Theologians call for ecumenical efforts

No one is exempt from working for Christian unity: Abbot Braganza

Abbot John Braganza, OSB (left), gives a lesson on ecumenical dialogue at the Spring Institute April 11. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

Jesus prayed before His arrest that His people "may be one." Catholics should pay attention, say ecumenical dialogue experts. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Young people avoid marriage, fearing failure

Pope Francis holds a drone during an audience with members of Christian Life Community in Paul VI hall at the Vatican April 30. CNS photo / L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters.

With the number of children raised in broken families on the rise, young people view marriage as a path to failure. Now Pope Francis says it's time for Christians to restore faith in the family. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Now is the time of mercy, Father Gaitley says

Father Michael Gaitley speaks on Divine Mercy at the New Evangelization Summit April 25. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Now is the time of mercy, Father Michael Gaitley, author of Consoling the Heart of Jesus and 33 Days to Morning Glory, told the New Evangelization Summit here April 25. For full story
 see The B.C. Catholic website.

Archbishop Roussin's death saddens Pope Francis

Late prelate served in Vancouver for five years

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, received a letter expressing the Holy Father's condolences to after the death of Archbishop Emeritus Raymond Roussin, SM.

"To all who mourn Archbishop Roussin's passing, especially his family and his confreres in the Society of Mary, the Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of consolation and strength in our Lord Jesus Christ."

Archbishop Roussin passed away April 24 at the age of 75. Keep an eye out on the next issue of The B.C. Catholic for memories written by locals who knew him.

The Funeral Mass will be held May 2 at St. Boniface Cathedral in Winnipeg. The Archdiocese of Vancouver will hold a Memorial Mass to honour his legacy May 8 at 12:10 at Holy Rosary Cathedral.

Scott Hahn speaks at New Evangelization Summit

Conversion is life-long process, convert explains

Author and theologian Scott Hahn speaks on conversion as a lifelong process at the New Evangelization Summit in Ottawa April 24. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Before Scott Hahn became a Catholic he was familiar with ways to bring people to Christ but now he sees conversion as a life-long process he told the New Evangelization Summit here April 24. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Dialogue with Islam possible, and desperately needed, Vatican says

People hold a banner during an October 2014 demonstration in Berlin against the Islamic State militant group, known as ISIS. Muslim leaders worldwide issued a stern rebuke at that time to ISIS. CNS photo / Hannibal Hanschke, Reuters.

Amid continued violence by ISIS and other militant Islamist groups, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue issued a declaration stressing that dialogue with Islam must be sought "now more than ever." For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Elderly can ward off dementia: neurologist

More than 15,000 B.C. residents are diagnosed with dementia every year, and the number is likely to keep growing, according to health-care consultant MaryLou Harrigan. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Project Advance launches 2015 campaign

Leader wants five per cent increase in participation

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, greets members of organizations that will receive Project Advance funds: Sig Stark (left) and Scott Barber of L'Arche, Chris McKinnon of Signal Hill Life Education Society, Maureen Fadum and (far right) Della Oberhoffner of Domestic Abuse Services, Sharon and Dan Dobin of Sancta Maria House. Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic.

For 30 years Carrie Tinson has diligently counselled her fellow parishioners to give to the annual fundraising campaign of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Pope speaks on ISIS killings

Coptic Orthodox priests in Amman, Jordan, remember 21 Egyptian Christians beheaded by Islamic State militants in Libya, where the Egyptian nationals had been working. CNS photo / Jamal Nasrallah, EPA.

Pope Francis voiced his distress at the news of a reported mass execution of Ethiopian Christians in Libya at the hands of ISIS, pleading that their deaths may not go ignored. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

New Evangelization Summit reaches 3,000

Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, SJ, of Ottawa, and Mission of the Redeemer Ministries co-founder Michael Dopp, who organized the event, shared a letter from Pope Francis extending his Apostolic Blessing. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

The first New Evangelization Summit (NES) here April 24-25 reached more than 3,000 people across North America through top Catholic speakers who shared the urgent need to evangelize. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Faithful prepare for Eucharistic Congress in Cebu

Mayor in the Philippines hopes Pope Francis will attend, asks city to prepare for massive crowds

Neil Frank Ferrer (third from left), consul general of the Philippines in Vancouver, meets with the archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress planning committee. Photo submitted.

A country rocked by a series of natural disasters is preparing to host millions of Catholics celebrating the source and summit of Christian life. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Nigerian bishop says rosary will bring down Boko Haram

A victim of a bomb blast at UN offices in Abuja, Nigeria, is loaded into an ambulance after a car rammed into the building. Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri, Nigeria, recently said the government should empower youths to help prevent the myriad of problems that lead to such violence. CNS photo / Afolabi Sotunde, Reuters.

A Nigerian bishop says that he has seen Christ in a vision and now knows that the rosary is the key to ridding the country of the Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Sex-ed opponents call for student strike

Parents rally outside Queen's Park after the release of Ontario's sex-ed curriculum. Some parents plan to take their kids out of school May 4-8 in protest of the curriculum. Evan Boudreau / The Catholic Register / (CCN).

A parent group is calling for children to be pulled out of school during Education Week in Ontario to protest the province's new sexual education curriculum. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Exodus is at the heart of vocations: Pope

Holy Father releases message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Novices look on as Pope Francis meets with those discerning vocations during an audience in 2013.
The 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations was celebrated that year.
(Photo: Tony Gentile, Reuters / CNS)

This Sunday, the Catholic Church remembers religious people in a special way. Pope Francis has released his message for the 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

"To offer one’s life in mission is possible only if we are able to leave ourselves behind. On this 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I would like reflect on that particular 'exodus' which is the heart of vocation, or better yet, of our response to the vocation God gives us.

When we hear the word 'exodus,' we immediately think of the origins of the amazing love story between God and his people, a history which passes through the dramatic period of slavery in Egypt, the calling of Moses, the experience of liberation and the journey toward the Promised Land.

The Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, which recounts these events is a parable of the entire history of salvation, but also of the inner workings of Christian faith."

He goes on to say that the vocation of a Christian is one of love, of letting go of oneself, and of deeper discovery of God. Read the full text of his message here.

St. Patrick's Parish seeks to sponsor refugees

Potluck dinner raises funds to resettle two families

Photo by George Bernemann / Special to The B.C. Catholic

The Middle East is facing an ongoing crisis, and members of a parish in Maple Ridge have found a way to respond.

Parishioners at St. Patrick's held a potluck dinner April 11 to bring two Catholic refugee families to Canada. Organizer Gloria Tam said over $8,000 was raised for the cause.

Photo by George Bernemann / Special to The B.C. Catholic

Photo by George Bernemann / Special to The B.C. Catholic

Photo by George Bernemann / Special to The B.C. Catholic

Parishioners are now waiting to find out more about the families they hope to sponsor.

Vancouver hospital chaplain witnesses miracles

Canossian Sister Cecilia Cham has spent nearly a quarter century serving the sick and dying

Sister Cecilia Cham, FdCC, started serving at Vancouver General Hospital April 23, 1991. She has consoled countless patients in the last 24 years. "When I see them, I remember our Jesus saying, 'When I was sick, you visited Me.'" Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

A humble Chinese sister is starting her 25th year of consoling people in some of their most vulnerable moments. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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HHS mandate loses again

Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of Erie, Pa., in 2012. His diocese will benefit from the latest HHS ruling. CNS photo / courtesy Diocese of Erie.

The U.S. Supreme Court has continued its trend of decisions stopping enforcement of a federal contraception mandate against religious employers with moral objections. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

CNEWA Canada marks 10th anniversary

Msgr. John Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, and Bishop Lionel Gendron of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Que., celebrate Mass at St. Charbel convent in Annaya, Lebanon, Jan. 19. CNS photo / John Kozar, courtesy CNEWA.

As CNEWA (Catholic Near East Welfare Association) Canada marks its 10th anniversary this year, it has made an urgent appeal for continued help imperiled families in Iraq and Syria. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Francis continues his ongoing catechesis on the family

Men and women complete each other; there's no other option, Pope says

Pope Francis prepares to greet a woman lying on a bed while greeting the disabled during his general audience in St. Peter's Square. CNS photo / Paul Haring.

Pope Francis said marriage is a vocation all believers are called to defend, specifically the complementarity of the union between a man and a woman. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Iconographer Frank Turner took up the craft in 1980s, considers his work a spiritual struggle
A unique icon of St. Elias hangs above the tabernacle in a Melkite Catholic church built of cinderblocks in Abra, Lebanon. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Budget 2015 maps out Tory vision for the middle class

Finance Minister Joe Oliver presented his first budget April 21. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

The federal 2015 budget is an election document that sets out its vision for the middle class, but a social justice think tank say it does little to address poverty or climate change. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Coach finds God's grace helps her live in obedience

Sister Mary Sabina Demuth made a tough choice between marriage and her religious call

Grade 6 Assumption Eagles stand with their basketball coach, Sister Mary Sabina Demuth, OP, in the gymnasium at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Port Coquitlam. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

The coach of the Assumption Eagles wears a full-length white habit as she emboldens Grade 6 girls to slam-dunk their way to victory. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Rabbi Toaff dead at 99

St. John Paul II greets Rabbi Elio Toaff in 1986 at Rome's main synagogue. Rabbi Toaff, Rome's chief rabbi from 1951 to 2000, died April 19 at age 99. CNS photo / Arturo Mari, L'Osservatore Romano.

Rabbi Elio Toaff, the first rabbi to welcome a Pope to a Roman synagogue, died Sunday at the age of 99. Pope Francis remembered him with gratitude, praising him as "a man of peace and dialogue." For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Evangelist has warning for 50th National Prayer Breakfast

House Speaker Andrew Scheer, left, and Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias (centre). Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias told the 50th annual National Prayer Breakfast here April 20 the world is growing dark and dismal as it loses an understand of what it means to be human. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Concert to benefit unborn

Pop punk artist to perform for crisis pregnancy centre Hope for Women

A Guy and A Girl.

The head of a pop punk band that has toured with the likes of Nickelback and Simple Plan is about to play his first set for the unborn. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Pope: doomed migrants were looking for happiness

Migrants trying to reach Greece, hold onto the wreckage of a sailboat near the coast of the southeastern island of Rhodes April 20. Hundreds of migrants had died the previous day in another tragedy at sea. CNS photo / Argiris Mantikos, Eurokinissi via Reuters.

Pope Francis led a moment of prayerful silence on April 19 for hundreds of migrants killed off the coast of Lampedusa, saying they were like us in their search for happiness. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Football receiver speaks of faith journey

Matt Dominguez / Frank Flegel / Prairie Messenger.

Matt Dominguez is known throughout Saskatchewan and in Canadian Football League cities as a gifted receiver who terrorized defences during his five years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Talitha Koum members to gather and celebrate

Society holding a fundraiser so it can continue its work

An outsider visits prison inmates. Talitha Koum society is planning a fundraiser so it continue its work. CNS photo / Tanya Connor, The Catholic Free Press.

A non-denominational society that has consoled, counselled, and encouraged abused women, addicts, and former prisoners will mark its 15th anniversary in April. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Iraqi priests and nuns choose to stay

Kurdish "peshmerga" troops stand guard against Islamic State militants on the outskirts of the province of Ninevah, Iraq. CNS photo / Reuters.

"At night we often hear gunfire," said Father Steven, a priest in Alqosh, Iraq. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Newfoundland native to pronounce first vows

Sister Mary Phillips. Lasha Morningstar / Western Catholic Reporter / (CCN).

It has been a long journey with many side roads for Sister Mary Phillips to reach her destination with the Sisters of Providence of Montreal. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

St. Mark's College to give bioethicist honorary doctorate

For 11 years she has been the director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute

Dr. Moira McQueen. Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic.

The Catholic graduate college in Vancouver will recognize a theologian who advises the Pope with its highest education honour in May. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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If men and women aren't different, we have problems: Pope Francis

Pope Francis prays in front of a statue of Mary as he arrives to lead his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Feb. 11. The Pope is deeply devoted to Mary and often expresses his devotion by praying in front of statues of Our Lady and then gently touching them. CNS photo / Paul Haring.

Pope Francis warned about gender theories which seek to eradicate differences between man and woman, saying they perpetuate the very problems they are trying to solve. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Supreme Court of Canada rules against Saguenay council prayer

Saguenay Mayor Jean Tremblay. Deborah Gyapong / (CCN).

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled April 15 the Saguenay mayor and council must stop praying before meetings and pay damages to an atheist who complained of discrimination. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

CWL provincial convention will be June 11-13

apr 16

Catholic Women's League to vote on six new resolutions

Barbara Dowding, CWL's national president, is pictured visiting Juno Beach Centre Nov. 11 to view the league's plaque and participate in Remembrance Day. Photo submitted.

Women from B.C. and the Yukon will vote on six new resolutions they hope to bring to the federal government's attention. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Turkey protests to the Holy See

Pope Francis looks on after greeting Armenian Catholic Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni during an April 12 Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. CNS photo / Tony Gentile, Reuters.

Pope Francis's comments on the extermination of Armenian Christians in early 20th century Turkey prompted a strongly worded criticism from the Turkish Foreign Ministry and led to the withdrawal of Turkey's ambassador to the Holy See. But what's the full story? For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Put a price on carbon, religious investors say

Trees line the banks of a creek along the Pomeroon River in the interior of Guyana in this March 18 photo. The Catholic Church supports the efforts of scientists to study the causes and effects of climate change and insists governments and says businesse s must get serious about specific commitments for protecting the environment. CNS photo / Bob Roller.

Religious congregations and faith groups from across Canada have urged Canada's finance minister to put a price on carbon emissions to combat climate change. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

British politicians try to coax Christian voters on Easter

'We should feel proud to say: This is a Christian country': PM David Cameron

U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron.
Photo credit: Youtube.

All three major party leaders in Great Britain acknowledged the important role of faith at Easter. In a televised message, Prime Minister David Cameron, who calls himself an evangelical Christian, said the following:

"Yes, we are a nation that embraces, welcomes and accepts all faiths and none but we are still a Christian country. And as a Christian country, our responsibilities don’t end there. We have a duty to speak out about the persecution of Christians around the world too."

"It is truly shocking to know that in 2015 there are still Christians being threatened, tortured, even killed, because of their faith from Egypt to Nigeria, Libya to North Korea … to all those brave Christians in Iraq and Syria who are practising their faith, or sheltering others, we must say, ‘We stand with you'."

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat Deputy Prime Minister, also made an Easter address. While he is an atheist, his Catholic wife is raising their children in the faith.

"The values that Jesus lived his life by, compassion, humility, forgiveness, resonate with people of all faiths and none," Clegg said.

Meanwhile, Labour’s Ed Miliband, a lapsed Jew, does not believe in God, but respected those who do believe in Him.

However, Cameron, Miliband, and Clegg might just be appealing for votes. Britons go to the polls May 7.

Sacred Hymns at Sacred Heart Church

Victoria parish to hold music contest

Father David Hemann, an Iowa priest, has recently released his sixth music CD, "Psalms of David." The pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Ida Grove in the Sioux City Diocese is pictured in an undated photo. CNS photo / courtesy G.R. Lindblade and Co.

Calling all aspiring musicians! Do you have what it takes to win $1,000? For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Pope to visit Sarajevo for one day June 6

Clergymen stand outside a church during an unveiling ceremony of a statue of St. John Paul II in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, April 30. The statue was erected to honor the new saint, who had called for peace during the Bosnian war of the 1990s. CNS photo / Dado Ruvic, Reuters.

Pope Francis will meet with a vast array of different groups during his daytrip to Bosnia, which is a visit Sarajevo's cardinal says could help ease political and ethnic tensions after the country's recent war. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Conscience motion seeks to defend free votes for moral issues

A top Vatican official who deals with matters relating to conscience suggested that after going to confession, Catholics should perform a "corporal work of mercy" by inviting someone else to receive the sacrament. Photo shows a priest hearing the confession of a young woman in 2014 during the 6th Asian Youth Day in South Korea. CNS photo / Daniel Dal Zennaro, EPA.

As voting about the legalization of euthanasia looms over the House of Commons, a Tory backbencher has tabled a motion affirming free votes on matters of conscience. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Archdiocese hosts local World Youth Day event

Consul General of Poland in Vancouver urges young people to make pilgrimage to Krakow in 2016

Young adults display a wooden cross and laminated Stations of the Cross as they pray and sing in Cathedral Square March 28. It was part of an event in celebration of World Youth Day, which Pope John Paul II first instituted in 1985. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

Young adults took their faith outdoors as they celebrated World Youth Day in Cathedral Square in downtown Vancouver. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Court blocks Israeli wall through West Bank

Retired Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer of San Angelo, Texas, stands in front of the Israeli separation wall near Jerusalem while he was on a prayer pilgrimage for peace in the Holy Land. CNS photo / Debbie Hill.

Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem has praised an Israeli Supreme Court decision prohibiting the country's army from routing a security wall through Palestinian land in the West Bank. It would have separated 58 Christian families from their land. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Canadian Council of Churches writes to Prime Minister

CCCB President Gatineau Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher.

The Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) wrote an open letter April 6 to Prime Minister Harper urging a broader response to the crisis in Iraq and Syria than military intervention. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Coalition warns against assisted suicide

Archdiocese's newest building fills up twice for public seminar on euthanasia

Palliative care expert Margaret Cottle said if Belgium's statistics applied in Canada, assisted suicide would be the fourth leading cause of death. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.

Assisted suicide was the hot topic that drew hundreds to the first public event at the archdiocese's new headquarters. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Urbi et Orbi: Pope's Easter message

Pope Francis waves to the crowd during his Easter message and blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 5. CNS photo / L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters.

Love has triumphed over hatred, life has conquered death, light has dispelled the darkness! For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Heirloom seed project a gift of the Providence sisters to community

Cate Henderson, the resident gardening and seed saving expert at the Providence Sisters' motherhouse in Kingston, works in one of their heirloom organic gardens. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).

The Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul in Kingston, Ont., have found a unique way to honour creation through their Heirloom Seed Project. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Sisters hope to build homes in Peru

Missionaries help with food distribution, house construction, and teaching English

Lucy and Bernadette Bonner are fundraising to go to Peru to serve the poor.
Photo submitted.

Two sisters have teamed up in a race against time to put their faith into action on a South American mission adventure. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Holy See, Russia, and Lebanon pilot a statement for human rights in Middle East

Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem waves after celebrating Easter Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City April 5. CNS photo / Ammar Awad, Reuters.

Sixty-three nations have released a joint statement calling for action to end human rights abuses in the Middle East. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Montreal cardinal passes away after long illness

Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte.
Photo credit: CCCB.

For 55 years a priest, bishop, and then cardinal from Montreal defended the poor, participated in two papal conclaves, and cheered on his beloved Canadiens in person. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.