Salt and Light media foundation to celebrate 10th anniversary
 |
| Salt and Light Television went to the Holy Land in 2005 for a series of
documentaries on Catholic pilgrimages. CNS photo courtesy of Salt and
Light Television. |
This Catholic News Agency story tells of Canada's Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and
Salt and Light Television, Canada's first Catholic television network, celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The foundation received congratulations from Cardinal Claudio Maria Celli, the head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications; Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, president of the cwww.cccb.ca/site/; and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York City, president of the U.S. bishops' conference.
Salt and Light's 10th anniversary celebrations will begin with a Dec. 6 Christmas concert in Toronto featuring The Priestshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVroLvppiYM, the Irish trio of singing clergy.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
League's most outstanding player Chad Owens was born a month and a half early weighing three pounds
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Chad Owens holds up the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Trophy Nov. 22.
Photo by Colleen De Neve / Calgary Herald |
Toronto Argonauts slot back Chad Owens
made miracles happen on the field this season en route to winning the
CFL's Most Outstanding Player award. But the Grey Cup champion's life could also be classified as a miracle.
Here's an article by Postmedia sports writer Bruce Arthur detailing Owen's journey from premature baby to CFL great:
When asked why he is who he is, Chad Owens goes back to the beginning. It is the morning of the CFL awards, and he is about nine hours from being named the league's Most Outstanding Player, and is being asked why he pushes so hard, why he can't stop himself, and why he writes down impossible goals every year and tries to span the distance to reach them. So he tells the story.
"Not a lot of people know, but I was born a month and a half early, premature, three pounds," says Owens, sweat coating his tattooed arms after practice at the Rogers Centre. "You know, my mom was having complications, and the doctors asked my grandmother, do you want to save the baby, or do you want to save your daughter? And of course my grandma said, save my daughter, she can have more kids. This is the story -- I don't know how much of it is truth. But dad said he came in and said, save 'em both, and so ... we both survived."
"I think that just stuck with me, you know? I've always been the smaller guy, I've always had to prove that I can play with the big boys, I can be here, you know? That's my gift and my blessing from God, that I'm able to persevere. So that's where it comes from."
Read the full story
here.
Paul Jang Han Goo appreciates his faith more after roundabout journey back to the Church
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Christ the King seminarian Paul Jang Han Goo poses with three Missionaries of
Charity sisters. Goo, who went to Kolkata last year to volunteer with the order,
says the experience helped him become a more loving person.
Photo Special to The B.C. Catholic. |
The B.C. Catholic profiles seminarian Paul Jang Han Goo
, who's journey to priesthood took many twists and turns:
Paul Jang Han Goo remembers the first time he fell in love. He was at Mass in a Seattle church and realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life serving the Lord.
“After receiving the Eucharist, when I returned to my pew, I felt butterflies in my stomach; that’s the expression some people describe as love,” said the 30-year-old seminarian at the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission. “That was a surprise, and I thought, ‘Wow; how did that happen?”
Born in Korea in 1982 to a Catholic family, Goo fell away from his faith after graduating from high school in Port Moody. “I had doubts and many questions.”
He doubted God’s existence, and couldn’t find anyone to answer his questions about faith to his satisfaction. “I was very disillusioned,” he said. “At one point I realized that I couldn’t say I believed in God.”
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Report also advises governments to legislate "very cautiously" anti-bullying laws
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Deborah Gyapong that breaks down a new bullying study from the
Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC):
The Nov. 26 report “Family responses to bullying: Why governments won’t stop bullying until families step up” by Peter Jon Mitchell advises governments to legislate “very cautiously.”
The study urges governments to instead “promote community-based responses” and consider parents “as the primary educator” when developing policy that empowers parents.
The report recommends parents be “proactive in speaking to children about bullying;” “monitor screen time” and set “limits and expectations” around the use of electronic devices and the Internet; be “intentional” in cultivating warm bonds with their children; and pursue an authoritative rather than an authoritarian style of parenting.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Archdiocese's church-finder program trending in the news
The Vancouver Catholic Official Archdiocesan App has become water-cooler talk around the city:
24 Hours says the app is a good replacement for Angry Birds.
Paul Schratz, director of communications for the archdiocese, tells News 1130 that the app will help busy Catholics get to Mass.
The Province's coverage included a photo from the archdiocese's 100th anniversary at the former GM Place.
And CBC gave the app front-page treatment on their B.C. page.
The app, created by Davide Zilioli, lists Mass, confession, and devotion times.
Catholic campaign stalls Philippines' 'reproductive health' bill
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| Protesters display anti-Reproductive Health Bill placards during a rally in Manila. CNS photo / Erik De Castro, Reuters. |
Catholic News Agency says Catholic clergy in the Philippines are strongly campaigning against political candidates who back a controversial "reproductive health" bill, helping stall its progress because politicians fear a backlash from Catholic voters.
Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon has instructed his priests about a campaign to inform the laity about candidates' position on the bill, CBCP News reports.
"This is an important issue, and this is a very good test whether the Philippines is a Catholic country or not," the bishop told the Archdiocese of Manila's Radio Veritas. "I hope even those who are not Catholics who believe in the sacredness of life will not vote (for) the politicians pushing for the RH bill."
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Graham Osborne to give Catholics ‘solid answers’ about their faith at several seminars this winter
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Renata Cecconi listens intently as the "Shy Catholic," Graham Osborne, answers
her question during the "Shy Catholic Conference" at Sacred Heart Parish Nov. 17.
Photo by John Banovich / Special to The B.C. Catholic. |
The B.C. Catholic previews the
“Shy Catholic Conferences” coming to a parish near you:
Readers of The B.C. Catholic know him as the “Shy Catholic,” but Graham Osborne won’t be shying away from anything this winter as he takes his one-man apologetics show on the road.
Ten more “Shy Catholic Conferences” are set to hit local parishes between Dec. 1 and March 9. The first took place Nov. 17 at Sacred Heart Parish in Delta.
“The whole point of this conference is to give Catholics solid answers to common questions they get in their everyday life,” Osborne told The B.C. Catholic.
He said conference attendees should expect to get some practical explanations to challenging theological questions they may face from Protestants, Jehovah Witnesses, and non-Christians.
Topics include: papal infallibility, the Eucharist, how Catholics interpret the Bible and understand tradition, understanding Mary and her role in the Church, purgatory, and indulgences.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Campaign Life Coalition welcomes report
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Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) lobbyist Johanne Brownrigg protests outside former
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's office at a Defund Abortion mini-rally Oct. 13.
The CLC is welcoming a new Evangelical Fellowship of Canada brief that
examines Canada's abortion law. Photo by Deborah Gyapong / CCN. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Deborah Gyapong about
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada's brief on taxpayer funding of abortion. The brief was welcomed by Campaign Life Coalition's Defund Abortion organizer:
The Nov. 21 brief explains the background of the present legal vacuum regarding abortion in Canada, and examines the law and relevant court opinions related to taxpayer funding.
“Contrary to popular political mythology, provinces are not required to pay for abortion procedures,” the EFC brief said. It also points out public opinion surveys show only 44 per cent of Canadians support the present taxpayer funding of all requested abortions; 39 per cent said abortions should only be paid for in cases of medical emergency and 10 per cent said abortion should not be taxpayer-funded at all.
“I think it was great,” said CLC youth coordinator Alissa Golob who has been running the CLC’s Defund Abortion campaign. “It demonstrates public opinion on this topic and it also reinforces the fact that this is a provincial issue not a federal issue.”
“We need to take this up with the MPPs, at Queen’s Park and start at the grassroots level for individual constituencies,” Golob said.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Project to open a dialogue in Ontario elementary and high schools about the priesthood, religious orders, marriage, and single life
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Newly ordained priests lie prostrate in prayer during an ordination ceremony.
Photo by Kham / Reuters / CNS. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Evan Boudreau about a new vocations program in to be launched in Ontario's Catholic elementary and high schools:
“If we don’t begin discussing vocations early on, then we shouldn’t be surprised that few consider vocations later in life,” said John Kostoff, director of education at the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
To that end, Kostoff, in partnership with the archdiocese of Toronto vocations office and Cardinal Thomas Collins, spearheaded a project to open a dialogue in elementary and high schools about the vocations of priesthood, religious orders, marriage, and single life.
Called “Make The Call, Vocation Lessons,” the program is the first of its kind developed locally, Kostoff said. It was three years in development and field testing, and will be available for purchase at the end of November.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Critics find thrust of UN population report harmful to women
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| Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, speaks at the
London Summit on Family Planning in central London July 11. The Vatican
newspaper took Gates to task under the headline "birth control and
disinformation." CNS photo / Suzanne Plunkett, Reuters. |
Catholic News Agency reports that a United Nations population report calling for global contraceptive access has drawn fire from doctors and pro-life advocates, who say the funding would better spent preventing maternal deaths.
"A push to increase spending on contraceptives in developing countries by the United Nations Population Fund is at best misguided, and at worst harmful to women and families," Dr. John F. Brehany, executive director of the Catholic Medical Association, told CNA Nov. 15.
The United Nations Population Fund released its annual report Nov. 14 on the "State of World Population."
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Pope's book on childhood of Jesus has family focus
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| Pope Benedict XVI holds a copy of his book "Jesus of Nazareth: The
Infancy Narratives" as he talks with RCS Publisher Paolo Mieli. CNS
photo / L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters. |
Catholic News Agency reports that Pope Benedict XVI's third and final book on Jesus's life has been launched by the
Vatican Publishing House.
"The Pope's book refers especially to the infancy of Jesus in the
context of a family and focuses on family tradition," said Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, at a
Nov. 20 press conference.
The book, titled Jesus of Nazareth:
The Infancy Narratives, is the Pope's third and final volume in his
"Jesus of Nazareth" series. It examines the details and context of
Jesus's birth found in the Gospels, particularly focusing on his
parents, the Magi, and Simeon.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Online searchers can select any church from Lower Mainland out to Chilliwack
Alistair Burns profiles the new
Vancouver Catholic Official Archdiocesan App:
For "Catholics Coming Home" in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, there's a new way to find out where to discover the Eucharist. Meet the Vancouver Catholic Official Archdiocesan App, a helpful free online key that brings Mass times to iPhone users.
"Search for 'Vancouver Catholic' in the App Store and download it for free," said Davide Zilioli, the app's creator. "This can be done directly on the iPhone or on a Macintosh or a PC computer."
There is no word yet on when this will become available for Blackberry, Android, and Windows devices.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website. To download the app
click here.
Archdiocese celebrates the canonization of St. Kateri Tekawitha at Holy Rosary Cathedral
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Native elders join the procession for a special Mass celebrating the canonization
of St. Kateri Tekawitha in Holy Rosary Cathedral Oct. 28. Photo: Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic. |
Here's Alistair Burns' coverage of the recent celebration Mass in honour of St. Kateri Tekawitha:
The celebration of St. Kateri Tekakwitha's canonization spilled over from St. Peter's Square all the way to Holy Rosary Cathedral in downtown Vancouver Oct. 28. Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, said Mass for some 500 people, including dozens of native elders in traditional dress.
"We gather to honour such a noble, worthy woman of faith," the archbishop declared, "no longer 'Lily of the Mohawks': now a 'Lily for All the Nations.'"
Archbishop Miller explained that according to legend, her Mohawk father and Catholic Algonquin mother originally named St. Kateri "Sunshine."
"For the honour of the Blessed Trinity, the exaltation of the Catholic faith, and the increase of Christian life, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha is enrolled among the saints and is to be venerated as such by the whole Church," Pope Benedict XVI announced Oct. 21 during the canonization Mass.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Ryerson chapter begins in fall 2013
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Catholic Christian Outreach director for Kingston, Ont. Dan Freeman and Ryerson's
Catholic Campus Ministry director Oriana Betucci. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Evan Boudreau about the
Catholic Christian Outreach's expansion into the "Big Smoke:"
To coincide with its 25th anniversary, CCO has entered into a partnership to bring the student-focused evangelization movement to Ryerson University starting in the 2013 fall semester.
“As a movement we are very excited to be invited into the archdiocese of Toronto,” said Dan Freeman, district director for Kingston, Ont. “The real excitement is just the opportunity to service Christ and influence the culture in a place as significant as Toronto but also Ryerson University.”
Since forming in 1988 on the University of Sasketchewan’s campus, CCO has spread coast to coast, from Dalhousie University in Halifax to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Ryerson will be the 10th campus to have a CCO ministry and the third in Ontario, joining Queen’s and Ottawa universities.
Oriana Bertucci, the director of Ryerson’s Catholic Campus Ministry, was thrilled by the announcement.
“We’re really excited because it is an opportunity for us to grow the number of people that are here to support the Catholic population at Ryerson,” she said.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Many Irish rush to blame pregnant woman's death on being denied an abortion
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| Stephanie Gray. Photo by Nathan Rumohr / The B.C. Catholic. |
Pro-lifers weigh in on the death of a pregnant woman in Ireland who some say would have lived if she had received an abortion:
Following the death of a pregnant women in Ireland who was denied an abortion, pro-life voices are advising careful examination of the circumstances rather than abortion advocacy.
Debate over Irish abortion law has been heated since news broke of Savita Halappanavar, a 17-week pregnant woman who died in a Galway hospital on Oct. 28.
Halappanavar's autopsy has revealed that she died of blood poisoning and E. coli ESBL, an antibiotic-resistant strain of the bacterium.
“Instead of jumping to the conclusions that Halappanavar needed an abortion and that Ireland needs to legalize the killing of the youngest of its kind, the reasonable approach would be to get to the bottom of what Halappanavar’s condition was and examine how it was, or was not, responded to,” wrote Stephanie Gray, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform Nov. 20.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Archdiocese sold 12,500 copies of the 'multi-purpose kit' for catechism in only three months
Here's Alistair Burns' story explaining
YOUCAT's impact on the
Archdiocese of Vancouver:
While YOUCAT may not crack the New York Times bestseller list anytime soon, the Archdiocese of Vancouver has sold an impressive 12,500 copies in only three months.
"Originally I thought we could easily distribute 10,000," said Patrick Gillespie, Director of Catechetics in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
He placed "three separate orders" (two in September and one in October). "Each sold out very quickly; actually each successive order went faster."
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, has touted YOUCAT, the short form for Youth Catechism, in his travels to local parishes as an accessible way to approach the faith.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and other clergy denounce stores opening on the holiday
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Many retailers will be open on Thanksgiving Day, which analysts say is due in part to
increased competition from online shopping. However, priests including Cardinal
Timothy M. Dolan of New York sees the holiday shopping day as "a sign of a
further descent into a highly privatized, impersonal, keep-people-at-a-distance culture."
Photo: Sxc.hu. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story from Catholic News Service about some of the concerns Catholic clergy and workers have with more retailers opening on Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.:
The expansion of Thanksgiving weekend shopping to the holiday itself has raised concerns among both workers and clergy who worry that the change puts family time at risk.
Father Sinclair Oubre, Spiritual Moderator of the Texas-based Catholic Labor Network, said the store openings are a “disturbing trend” that is “an assault on the family.”
***
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York criticized the new phenomenon of Thanksgiving Day shopping in a Nov. 20 essay in the New York Post.
“The stores, we hear, will open on Thanksgiving. Isn’t that a sign of progress and liberation?” he asked. “Sorry, but no — it’s a sign of a further descent into a highly privatized, impersonal, keep-people-at-a-distance culture, one that values having stuff and doing things over just being with people whom we love, cherish, and appreciate.”
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
New March for Life president plans increased youth appeal
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| Jeanne Monahan. CNS photo / courtesy Family Research Council. |
This is a Catholic News Agency story about the new president of the U.S. March for Life Education and Defence Fund, Jeanne F. Monahan.
Monahan said in a Nov. 20 interview with CNA that her "immediate goal is to do the best job possible to commemorate this sombre 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which will soon hit us here in January; to do what we can to make the rally very youth accessible and interesting; and to make the march as fruitful as possible."
The fund organizes and runs the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., which will be held Jan. 25, 2013, on the National Mall. Monahan's "long term goal ... is to utilize the education piece of the March for Life Education and Defence Fund."
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Comatose Danish woman wakes, sparking end-of-life debate in the country
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| A Facebook photo of Carina Melchior. |
Here's a story by the
National Catholic Register that "right to die" supporters won't like:
Carina Melchior is a 20-year-old Danish woman who was plunged in the middle of controversy by two close encounters with death — the first in car crash last year that put her in a coma; the second in a hospital, where doctors persuaded her parents to donate her organs and shut off her life support.
But Carina recovered, and she now is at the centre of a storm of questions about the criteria for brain death, over-aggressive transplant agencies, and the commodification of the human body.
Read the full story
here.
New downtown location will provide more opportunities for volunteers from parishes
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| The entrance sign to the Catholic Charities Men's Hostel. BCC file photo. |
Here's a
B.C. Catholic story about the upcoming move of the
Catholic Charities Men's Hostel:
After serving the men's homeless community for more than half a century from its present location at the east end of Robson Street, Catholic Charities Men's Hostel will be moving sometime after 2014.
"We are planning to be in the lower stories of a soon-to-be built tower downtown," said Scott Small, director of the Shelter Services office of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and manager of the hostel.
Working with the guidance of B.C. Housing, the new hostel will expand its hours of operation from 16 to 24 and will perhaps expand from welcoming only men. There will be space dedicated to education, fellowship, and worship.
Small said it will be a welcoming environment and a state-of-the-art facility. He believes the new space will be able to provide many opportunities for volunteers from parishes to interact with guests.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Companions of the Cross shares gifts with traditional Anglican community
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Former Anglican Catholic Church of Canada bishop Carl Reid is presented with
the Anglican Use sodality in Ottawa monstrance by Father Scott McGaig,
the Companions of the Cross moderator. Photo by Deborah Gyapong / CCN. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Deborah Gyapong about the odd, yet fulfilling, pairing of a charismatic order and a traditional Anglican group:
One might think putting the Companions of the Cross, a relatively new charismatic order of priests in charge of a traditional Anglican Use community in Ottawa a bit of an odd mix.
The Companions, founded by Father Bob Bedard more than 25 years ago, are a charismatic order used to contemporary praise and worship, sometimes with hands raised in the air. The parishes they serve in Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax, Detroit, and Houston have been known to sing in tongues from time to time.
Worship styles could not be more different. The Anglican Use liturgy uses the language of Shakespeare and rubrics, including a ballet of genuflection and many silent prayers, more similar to those of the Tridentine or Traditional Latin Mass. Instead of contemporary worship, the small parish relies on old hymns that are chosen less for their singability than for their theological import in relation to the day’s readings from Scripture. Yet the small congregation often belts them out in four-part harmony.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Vatican memo aims to boost priestly identity
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| Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, left, smiles
before Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. CNS photo / Stefano Rellandini,
Reuters. |
Catholic News Agency reports that, in an effort to promote priestly identity, the
Vatican Secretary of State has issued a letter asking clerics and religious at the Vatican to dress as befits their identity as priests conformed to Christ.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said in an Oct. 15 letter, written at Pope Benedict XVI's bidding, that it is a "time in which everyone is specially called to renew his awareness of and consistency with his own identity." It recalls a 1982 letter of Pope John Paul II to his vicar general encouraging him to "study opportune initiatives destined to foster the use of ecclesiastical and religious dress."
This new memo from the Secretary of State goes hand in hand with a 1994 document on the ministry and life of priests from the Congregation for Clergy. The congregation's document said that in a "secularised and materialistic society ... it is particularly important that the community be able to recognise the priest, man of God and dispenser of his mysteries, by his attire as well, which is an unequivocal sign of his dedication and his identity as a public minister."
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Catholic donor group picks controversial Obama adviser as new head
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| This ad from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops promotes the
Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Officials with the CCHD had to
deal with a report that 55 agencies funded by the U.S. bishops'
anti-poverty program in 2010-11 were in conflict with Church teaching. |
Catholic News Agency reports that
Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA) has chosen Alexia K. Kelley, an Obama policy adviser with connections to abortion-supporting politicians and a controversial advocacy group, as its new president and CEO.
Kelley, who holds a master's degree in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School, had previously worked for several years at the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, an anti-poverty initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
She later co-founded and served as the executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a social-justice advocacy organization which was criticized by numerous bishops for causing confusion about the priority of moral issues by downplaying the importance of fundamental concerns like abortion, while giving heavy weight to issues such as the environment.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Hamilton parent goes to court to defend parental rights in education
 |
Dr. Steve Tourloukis with his lawyer, Albertos Polizogopoulos.
Deborah Gyapong / CCN. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Deborah Gyapong about a Hamilton father who is taking an Ontario school district to court to protect his children from potential indoctrination:
Dr. Steve Tourloukis, a dentist, is taking the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board to court, seeking a declarative ruling that recognizes his right to be informed when a classroom will be teaching curriculum contrary to his Christian faith; the right to have his children exempted from such teaching; and an acknowledgement from the court of parents’ prior rights to educate their children.
Ahead of court appearances Nov. 21 and 22, in Hamilton, Tourloukis spoke in two Catholic venues in Ottawa Nov. 17, warning the same provincial Equity and Inclusiveness strategy is being foisted on Catholic Schools.
A Greek Orthodox believer, Tourloukis said he is “heartbroken” about what has happened in the Catholic school system, pointing to the province’s forcing them to accept Gay-Straight Alliances GSAs.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Pope creates academy to promote knowledge of Latin
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| A copy of the Borgianus Latinus, a missal for Christmas made for Pope Alexander VI. CNS photo / Paul Haring. |
Catholic News Agency reports that the Pope is launching a new
Pontifical Academy for Latin, which will be a part of the
Pontifical Council for Culture, to help priests and academics deepen their knowledge and ability with the language.
The new academy was announced in a letter titled "Latina Lingua." The document is known as a motu proprio, a phrase that means "on his own initiative."
"There is a danger of an increasingly superficial knowledge of Latin, also reflected in the philosophical and theological studies of future priests, in contemporary culture, and in the context of a general weakening of the humanities," the Pope Benedict wrote in his letter.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
Speaker at Catholic Health Association's annual general meeting open about 'her personal faith'
 |
Laura Bain, a UBC graduate in biology, speaks
about her struggles with bipolar disorder at a
talk sponsored by the program TED
(Technology Entertainment Design).
Photo special to The B.C. Catholic. |
Carolyn Francis' latest story features Laura Bain, a UBC graduate who recently shared her struggles with bipolar disorder at the Catholic Health Association's annual general meeting:
Typing the name Laura Bain into a Google search gets a direct link to her speech at UBC for the program TED (Technology Entertainment Design), a non-profit organization devoted to the sharing and spreading of new and innovative ideas.
Her talk was about bipolar disorder, in her case Bipolar Type II, something she knows a lot about from the inside; she was diagnosed with it in 2009. The disorder subjects its victims to highs and lows; manic states and depressions.
She was then invited to speak at the Catholic Health Association's annual general meeting Sept. 20. At both events, Bain said, she sought "to go beyond the traditional definitions and give you more of the lived experience."
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Theologian addresses the Second Vatican Council on the laity
 |
| Sandra Prather. WCR file photo / CCN. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Ramon Gonzalez about a talk given by an Albertan theologian on the laity's role following the
Second Vatican Council:
The responsibilities and rights of the laity to participate in the work and mission of the Church are based on Scripture and tradition, formulated in Church teachings — especially those from the Second Vatican Council — and codified in canon law.
In the view of Sandy Prather, a local theologian, Vatican II’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity recognizes the fundamental equality and dignity that arises from Baptism.
“It restored us to a total ecclesiology; which means that the Church is the people of God, not just the hierarchy,” she said.
***
She described the decree as a positive development. “I think Vatican II opened the way for us to be an adult Church.”
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
American shepherds say they are not changing strategy in defending life, family, and religious freedom
 |
Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore updates U.S. bishops on the USCCB
efforts to defend religious liberty. He addressed the bishops at their
annual fall meeting in Baltimore Nov. 12. Nancy Phelan Wiechec / CNS. |
Rachel Zoll of
The Associated Press reports that despite the re-election of
U.S. President Barack Obama and
several states voting for so-called same-sex marriage,
U.S. bishops will continue to fight for life, family, and religious freedom:
A subdued U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowledged Nov. 12 that voters rejected the stands they took against "gay marriage" and birth control, but gave no sign they would change their strategy.
"Same-sex marriage" supporters made a four-state sweep of U.S. ballot measures last week, despite intensive advocacy by Catholic bishops in favour of traditional marriage. Bishops also spoke out sharply against President Barack Obama's mandate that most employers provide health insurance that covers artificial contraception. Critics accused the bishops of going so far that they appeared to be backing Republican Mitt Romney.
The bishops insist their complaints were not partisan. Still, they now must face four more years with a U.S. president that many bishops characterized as a threat to the Church.
"We've always maintained our openness to dialogue, and that will continue," said Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, who leads the bishops' committee on religious liberty. "As this evolves, as rule-making gets a little more clear, then our range of options will be clearer."
None of the bishops who spoke Monday directly mentioned Obama. Archbishop Lori only noted that "the political landscape is the same." The bishops instead reviewed plans they developed well before election day to expand outreach to Latino Catholics on traditional marriage and organize events on the importance of religious freedom.
Read the full story
here.
Pope says famous building 'speaks of God's relationship with humanity'
Earlier this month
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the Sistine Chapel's 500th anniversary.
To mark the historic occasion
The Busy Catholic blog is inviting you to take a tour of
Michelangelo's masterpiece, a virtual one, that is.
Click here to take the zoomable, 360-degree tour, which was
established in 2010 by the Vatican in partnership with
Villanova University.
Constructive efforts are being made toward the 'safe reintegration of offenders' into society
 |
Brian Lang, district director of the Pacific Region of Correctional Services (left),
proudly holds a key given to honour his years of service. With him is Gerry
Ayotte, the archbishop's representative to prisons. Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic. |
The B.C. Catholic has a story about Prison Ministry Development Day at St. Andrew Kim Parish in Surrey:
The all-day event featured a morning speech by Brian Lang, District Director of Community Corrections for the Pacific Region.
He touted one of the major CSC success stories: the organic farm on the green acres of the Ferndale correctional institution. Lang was integral to the creation of the farm, since he's a firm believer in the old adage, "the devil finds work for idle hands."
"We work with very challenging people; after (my) many years in the business, there are not many mastermind criminals or geniuses that are behind bars," he commented.
His specific responsibility starts with offenders once they have been released from behind bars, either from federal or provincial institutions.
He reminded those present that there were "a lot of years and a lot of hurt that went into each offender."
We must "always temper control with compassion, to remain steadfastly committed to a reasonable goal of safe reintegration of offenders back into our communities," he said.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
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A photo from 1905 of the original homestead at Beaver Lake.
Photo Courtesy the Basilian Fathers Museum. |
First mission was established at Beaver Lake, Alta.
Chris Miller of the
Western Catholic Reporter details some of the history of Ukrainian religious
pioneers in Alberta:
The Ukrainian Basilian Fathers and Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate have historical significance in Alberta. Recently their contributions have been honoured by Parks Canada.
In 2011, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized the Beaver Lake-Mundare Ukrainian Catholic Mission as a place of tremendous historical and cultural importance.
Consequently, a bronze marker acknowledging their arrival in Canada was installed in Mundare. The granite monument, in front of the Pioneer Chapel, adjacent to the Basilian Fathers Museum, highlights the men’s order in Canada.
“It ties in nicely because this year we have the 100th anniversary of the ordination of the first Ukrainian Catholic bishop (Nicetas Budka) in Canada,” said Karen Lemiski, curator and associate director of the museum.
“For us it’s a great honour, recognizing the importance of the Basilian settlement in Alberta and also in Canada. It’s a major accomplishment.”
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
The conference’s Committee on Divine Worship recommended the action in light of new liturgical texts
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In this 2006 photo Postulants follow along as Benedictine Sister Magdalena
Berndlamier reads the Gospel during the Liturgy of the Hours at the
Abbey of St. Walburga in Virginia Dale, Colo. Paula Glover / CNS. |
Catholic News Agency reports that a plan to revise the English-language
Liturgy of the Hours has been approved by the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:
The conference’s Committee on Divine Worship, headed by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans, had recommended the action in light of new liturgical texts, including the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, the revised Grail Psalms and biblical canticles, and revision work begun by the International Committee on English in the Liturgy.
The vote at the general assembly of bishops’ Nov. 13 morning session in Baltimore involved only the Latin Rite bishops, who passed the proposal by 189 to 41, with one abstention.
The preliminary vote means the Committee on Divine Worship will begin translation and editing. It will present a full draft to the conference when its work is completed. If approved, the draft would be submitted to the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for approval.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Former Crossroads walker shares personal reflection
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Becky Jensen poses near the Maine coast in the calm before the storm, Hurricane Sandy.
(Special to The B.C. Catholic) |
Becky Jensen wrote for
The B.C. Catholic in the summer of 2012 during her time as a Crossroads walker to bring attention to the sanctity of life.
Now she relates how Hurricane Sandy and a recent earthquake near her home has made her realize that life is an adventure, and only God knows what comes next.
It has been said that life is
different after Crossroads, the pro-life walk across Canada. Life is seen as
having a distinct beginning and a distinct end, with the present available for
us to accomplish the work assigned to us by God. (For) Hurricane Sandy, we had plenty
of warning. At one point, the storm was forecast to make landfall over my house. Fortunately, this did not happen, as the communities
much further south bore the brunt of the storm. Many affected individuals and
families still need to sort through their own private sections of the
destruction.
My city received only strong winds,
high waves, and power outages. The local airport cancelled flights. Still, one co-worker shared with me
that her grandmother, who lives in retirement housing in New Jersey, had been
evacuated and displaced.
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A statue of Christ stands in front of destroyed homes in Union Beach, N.J., Nov. 12.
More than 100 people were killed as the storm caused a widespread swath of carnage Oct. 29.
(CNS / Eric Thayer) |
Jensen's experience continues:
I was surprised when Maine recently experienced an earthquake, a rare phenomenon here. It registered 4.0 and was centred in rural West Hollis, a mere
30 minutes away. The quake would have fallen short by B.C.
standards. Oddly, I was one of the few who
did not feel it, because I was on the road, driving my car from my home to church for a Eucharistic holy hour. As soon as I
stepped out of my car, an alarmed man wanted to know if I had
heard the "big boom, like a plane crash.” I had not, as I guess God knew I would rather hear Catholic radio to an earthquake. With the recent (American) elections, the citizens of Maine voted in favour of legalizing "same-sex marriage."
Life is an adventure! What comes next? Only God knows, but we know we were created precisely for these times. Happy Year of Faith! Embrace
the unique situation before you as a gift from God.
Information sessions on vocations to permanent diaconate to be held Nov. 18, 20
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Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, calls a potential deacon to candidacy at
Holy Rosary Cathedral Sept. 8. Nathan Rumohr / The B.C. Catholic. |
Men who are interested in a call to the permanent diaconate will be able to learn more about the vocation this month:
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, has decided to begin a second formation process starting in September 2013, and interested men are invited to hear about the process at St. Andrew Kim Parish in Surrey Nov. 18, and at Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Vancouver Nov. 20.
At the information sessions Archbishop Miller will talk about the importance of the permanent diaconate vocation and what kinds of qualities are required for admission into the program.
"Our deacons will need to nurture a deep interior life in order to meet their obligations," he wrote in his 2011 pastoral letter on the restoration of the permanent diaconate. The archbishop explained that for deacons to carry their ministry and apostolic activities successfully they would need to maintain "an intense life of personal and liturgical prayer" that can "only be attained through a profound friendship with Christ."
Msgr. Gregory Smith, director of the permanent diaconate program, will also be on hand at the sessions, along with a number of current candidates and their wives, to answer specific questions about the vocation.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Federal government solicits ideas for business and charitable partnerships
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Diane Finley
|
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Deborah Gyapong about a recent forum of government, business, and NGO leaders looking for ways to tackle social issues:
The federal government is soliciting ideas from the business and charitable sector on how to best solve intractable social problems such as homelessness, hunger and drug abuse.
“Here’s the straight talk, we can’t fund every single, solitary service that people want, without regard for the taxpayers’ ability pay for it,” Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley told a group of business and NGO leaders in Toronto Nov. 8.
“It’s time for us to unleash individual initiative so that those who are motivated can help others and those who need help are given the opportunity to take more responsibility to help themselves,” she told the 5th Annual Social Finance Forum sponsored by MaRS, a pioneer organization bringing business and NGO leaders together to find innovative ways of tackling social issues.
Finley asked for ideas on how to leverage business and NGO expertise with government funding that would reward measurable results in achieving goals.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Dan Dorazio has kept his sights on Jesus throughout 40-year football coaching career
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Dan Dorazio (centre) poses for a photo with his offensive line players Ben
Archibald (left), Dean Valli, Angus Reid, Jovan Olafioye, Patrick Kabongo,
and Jesse Newman after a practice at B.C. Place Stadium.
Nathan Rumohr / The B.C. Catholic. |
The B.C. Catholic recently entered the
Lions den to talk to offensive line coach Dan Dorazio:
Dan Dorazio truly loves his faith, his family, and his football. The B.C. Lions offensive line coach has coached for 40 years in college and pro ranks, 10 of those years in B.C. Along the way he has seen the highs and lows of the football business but has never lost sight of what matters.
"We live in a competitive environment, and the difference between success and failure is slim," Dorazio told The B.C. Catholic Nov. 2, one day before the Lions defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 17-6 in their final regular season game.
"It's a dog-eat-dog world we live in, but there is peace knowing that Jesus never moves and He is always there next to me."
Dorazio employs the motto of St. Ignatius of Loyola: "Pray as if everything depends on God. Work as if everything depends on you."
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Msgr. Serge Poitras appointed bishop of Timmons
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| Bishop-elect Serge Poitras, PH |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by Deborah Gyapong about the appointment of a new bishop in Ontario:
The Timmons diocese’s long wait for a new shepherd is now over with the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI’s appointment of Msgr. Serge Poitras Nov.10.
The bishop-elect, who will be ordained Dec. 27, will succeed Bishop Paul Marchand SMM, who died in office on July 24, 2011.
Since 2010, Bishop Poitras has been serving as the Adjunct Under Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops at the Holy See, under its Prefect, Cardinal Marc Ouellet who was named to head the Congregation in June 2010.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Jesuit soldier served country during WWII
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Father Bernard Mary Egan (left with Roman collar) stands outside Buckingham
Palace after being awarded the Military Cross by King George VI in 1944.
Photo courtesy The Universe Newspaper Archive. |
The B.C. Catholic remembers our veterans in time for Remembrance Day. Some of those veterans were clergy and Alistair Burns looks back at one of them named Father Bernard Egan, SJ:
During the Second World War, priests served in the army and navy, and even a very select few clergymen trained to jump out of planes.
One parachuting Jesuit began his military career with a literal bang. Father Bernard Mary Egan, SJ, chaplain to the British Second Parachute Battalion, suffered severe bruises after a German aircraft bombed the battalion's headquarters during the North African campaign in 1942.
According to eyewitnesses, the impact left a 30-foot-wide crater.
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Regina's Catholic Family Services director says Church demographics are changing
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| David Sax |
The B.C. Catholic has a story by the
Prairie Messenger about a lecture describing the changing demographics of the Church:
Immigration from non-European countries in Asia, Africa and Central American Catholic countries is what will keep the Catholic Church alive and vibrant, said the Archdiocese of Regina's Catholic Family Services Society executive director David Sax. Sax delivered this year’s Reidy lecture Oct. 23 at St. Martin’s Church.
Quoting census statistics and his own research, Sax described how society and families are changing and specifically how changes are affecting the Roman Catholic Church. Regular church attendance has dropped and is now estimated at about 14 - 18 per cent, more and more Catholics are marrying non-Catholics, and the majority of children attending Catholic schools do not have families that regularly attend church. These are just a few of the changes he described.
Overall, society is changing much more rapidly than in the past and will continue to change. He described how in a little over 100 years society has changed from a horse and buggy, outhouse, no electronics or any modern conveniences to one of cars, airplanes, indoor plumbing, mass media and instant communications systems, among other things.
“The world was transformed and so was the lifestyle and perceptions of how the world worked.”
Read the full story at
The B.C. Catholic website.
Leaders aim at cultural change after election losses
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| The campaign bus for Republican U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney
is seen behind a sign outside the First Church of God Community Worship
Center in Chillicothe, Ohio. CNS photo / Shannon Stapleton, Reuters. |
This Catholic News Agency story reports on pro-life setbacks in the Nov. 6 election.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, explained that the election "confirmed for every pro-lifer that we cannot rely on politicians to abolish abortion," since President Barack Obama was elected after committing himself to furthering taxpayer-funded abortion without restrictions.
Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life, said the election was definitely a loss for the pro-life movement, but "dramatic success" had been achieved in the past decade, and groups like Americans United for Life have a "clear, direct, and strategic plan" for moving ahead.
For
full story see
The B.C. Catholic website.
