Feast of Fortune fundraising dinner set for Feb. 16
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| David Thompson (left), vice-president of Seniors Care, Providence Health Care, and Ann Adams, CEO of Tapestry Foundation, stand with donors Dr. Miriam Yu, Patricia Yeo, and Sing Lim Yeo. (Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic) |
Physicians at Mount St. Joseph Hospital (MSJ) look forward to celebrating the "Year of the Snake" six days late this year. The Scotiabank Feast of Fortune dinner, an annual fundraiser, will take place at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in downtown Vancouver Feb. 16.
The goal is to raise funds for "the Automated Breast Volume Scanner, which provides superior images for examining dense tissue commonly found in young women," explained Dr. Jin-Si Pao, an MSJ surgeon.
Sing Lim Yeo, honorary chairman for the dinner, said at a press conference Nov. 28 that the scanner would cost $380,000.
If the goal is reached, MSJ will be the first hospital in Western Canada to offer three-dimensional scanning. The technology will allow doctors to study "high-quality images of an entire breast," clarified Dr. Pao. The images would be "extremely valuable" to surgeons about to operate.
Bombings threaten 'long-standing' harmony between Muslims, Christians
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| Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan spoke to MPs on Parliament Hill Feb. 4. |
Church burnings and bombings are becoming a disturbing trend in the African country of Nigeria. Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja explained the situation to MPs and Senators.
Deborah Gyapong reports from Ottawa:
Cars can no longer drive near Cardinal Onaiyekan's cathedral. Men can expect to be frisked and women have been encouraged not to bring big bags.
The extremists say they are acting in the name of Islam, said Cardinal Onaiyekan, but they are "a group of criminals who do not represent the authentic faith of Islam."
These criminals have attacked not only Christian churches, but also government installations and other Muslims, he said. They have killed imams who were preaching against their activities, but this side of the story is not getting out.
Nigeria is about 50 per cent Muslim and 50 per cent Christian.
Read the
full article here.
Archbishop Muller: U.S. ordinariate brings gifts to the Church
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| Archbishop Gerhard L. Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, is pictured in a Jan. 11 photo in Rome. CNS photo
/ Paul Haring. |
This Catholic News Agency story says the Vatican's doctrine chief called on Anglican communities that have entered the U.S. Catholic Church to have courage in bringing their patrimony into the larger Catholic community.
"Be courageous pioneers of communion, placing the diversity of your gifts at the service of the universal Church," Archbishop Gerhard Muller said Feb. 2. "The distinctiveness of your traditions and manner of prayer and worship are no obstacle to true unity in the Church."
The archbishop, who is the Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, spoke at St. Mary's Seminary in Houston, Tex., during a symposium on the mission of the U.S. ordinariate.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Be inspired, united, and empoweredVancouver's second annual ONE Conference is coming up this Feb. 16. This day-long conference features five
speakers from across North America, a one-stop ministry fair with over
60 exhibitors, Mass with our archbishop, and a concert by international Catholic recording artist Matt Maher. The conference takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The ONE Conference hopes to "inspire, unite, and empower Catholics in their faith and mission" and is open to everyone. For more information or to buy tickets, see the ONE Conference
website.
Babies born alive deserve full protection of Criminal Code
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Saskatoon-Wanuskewin MP Maurice Vellacott is one of three MPs who
wrote a letter demanding protection for infants who survive abortions. |
Three MPs are demanding that the RCMP investigate possible homicides involving babies born after failed abortions. Deborah Gyapong reports from Ottawa:
Initial news reports claimed erroneously the MPs were seeking investigations into all abortions after 19 weeks gestation. One of the signatories, MP Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon—Wanuskwein) said in an interview the letter has nothing to do with abortion, which he acknowledged is legal for the full nine months of pregnancy.
Instead, the MPs want the RCMP to investigate the deaths of infants who lived and breathed outside the mother for a period of time said Vellacott. Under Section 223.2 of the Criminal Code it is a crime to “cause injury to a child before or during birth as a result of which the child dies after being born alive,” he said. “This is the law of Canada, the Criminal Code, not some law I wrote up.”
After babies are “out of the womb, living and breathing, at that point they have the full protection of the Criminal Code,” Vellacott stressed. “Do we not have common ground? Do we not agree a child has the full protection of the Criminal Code when they are born alive?”
Read the
full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Knights of Columbus celebrate history of breaking down racial barriers
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| Pope Benedict XVI greets Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights
of Columbus, and his wife, Dorian, last December. CNS photo / Paul
Haring. |
Catholic News Agency points out that during Black History Month, the Knights of Columbus are noting the Catholic organization had "forward-thinking" attitudes towards racial equality long before they were popular.
Andrew Walther, Vice President for Communications and Media at the Knights of Columbus, told CNA the Catholic fraternal organization "took stands for racial equality in ways that were really stunning, when you think of the 1920s or the 1910s."
The Knights of Columbus's first African-American member joined in Massachusetts in the 1890s, less than two decades after its founding.
The Knights of Columbus website is www.kofc.org.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Over 500 people discuss what oppressed Christians really need
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Laurentian Leadership Centre director Janet Epp Buckingham
addressed religious persecution in Canada. (Photo: CCN) |
The "Learn, Pray, and Act" Conference in Ottawa was a chance to learn about Christian persecution in Canada and around the world. Deborah Gyapong from the Canadian Catholic News reports:
“We have to become more savvy in response,” said Voice of Martyrs CEO Doug McKenzie. Not only must people be trained, they must do what they can to protect themselves, to remain compassionate “and let God do the rest.”
VOM founder Pastor Richard Wurmbrand had a vision that someday religious institutions and seminaries would teach courses on ‘martyrology’ and ‘sufferology,’ McKenzie said.
Theological training needs to include the reality of persecuted Christians, he said.
Read the
full story at
The B.C. Catholic.
First class scheduled for ordination in 2015
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Mgsr. Gregory Smith chats with candidates for the permanent diaconate and their wives in the Rosemary Heights Retreat Centre in January 2013.
(Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic)
As James Joyce famously wrote, "The Catholic Church means, 'Here comes everybody.'" This diversity is reflected in the first class of men studying for the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Permanent deacons can "witness marriages, bring Viaticum to the dying, and preside at funerals and burials."
Msgr. Smith clarified that discernment for the ministry helps men discover whether "they have a new vocation in addition to being married." If accepted as candidates they meet monthly and take academic courses through St. Mark's College for four years.
Hilmar Pabel, a history professor at Simon Fraser University, joined the study group in 2011.
"What I really value is the fellowship between candidates," he said. "I came in without any brothers and sisters and came out with 18," he said with a smile.
Read the full article here.
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U.K. bishops decry outcome of first of three votes
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Archbishop Peter Smith at a press conference in Rome in 2010.
CNS photo / Paul Haring. |
Here is a Catholic News Agency story about the passage of a bill allowing same-sex "marriage" the U.K.'s House of Commons. Catholic bishops have warned that the legislation will have profoundly negative effects on society.
"Marriage is rooted in the complementarity of man and woman. For these reasons the Church opposes the government's bill to redefine marriage," said Archbishop Peter D. Smith of Southwark Feb. 5.
Late in the day Feb. 5, the lower house of the British Parliament voted in favour of the Marriage Bill, allowing marriage for same-sex couples. It passed by 400 to 175, and was backed by prime minister David Cameron.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Catholic leaders worry about 'catastrophic schism'
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| Students hit the books in Shanghai's Sheshan regional seminary in 2007. (CNS / Nancy Wiechec) |
Diplomatic contact between the Vatican and the People's Republic of China remains cool. The B.C. Catholic columnist Msgr. Pedro Lopez-Gallo explains why a recent flashpoint has been the Chinese government's appointment of bishops without the Holy See's approval.
Who will prevail? While the Patriotic Church has about 3 million adherents, the underground Church which is united with Rome still numbers 12 million.
The drama intensified when newly installed Auxiliary Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin of Shanghai stunned his congregation by announcing, without delay, his resignation from the Chinese Patriotic Association.
Catholic leaders who have spent years fostering a detente between Rome and Beijing worry about the possibility of a catastrophic schism, something avoided during the darkest days of the Communist Party's war on religion.
Read the full article here.
La Rinascente Imports, a family business that caters to 'the sacraments'
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Maria Mazzocco, owner of La Rinascente Imports, stands with her brother Father David Bellusci, OP.
(Special to The B.C. Catholic) |
An east Vancouver's store has employees busy catering for nice children's clothes, including baptisms and confirmations.
The B.C. Catholic's Nathan Rumohr reports:
Sitting on shelves next to hanging blouses and mother-of-the-bride dresses are religious articles such as rosaries, icons, statues, and figurines.
"We have always been connected with the Church," Mazzocco said. "The most important part of our life is faith, and you bring that into your business. I wouldn't want a business that didn't have the religious articles." The Bellusci family grew up in east Vancouver and were members of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish. Mazzocco's youngest brother, Father David Bellusci, is a Dominican priest.
The store's website is www.larinascente-rosa.com.
Read the
full article here.
State legislation blocking abortion insurance coverage grows
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People participate in a rally in support of religious freedom in Garden
City, N.Y., in June 2012.
CNS photo / Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island
Catholic. |
Catholic News Agency has a rather surprising story that a number of states in the U.S. are passing restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion under the health care reform law.
Mary Harned, staff counsel at Americans United for Life, said that state-level pro-life laws passed in recent legislative sessions have "been a great victory for the unborn and women across the country."
"The fact that these types of laws are successful," Harned told CNA on Feb. 5, "shows that many Americans do not want public funds paying for abortions, and they also do not want their own insurance premiums paying for abortion."
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Catholic Educators' Conference to bring educators together
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| The 34th Catholic Educators' Conference, Feb. 14-15 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, will help expand teachers' understanding of the Church, according to religious education consultant Michel Gloanec. (Photo: designpics.com) |
Thirteen hundred teachers are expected to attend the 34th annual Catholic Educators' Conference Feb. 14-15. The two-day event will bring superintendents and principals from five B.C. dioceses to the Vancouver Convention Centre.
"Certainly there's a cast of hundreds. I greatly believe in sharing responsibility," explained Sandra Marshall, associate superintendent of the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese.
She's gone to the CEC over the past 20 years as a teacher and as a principal; this year she will be the conference chairwoman.
"We have prayers, Masses, an on-site chapel, and a choir," she commented.
Read the
full article here.
Minister of Justice confirms government 'will not reopen' issue
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| Rob Nicholson, the Minister of Justice, declared that the federal government's priorities include job creation and making sure "communities and streets are safe." (Photo: Canadian Catholic News) |
The Conservative government reaffirmed its intention not to reopen the abortion debate as the House of Commons resumed sitting Jan. 28 after a six-week break. Deborah Gyapong reports from Ottawa:
NDP MP Niki Ashton challenged Rona Ambrose, Public Works and Status of Women Minister, in Question Period, noting the 25th anniversary of the Morgentaler decision that struck down Canada's abortion laws.
Ambrose has been under fire since she voted for MP Stephen Woodworth's Motion 312, which called for Parliament to study the definition of a human being found in the Criminal Code. Ambrose is on record as opposing sex-selection pregnancy termination that targets unborn girls.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson responded: "The Prime Minister has been very clear on this, that the government will not reopen this issue."
Read the
full story here.
HHS mandate changes protect only 'a few more ministries'
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The headquarters of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is
seen in Washington in this file photo.
CNS photo / Nancy Phelan Wiechec. |
Catholic News Agency says legal analysts are warning that the government's new proposals on the HHS mandate do little to expand religious freedom protections for employers that object to it.
"This unilateral redefinition of religious freedom undermines the sanctity of religious freedom for all people," said legal expert Brian Walsh, "even those who are not affected and have no objection to these products and services."
On Feb. 1, the Obama administration announced its intent to modify the federal contraception mandate, which requires employers to offer health insurance coverage of contraception, including some drugs that can cause early abortions, and sterilization.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Ex-leader of Muslim Brotherhood shares Christianity
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Pastor Wagdi Iskander talks about his conversion
and experience as a persecuted Christian. (Photo: CCN) |
After becoming a Christian, Pastor Wagdi Iskander was disowned by his father and sent to jail. When he refused to renounce his faith, Iskander was sentenced to death. Here is the story of how this courageous man converted and brought many Muslims to Christianity.
The son of a Bedouin camel trader, Iskander had memorized the entire Koran by the age of 6. The tribe’s religious leader warned him to “beware of Christians.”
“Burn them before they burn you,” he said, leaving Iskander with a burning hatred for Christians.
When Iskander went on to university in Khartoum, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood and soon became one of its leaders and participated in their violent efforts to protect Islam from corrupting influences.
Read the
full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Effort requires conscience, prudence, and concern for the common good
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Cardinal Thomas Collins encouraged a dinner reception
to be as humble as hobbits. (Photo: The B.C. Catholic) |
Wise decision-making has three key ingredients, according to Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto. The cardinal told a Vancouver dinner reception that wisdom requires conscience, prudence, and concern for the common good.
Cardinal Collins said the secret of a happy life was putting oneself third. "God is first, my neighbour is second, and I am third."
"Happiness always comes in the back door, and creeps up on us while we are serving others; if we seek to find happiness by pushing ahead our own agenda, forgetful of others, we will be disappointed."
The cardinal strongly recommended spiritual direction for examining one's motives. He said a humble, honest look at one's own heart is the surest way to make sure one's intentions are selfless. "Humility is the lifeline," he said.
Read the
full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Bishops encourage changes in incarceration of minors
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| Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., chairman of the U.S.
bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, addresses
the bishops at a 2012 meeting. CNS photo / Michael Alexander, Georgia
Bulletin. |
The U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development has joined with more than 100 other organizations to call for more fair prison sentencing for minors, Catholic News Agency says.
"Life sentences without parole eliminate the opportunity for rehabilitation or second chances," said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., who chairs the committee.
The bishops' committee is one of scores of groups that have endorsed the Statement of Principles of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. These principles urge an end to sentencing minors to life in prison without possibility of parole.
Consumer culture impedes youth ministry
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Michael Hryniuk encouraged anxious youth ministers to "be not afraid"
when it comes to leading their young people. (Photo: James Buchok) |
Youth leaders find it increasingly difficult to reach young people. They feel they have to compete, produce, and perform to catch their attention. Michael Hryniuk, a consultant in ministry development, explains the reasons why.
Youth ministers are working under a weight of anxiety, much of it of their own making, says Michael Hryniuk, a Canadian Catholic theologian and consultant in ministry development, but most of it is due to a dominant culture that worships efficiency, productivity, and achievement.
“Those three words are not in the Bible,” said Hryniuk, speaking at the 25th Western Canadian Association of Catholic Youth Ministers conference, Jan. 17-20 in Winnipeg, with about 65 youth and young adult ministers in attendance from across the west.
“How do we move from a place of anxiety and ‘busyness,’ from adrenalin-based youth ministry,” he asked, adding that it reminds him of the 1970s, when youth ministry was high voltage and entertainment driven and people were burning out. “There was a sense we had to be performing and producing. Is this what God is asking us to do -- pizza nights? Are we activity directors?”
Read the
full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Prelate asks prayers for abuse victims after the release of priests' personnel files
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| Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles elevates the chalice as he
celebrates Mass with Cardinal Roger M. Mahoney, retired archbishop of
Los Angeles, in 2011. CNS photo / Paul Haring. |
Catholic News Agency reports that Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez has relieved retired Cardinal Roger Mahony of his remaining duties after the release of personnel files of priests accused of sexual abuse decades ago. Also Bishop Thomas Curry of Santa Barbara has stepped down.
"We need to acknowledge that terrible failure today. We need to pray for everyone who has ever been hurt by members of the Church, and we need to continue to support the long and painful process of healing their wounds and restoring the trust that was broken," the archbishop said in a Jan. 31 statement.
Archbishop Gomez noted that "effective immediately, I have informed Cardinal Mahony," who served the archdiocese from 1985 to 2011, "that he will no longer have any administrative or public duties."
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
