Abortion debate attracts 130 students

Some participants report the discussion changed their minds

Pro-life supporters stand with signs along the street in front of a "Women's Surgery Centre" in Dallas in 2013. CNS photo / Larry Smith, EPA.

A large crowd of students turned up for a debate on abortion at Simon Fraser University last month. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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The Church isn't static, she's a pilgrim on a journey, Pope says

An usher holds a baby after Pope Francis kissed her as he left the general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Nov. 26. CNS photo / Paul Haring.

Pope Francis in his weekly general audience said that the Church on earth is on a pilgrimage to heaven guided by the Lord, who will lead us to the fullness of joy and truth at the end of time. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Work involving making or fixing things has a wider cultural significance

Matthew Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft, and Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, spoke at a public talk sponsored by Cardus's Hill Family Lecture Series in Ottawa Nov. 19. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Matthew Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft, says work involving making things or fixing things has a wider cultural significance in combating growing passivity and dependence. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Blogger 'sometimes forgets' her son has Down Syndrome

Mother sees him as sweet and determined Gabe

(Photo from Hand Me Downs)

A registered nurse who blogs as Mommy Chronicles writes she can easily forget her son has Down Syndrome.

"It’s easy to be distracted by his 2-year-old tantrums, his mischievous smile, and go-getter attitude. Gabe is kind-hearted but stubborn. He immediately runs to check on sister when she is having a dramatic, 'I’m 4 and the world is over,' meltdown."

When a stranger recently said, in a hushed voice, "I bet you wish you had known before he came out..." she gave a powerful response. Read her story here.

Be brothers and sisters for peace, Pope tells Europe

Pontiff laments various world conflicts that 'continue to fester'

Pope Francis shakes hands with Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, while visiting the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Nov. 25. CNS photo / Paul Haring.

Pope Francis said Tuesday that brotherhood and a spirit of mutual service are needed to overcome conflict, telling the Council of Europe that both the continent and Christianity have special roles to play in this work. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Three busy people log in for online conference to share ways to make room for Sunday rest


Sunday rest is a gift no modern busy person can refuse, according to professor and former pastor Mark Buchanan. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Ottawa's bishops comment on the recent extraordinary synod on the family

Ottawa Auxiliary Bishop Christian Riesbeck spoke on the recent synod on the family to the Ottawa Catholic Teacher's Guild Nov.19 and to The Family Conference at Dominican University College Nov. 21. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Ottawa's bishops stressed the recent extraordinary synod on the family is not about changing Church teachings. Both bishops spoke at The Family Conference at Dominican University College Nov. 20-22. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Trudeau's views labelled 'logically incoherent'

Hundreds sign letter questioning Liberal leader's understanding of Charter

Justin Trudeau speaks to media at the foyer of the House of Commons.
(Photo: Deborah Gyapong / CCN)

Ottawa writer Patricia Maloney is confused by Justin Trudeau's comments about the Charter and abortion. She and more than 230 people have signed an open letter calling him out on his views that, they say, don't make much sense.

"We the undersigned, are very concerned about your recent edict to exclude pro-life people from being candidates for the Liberal Party. We are also concerned that you say you are doing this because you are a strong believer in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We must confess, we find it impossible to reconcile the two."

Maloney hopes for a response from Trudeau. Read the letter in full here.

Tiny health clinic plans expansion

Space is tight in 'one-stop-shop' for breast cancer diagnosis

A tight-knit clinic at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital plans to renovate its small space to better serve women with breast cancer diagnoses. "That's the dilemma: when we have two surgeons here working together, then the diagnostic doctors are here, we are really running out of space," said Imelda Villeneuve, the nurse navigator at Providence Health Care Breast Centre. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Expert on the papacy navigates Evangelii Gaudium

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, delivers the keynote address at this year's University of Dallas Ministry Conference Oct. 24. Juan Guajardo / North Texas Catholic.

One of the most beloved images of Jesus occurs in the Book of Revelation. It depicts the Saviour standing outside knocking on the door, waiting to be let into one's heart. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

CNEWA appears before Commons foreign affairs committee

Carl Hetu, national director of CNEWA Canada, in Ottawa Nov. 20.

Representatives from the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) testified on the plight of Middle East Christians before the House of Commons foreign affairs committee Nov. 20. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Troubled teen turned actor will tell harrowing story

Man Up! production shares testimonies based on the lives of four at-risk youths

Dzinh Nguyen (centre) lacked adult role models and became steeped in gang life by age 15. He found a more hopeful way to live through the Boys Club Network, co-founded by Jim Crescenzo (left) and Walter Mustapich. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

Four unfiltered stories of at-risk boys who turned their lives around will hit the stage this week in a play put on by the Boys Club Network. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Christians, Muslims unite for justice over couple burned in kiln

A Pakistani Christian holds a placard as he shouts slogans during a protest rally in Lahore, Pakistan. CNS photo / Mohsin Raza, Reuters.

In the two weeks after a Christian couple were killed by a Muslim mob in Pakistan, local leaders from both religions came together repeatedly to call for justice in the matter, and an end to the misuse of blasphemy allegations. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Catholic Muslim Forum offered practical way forward

Pope Benedict XVI offers a gift to a Muslim cleric as he visits the Blue Mosque in Istanbul in this Nov. 30, 2006, file photo. It was only the second time a Pope had entered a mosque. CNS photo / Patrick Hertzog, pool via Reuters.

The third Catholic Muslim Forum met in the Vatican Nov. 4-6, and offered some practical ways forward, said a Canadian Catholic delegate. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Musicians will dazzle St. Mary's Parish

Choirs to sing with 'one voice, one heart, one spirit'

The school gym at St. Mary's Parish will ring out with the sounds of the Psalm 98 Singers, Jojo Quimpo, and a surprise guest at two concerts Dec. 6.

Organizers are saying it's a great way to prepare for the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception. Find out more and get tickets here.

Restorative Justice Week

Inmates to talk ways to heal relationships

Maureen Donegan.

A local prison ministry will be drawing attention to the needs of inmates during Restorative Justice Week, Nov. 16-23. "Restorative justice understands crime from the perspective of the harm caused to people and relationships," said Maureen Donegan, coordinator of Catholic Charities Justice Services in Vancouver. "CCJS seeks to mediate God's healing and restorative touch to all who are touched by crime." For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Thinking of yourself won’t make you holy, but serving others will, Pope says

Pope Francis is silhouetted as he leaves his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Nov. 19. He condemned the "unacceptable episodes of violence" in Jerusalem after two Palestinians killed five people in a synagogue Nov. 18. CNS photo / Paul Haring.

In his Nov. 19 general audience, Pope Francis said that holiness can never be selfish, but is a gift that must be put into practice through daily witness and attentiveness to the needs of others. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
More research and education on natural family planning needed, says physician

An Ottawa family doctor says more research and education on natural family planning (NFP) is needed so its health benefits can be enjoyed by more Canadians. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Varsity football rivals to collide at Burnaby Lakes

Vancouver College Fighting Irish, St. Thomas More Knights to meet in play-offs

Caption: The Vancouver College Fighting Irish routed the Notre Dame Jugglers 46-7 in the 58th Archbishop's Trophy game Oct. 31. Father Joseph Nguyen, archdiocesan vicar general, hands the Archbishop's Trophy to Irish captains Emilio Cantagallo (93), Matteus Yep (73), and Matt Legge (19). Photo credit: Dave Fong / Special to The B.C. Catholic.

Are you ready for some football? Some play-off football? Then head to Burnaby Lakes Nov. 21 at 6 p.m., when V.C. and St. Thomas More, two Catholic high schools, will renew their grudge match.

The winner will advance to the 2014 Subway Bowl semi-finals.

Vatican to open showers for homeless

Splish-splash, I was taking a bath, long under Bernini's Colonnade…

A Vatican worker fills in the cracks in Bernini's Colonnade in March 2013, before the conclave. Three showers for the homeless will soon be installed in the colonnade's public washrooms.
(Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic)

With apologies to Bobby Darin for the headline above, the homeless will soon be bathing under the colonnades.

According to Msgr. Konrad Krajewski, three showers are slated for construction in the public washrooms. He came up with the idea after meeting Franco, a homeless man, who alertly pointed out that he could find places to eat, but rarely a place to wash.

Men's hostel opens extreme weather beds

Downtown shelter unfurls extra bedrolls for the homeless

Scott Small.

The men's hostel at 150 Robson St. opened its Extreme Weather Response beds for the first time this season. After freezing temperatures sent people on the streets looking for somewhere warm to sleep, the hostel went to work. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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The Lebanese model: a multi-religious solution for Syria and Iraq?

A woman clutching a rosary prays for peace in Syria with Lebanese and Syrian Maronites in Jounieh, Lebanon. Lebanon, with its population of about 3.5 million people, has received more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees, the largest number of any country in the region. CNS photo / Hasan Shaaban, Reuters.

The apostolic nuncio to Lebanon has said the country is a model of multi-religious coexistence that could help resolve violent sectarian conflicts in the Middle East. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

New prostitution law will go into effect Dec. 6

Mercy Sister Anne Fleming leads a prayer for victims of human trafficking on Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Detroit in 2013. U.S. women religious were uniting in an effort to eradicate human trafficking through education, advocacy, and assisting the victims. CNS photo / Jim West.

 Prostitution Bill C-36 passed the Senate Nov. 6 and will go into effect in early December, criminalizing the purchase of sex for the first time. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Pro-choice activists disrupt two abortion debates

Campus police had to calm the situation at McMaster University

In the past two weeks, noisy protestors have been crashing university-hosted abortion debates.

At McMaster University, several students interrupted a presentation Nov. 6 by Maaike Rosendal from the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. A video shows the protestors shouting, chanting, and using an air horn.

The university's newspaper, The Silhouette, reported that campus police were called in twice to restore peace.

Pro-life activist Stephanie Gray received a similar reaction eight days later when she tried to present her arguments in a debate at the University of Victoria.

That university's pro-life club, Youth Protecting Youth, is no stranger to opposition. This fall, one of their displays was victim to vandalism and theft; YPY is also currently at the centre of an ongoing lawsuit, hoping to get the same rights and opportunities as other campus clubs.

Catholic vocalist prepares for Christmas spectacle

Vancouver Chamber Choir to perform Handel's Messiah at The Orpheum Theatre in December

Christina Cichos, a soprano with the Vancouver Chamber Choir, is excited to be performing Messiah this year. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

A musical masterpiece first performed 272 years ago will be centre stage again this Christmas. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Food, blankets, and hope: nuns risk lives to serve Syrian refugees

Iraqi Christian refugees pose Oct. 2 in Amman, Jordan, with speakers from Jordanian Catholic and Muslim institutions coming to their aid in Jordan. CNS photo / courtesy Catholic Center for Studies and Media.

Near the Lebanon-Syria border, two religious sisters are among the staff members at a refugee service centre working to give relief and hope to thousands who have fled the armed conflict in Syria. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

More research and education on natural family planning needed, says physician

Dr. Anne Mielnik, founding director of Gianna -- The Catholic Healthcare Center for Women, poses in front of a promotional display in the centre's office in New York. The centre is dedicated to providing primary care, obstetrics, natural family planning, and infertility treatment with a Catholic pro-life approach. CNS photo / Gregory A. Shemitz.

An Ottawa family doctor says more research and education on natural family planning (NFP) is needed so its health benefits can be enjoyed by more couples. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Fundraiser boosts three ministries to vulnerable

Prisoners, refugees, and migrant workers are all to benefit from this year's Archbishop's Dinner 

Diane Chua (left), a resettlement worker, chats with Sister Beata Kayitesi, CMT, at an information booth about the archdiocesan Service and Justice Office before the Archbishop's Dinner Oct. 28. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

Nine hundred of the faithful gathered for the third annual Archbishop's Dinner to raise funds for some of the area's most vulnerable people Oct. 28. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

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'We need bridges, not walls!' Pope says on Berlin Wall anniversary 

People sit on the East Side Gallery and watch a circus performance in Berlin Nov. 9. The president of the German bishops' conference praised Catholics who helped bring down the Berlin Wall, but also urged the Church to look ahead to its future mission. CNS photo / Maja Hitij, EPA.

On the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Pope Francis said that it only happened through a long, painful struggle, and warned that there are still many walls that divide the world today. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Religious freedom 'of concern' in Canada

Robert P. George, a professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University and chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, talks during a press conference about the plight of Middle Eastern Christians at the Press Club in Washington Sept. 9. CNS photo / Tyler Orsburn.

Canada has been rated a country "of concern" in the latest "Religious Freedom in the World" report issued by the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Monument to St. John Paul II nears completion

Bronze likeness of the Pope who visited Vancouver in 1984 will be positioned early next year

Louise Weir stands on a stepladder next to a clay figure of the Polish Pope, which she has been working on since March. It stands about 10 feet high and weighs 2,000 pounds. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

 Numerous historical figures are memorialized in bronze on various Vancouver sites. Soon a 10-foot likeness of Pope St. John Paul II will join them. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

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Pope Francis: Do you have what it takes to be a good priest?

In his weekly general audience Pope Francis spoke on the qualities needed to be a true minister of God, saying that those who are ordained should never be “authoritative,” but rather humble and merciful. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

National Remembrance Day Ceremony draws tens of thousands

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne. Deborah Gyapong / CCN.

 National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial on Nov. 11 drew about 100,000 people. The murder of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo Oct. 22 near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier gave the annual event a special poignancy. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Losing a little one a great mystery

Despite our loss, we are incredibly blessed

A woman holding her newborn baby makes sure she doesn't lose her rosary. CNS photo / Giampiero Sposito, Reuters.

So many mothers and fathers suffer the loss of a baby through miscarriage in relative silence, and are left to heal alone. I have always thought we should support them more, and encourage them to share their stories. Little did I know that after five healthy births we would suddenly lose our sixth child during labour. Now I have a story of my own. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

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Religious freedom dwindling in Europe, U.S.

Father Gerald O'Reilly carries the Eucharist through Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago June 25 during a two-week period of prayer, education and action on preserving religious freedom. CNS photo / Karen Callaway, Catholic New World.

Religious freedom is at risk in Europe and has been increasingly suppressed in the United States over the course of the past year, according to a new report. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Anglican Network in Canada focuses on evangelization at Synod2014

Christian apologist and theologian, J I Packer spoke on the importance of ongoing catechesis of all ages to the Anglican Network in Canada's Synod2014. Deborah Gyapong / CCN.

 The Nov. 4-7 Synod of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) 2014 focused on being Bible-based, bold witnesses with a love for children and mission. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Archdiocese of New York shrinks

Reorganization will see 112 parishes merged into 55

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York presides at Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
(Photo: Gregory A. Shemitz / CNS)

Cardinal Timothy Dolan has announced that almost a third of the New York archdiocese's 368 parishes will merge or close in the near future.

"Let me be candid: there will soon be a real sense of grief at some of our parishes as we get set to announce publicly what we've been preparing for the last five years, namely, the merging of some of our beloved parishes. In a few places, there might even be a feeling that something has died."

One reason for the major reorganization was the archdiocese's budget, said Joseph Zwilling, communications director. Read more from the Catholic News Agency.

Group plans to use hotel profits to fund projects

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre supports schools that educate more than 19,000 students

Thomas McKiernan, chairman of the Holy Land commission for the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, sits with a class of kindergarten children at the Latin Patriarchate school in Na'our, Jordan. Photo submitted.

Profits from a former papal palace remodelled into a four-star hotel will eventually pay for the entire operating expenses of an ancient Church order. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Religious freedom dwindles in Europe and U.S.: report

Robert P. George, professor of jurisprudence at Princeton University and chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, talks during a press conference in Washington Sept. 9 about the plight of Middle Eastern Christians. CNS photo / Tyler Orsburn.

Religious freedom is at risk in Europe and has been increasingly suppressed in the United States over the course of the past year, according to a new report. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Joint Catholic health and education conference held in Saskatoon

Lisa Rathgeber (left) of Christ the Teacher Catholic School District, Melville, Sask., and Lisa Polk of the Regina Catholic School Division were among Catholic school board representatives from across the province who brought forward soil from their school districts to mix together as part of an opening liturgy for a joint Catholic education and Catholic health conference held Oct. 24 - 26 in Saskatoon. The theme of the joint conference was “On Holy Ground: Where Catholic Health and Education Serve.” Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Prairie Messenger.

Some 200 representatives of Catholic health and Catholic education from around the province recently gathered in Saskatoon for a joint conference exploring the theme, “On Holy Ground: Where Catholic Health and Education Serve.” For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.