeding tube was removed

Pro-life activists Natalie Sonnen (right) and Monica Roddis (second from right) welcome Bobby Schindler and his wife to a LifeCanada fundraiser. Schindler is the brother of Terry Schiavo, a woman who died of starvation and dehydration in 2005. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

Family members of a woman who starved to death 12 years ago are still raising the alarm about what they call a "deteriorating" health-care system and culture. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Ontario bishops concerned about threat to conscience rights

Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London, Ont.

The Ontario Catholic bishops have agreed to raise awareness of the threat to health professionals' conscience rights in their dioceses. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Rosary procession displays faith

21st annual celebration draws crowd of more than 300 people

Knights of Columbus prayed a living rosary while carrying a statue of Mary. Josh Tng / The B.C. Catholic.

What started as a small devotion has exploded into a popular annual tradition for a Coquitlam parish. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Legal costs skyrocketing in lawsuit

Albertos Polizogopoulos (left) at the Supreme Court of Canada during the hearing of arguments in the Taylor case in 2014. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Legal costs have soared in a legal challenge of the Ontario physicians' college policy to force doctors to make abortion and euthanasia referrals. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

St. Anthony's relics bring faithful together

Saints are close friends who speak to God on your behalf, says Padua friar

The devoted and the curious flock to Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Coquitlam to venerate first-class relics of St. Anthony of Padua. Josh Tng / The B.C. Catholic.

Relics of a 13th-century friar drew many people to the doors of a Coquitlam church. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Bishops withdraw from the social justice coalition Kairos

Bishop Douglas Crosby

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will no longer be part of Kairos, a social justice coalition of groups of various faiths. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Church rejoices in St. Teresa's canonization

Missionaries of Charity have been active in Vancouver since Mother Teresa's 1988 visit

Mother Teresa stands with Archbishop James Francis Carney during her visit to Vancouver 28 years ago. RCAV Archives.

Missionaries of Charity in Vancouver are overjoyed the Church has declared their foundress a saint. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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COLF director plans to step down in December

Michele Boulva, shown here in her office in Ottawa, will leave the Catholic Organization for Life and Family, which she has directed for nearly 13 years, in December. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

For Michele Boulva, director of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), families play a crucial role in the new evangelization and in the renewal of society. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

The Way answers existential crises with the Gospel

Neocatechumenal Way members begin regular catechesis sessions at Simon Fraser University

Members of the Neocatechumenal Way gather at Simon Fraser University's Freedom Square for Vespers Sept. 25. Marie Laliberte / Special to The B.C. Catholic.

A Catholic spiritual renewal group is bringing the good news to university students. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

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'Amoris Laetitia' offers paths to growth: cardinal

Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada spoke at the CCCB plenary on Amoris Laetitia. Deborah Gyapong / CCN.

Pope Francis's document "Amoris Laetitia" on family love concerns paths to spiritual growth, not doctrinal change, says Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Parishes continue inviting refugees to new homes

Archdiocese has processed about 250 arrivals from Syria, Iraq, Liberia, and Eritrea this year

Three Syrian refugees meet members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish during a welcome dinner at the parish in September. Photo submitted.

The hype about sponsoring refugees is fading from mainstream news, but churches are still working hard to pull foreigners to safety. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Prolife activists divided on whether all prolife Tory candidates deserve support

Former Speaker of the House Andrew Scheer, a Catholic father of five. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Prolife activists are divided on whether all three prolife candidates are worthy of support in the Conservative keadership race. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Kamloops bishop meets Pope Francis

Newly ordained Bishop Joseph Nguyen visits Vatican

Photo from Diocese of Kamloops.

Bishop Joseph Nguyen of Kamloops, who was ordained this summer, traveled to Rome for what some have affectionately called "bishop school."

There, he met Pope Francis.

Bishop Nguyen is a former refugee from Vietnam. He was ordained a priest in Vancouver, where he served the church for many years before Pope Francis called him to the episcopacy. Read more about him here.

Parishes to showcase St. Teresa

Exhibit shows history and life of the new saint

An international display on the life of St. Teresa of Kolkata will be appearing in the Lower Mainland. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Expert questions wisdom of trying to influence climate

Michael Hart, author of "Hubris: The Troubling Science, Economics, and Politics of Climate Change," questions the wisdom of trying to halt global warming. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Pastor visits aboriginal churches at Harrison Lake

Four communities participate in Masses, baptisms, and memorial prayer services

Father John Tritschler baptizes a young child in Holy Cross Church, which is more than 100 years old, in the community of Skookumchuck (Skatin). Photo submitted to BCC.

Harrison, B.C., offers resort hotels, gracious dining and hot springs, boating, swimming, fishing, and splendid views of Harrison Lake and the surrounding mountains. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
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Cardus Family study reveals marriage is good for your health

Andrea Mrozek is the director of Cardus Family, the former Institute of Marriage and Family Canada. Deborah Gyapong / (CCN).

Cardus Family has released a new study revealing marriage is related to a host of better health outcomes in everything from cancer and heart disease to improved mental health. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Climate change symposium planned

Laudato Si' to be discussed

More than one year after Pope Francis's landmark encyclical, Laudato Si', its teachings will be highlighted at SFU. "Laudato Si' (On Care for our Common Home) is a landmark encyclical in the social doctrine of the Church," said Father Fernando Mignone, the SFU chaplain. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Catholic health-care centres under pressure to participate in euthanasia process

Cardinal Collins and Larry Worthen represented the Coalition for HealthCARE and Conscience before the Parliamentary Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying this year. Deborah Gyapong / (CCN).

An incident involving a man who was refused assessment for euthanasia at a Catholic hospital in Vancouver has increased pressure on all faith-based institutions to violate their principles. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Priest recognized for reaching out to First Nations

Father Garry LaBoucane, pastor of two Downtown Eastside parishes, receives community award

Tom Cooper (left), head of the Vancouver-based Christian organization City in Focus, presents an award to Father Garry LaBoucane and three others. Photos submitted to BCC.

A First Nations priest who serves three Catholic centres in the Downtown Eastside has received recognition. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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CCCB to publish new sex abuse document

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will release a new sexual abuse document in early 2017, said president Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton, the CCCB president, and will make its first ad limina visits to Rome in 11 years starting in March. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.