Help for Yazidis must also take other refugees into account, say advocates
Martin Mark, the director of the Archdiocese of Toronto's Office for
Refugees, makes an appeal in July before the House of Commons
Citizenship and Refugee Committee, asking for help for Yazidis facing
genocide in Iraq from ISIS. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Refugee advocates welcomed a pledge to help Yazidis facing genocide, but some expressed concerns the program might overshadow the needs of refugees elsewhere. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
High school students learn about and pray for lonely inmates, prepare to begin Christmas effort
St. John Brebeuf principal Ted Brennan (right) poses with students and
prison ministry workers after a school assembly about the outreach in
May. Gabrielle Hoffer / Special to The B.C. Catholic.
Students at St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary will bring a little Christmas cheer to some lonely prison inmates this year. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Canadian Catholics and Lutherans to remember Reformation
Catholics need not be concerned about plans to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, said Archbishop Richard Gagnon of Winnipeg. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
The month of November is traditionally the time when Catholics pray for all the deceased. Catholic Cemeteries has several Masses offered throughout the month for the various loved ones who have passed from this world.
Here are several of the Masses and their times:
Oct. 30: Monthly Mass of Remembrance at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 31: All Hallows' Eve Mass Filipino at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 31: All Hallows' Eve Prayer Vigil at 7 p.m. Nov. 1: All Saints' Day Mass at 7 p.m. Nov. 2: All Souls' Day Mass at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11: Remembrance Day Mass at 10 a.m. Nov. 26: Reverently Laying to Rest Service at 10 a.m. Nov. 27: Monthly Mass of Remembrance at 2:30 p.m.
All Masses will take place in the Evangelist Chapel at Gardens of Gethsemani. A full list of the events and details can be found here.
Danish study finds teens using the pill have an 80 per cent higher chance of becoming depressed
"Women who are prescribed hormonal contraception should be informed
about these potential side effects," says Danish gynecologist Ojvind
Lidegaard, surprised with the results of a recent study in his country.
Chris and Kate Knorr / Design Pics.
The newly published results of a study in Denmark are showing what some women have already suspected: there's a link between contraception use and depression. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Jeff Durham feels betrayed by defeat of Molly and Cassie's Law
Baby Molly's parents.
Jeff Durham feels disappointed and betrayed by the defeat of Cassie and Molly's law Oct. 19, a bill named after his murdered unborn daughter and her mother, Cassie Kaake. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Edna and Bob Du Broy at an Empowering Relationships seminar they facilitated in October in Ottawa. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
A Catholic couple here has been holding seminars designed by an American evangelical they hope will take off in Catholic parishes the way the Alpha Course has. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Six panellists share concerns and ideas one year after Laudato Si' released
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, speaks at a conference on Laudato Si'
and caring for the environment at the SFU Wosk Centre for Dialogue Oct.
11. Lioba Na / Special to The B.C. Catholic.
Local business, city, and faith leaders discussed climate change and the environment on the first anniversary of Laudato Si'. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Also newly posted:
For international stories see The B.C. Catholic website.
CPJ executive director Joe Gunn moderated a panel of faith leaders at a
conference on ending poverty at Saint Paul University Oct. 20. Deborah
Gyapong (CCN).
Faith leaders told a conference on poverty here Oct. 20 faith communities can play a key role in the societal transformation necessary to overcome poverty. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Father Brian Kolodiejchuk describes moment he first considered joining Missionary of Charity fathers
Mother Teresa once walked up to a 21-year-old Winnipeg man and suggested he become a priest. He listened, and 23 years later became the main promoter of her cause for sainthood. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Dr. Luigi Castagna doesn't think his job should thrust him into a protest movement, but a stalemate over conscience rights for doctors who object to physician-assisted dying may change that. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Two Chinese priests share their experience in terrible conditions
Msgr. Matthew Koo (left) and Father Matthew Chu, SJ, speak at the John
Paul II Pastoral Centre about being imprisoned in Chinese labour camps,
just for the crime of being Catholic. They spent 27 years in labour
camps. Photos submitted to BCC.
"Come out! Come out!" Screams roused Matthew Koo, now Msgr. Matthew Koo, from his bed in Xujiahui Seminary in Shanghai. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall's private member's Bill C-225 would
make it a criminal offence to harm or kill an unborn child while
committing a crime against the mother. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Those opposed to Bill C-225 (Protection of Pregnant Women and Their Preborn Children Act) risk endangering women says WeNeedaLaw.com director Mike Schouten. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Deacons will serve in areas of need, such as ministry to prisoners and to migrants, says director
Father Bart van Roijen
The southern interior is preparing to carry out Catholic outreach throughout the community with the introduction of a new permanent diaconate program. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum in the foyer of the House of Commons. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
The president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has told the Immigration Minister delays in refugee arrivals is hurting the private sponsorship program. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Terri Schiavo suffered a serious brain injury and died in 2005 after her feeding tube was removed
Pro-life activists Natalie Sonnen (right) and Monica Roddis (second from
right) welcome Bobby Schindler and his wife to a LifeCanada fundraiser.
Schindler is the brother of Terry Schiavo, a woman who died of
starvation and dehydration in 2005. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C.
Catholic.
Family members of a woman who starved to death 12 years ago are still raising the alarm about what they call a "deteriorating" health-care system and culture. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Ontario bishops concerned about threat to conscience rights
Bishop Ronald Fabbro of London, Ont.
The Ontario Catholic bishops have agreed to raise awareness of the threat to health professionals' conscience rights in their dioceses. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Albertos Polizogopoulos (left) at the Supreme Court of Canada during the
hearing of arguments in the Taylor case in 2014. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Legal costs have soared in a legal challenge of the Ontario physicians' college policy to force doctors to make abortion and euthanasia referrals. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Saints are close friends who speak to God on your behalf, says Padua friar
The devoted and the curious flock to Our Lady of the Assumption Parish
in Coquitlam to venerate first-class relics of St. Anthony of Padua.
Josh Tng / The B.C. Catholic.
Relics of a 13th-century friar drew many people to the doors of a Coquitlam church. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Bishops withdraw from the social justice coalition Kairos
Bishop Douglas Crosby
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will no longer be part of Kairos, a social justice coalition of groups of various faiths. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Michele Boulva, shown here in her office in Ottawa, will leave the
Catholic Organization for Life and Family, which she has directed for
nearly 13 years, in December. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
For Michele Boulva, director of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), families play a crucial role in the new evangelization and in the renewal of society. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Neocatechumenal Way members begin regular catechesis sessions at Simon Fraser University
Members of the Neocatechumenal Way gather at Simon Fraser University's
Freedom Square for Vespers Sept. 25. Marie Laliberte / Special to The
B.C. Catholic.
A Catholic spiritual renewal group is bringing the good news to university students. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
'Amoris Laetitia' offers paths to growth: cardinal
Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada spoke at the CCCB plenary on Amoris Laetitia. Deborah Gyapong / CCN.
Pope Francis's document "Amoris Laetitia" on family love concerns paths to spiritual growth, not doctrinal change, says Cardinal Gerald Cyprien Lacroix. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Archdiocese has processed about 250 arrivals from Syria, Iraq, Liberia, and Eritrea this year
Three Syrian refugees meet members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish during a
welcome dinner at the parish in September. Photo submitted.
The hype about sponsoring refugees is fading from mainstream news, but churches are still working hard to pull foreigners to safety. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Prolife activists divided on whether all prolife Tory candidates deserve support
Former Speaker of the House Andrew Scheer, a Catholic father of five. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Prolife activists are divided on whether all three prolife candidates are worthy of support in the Conservative keadership race. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Bishop Joseph Nguyen of Kamloops, who was ordained this summer, traveled to Rome for what some have affectionately called "bishop school."
There, he met Pope Francis.
Bishop Nguyen is a former refugee from Vietnam. He was ordained a priest in Vancouver, where he served the church for many years before Pope Francis called him to the episcopacy. Read more about him here.
Expert questions wisdom of trying to influence climate
Michael Hart, author of "Hubris: The Troubling Science, Economics, and Politics of Climate Change," questions the wisdom of trying to halt global warming. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Four communities participate in Masses, baptisms, and memorial prayer services
Father John Tritschler baptizes a young child in Holy Cross Church,
which is more than 100 years old, in the community of Skookumchuck
(Skatin). Photo submitted to BCC.
Harrison, B.C., offers resort hotels, gracious dining and hot springs, boating, swimming, fishing, and splendid views of Harrison Lake and the surrounding mountains. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
newly posted:
Cardus Family study reveals marriage is good for your health
Andrea Mrozek is the director of Cardus Family, the former Institute of Marriage and Family Canada. Deborah Gyapong / (CCN).
Cardus Family has released a new study revealing marriage is related to a host of better health outcomes in everything from cancer and heart disease to improved mental health. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
More than one year after Pope Francis's landmark encyclical, Laudato Si', its teachings will be highlighted at SFU. "Laudato Si' (On Care for our Common Home) is a landmark encyclical in the social doctrine of the Church," said Father Fernando Mignone, the SFU chaplain. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Catholic health-care centres under pressure to participate in euthanasia process
Cardinal Collins and Larry Worthen represented the Coalition for
HealthCARE and Conscience before the Parliamentary Committee on
Physician-Assisted Dying this year. Deborah Gyapong / (CCN).
An incident involving a man who was refused assessment for euthanasia at a Catholic hospital in Vancouver has increased pressure on all faith-based institutions to violate their principles. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Father Garry LaBoucane, pastor of two Downtown Eastside parishes, receives community award
Tom Cooper (left), head of the Vancouver-based Christian organization
City in Focus, presents an award to Father Garry LaBoucane and three
others. Photos submitted to BCC.
A First Nations priest who serves three Catholic centres in the Downtown Eastside has received recognition. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will release a new sexual abuse document in early 2017, said president Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton, the CCCB president, and will make its first ad limina visits to Rome in 11 years starting in March. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Ghanaian man destroys saint statues in four churches
Italian police have arrested a 39-year-old man for destroying several historic statues and causing panic among tourists and the faithful in four churches.
The man entered Saint Praxedes Basilica Sept. 30 around 7:30 p.m., destroying a statue of Saint Praxedes and then beheading a miniature of Saint Anthony.
The pastor, Father Pedro Savelli, explained to Catholic News Agency, "Right away I thought it was an attack by ISIS. The man was outside himself, but thank God we were able to get him out before he could destroy everything. He said children cannot be taught to believe, using sacred images as we do."
Movie poster for The Vessel, featuring Martin Sheen. (Photo Credit: The Vessel)
Does your ideal evening involve movies, Martin Sheen, and Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB? If so, the archdiocese has the event for you. Join the Archbishop and other members of the archdiocese in the screening of The Vessel, an intense movie about the revival of a town whose passions were long forgotten.
The evening will be held at Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas, Vancouver, on Oct. 14, 7 p.m. Tickets are $13.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
MLA Mary Polak (left), Langley mayor Ted Schaffer, Advokate executive
director Jared White, longtime pro-lifer Cathy Hetzler, and Advokate
president Michael Horner snip a ribbon to officially open Hope for Women
Langley. Agnieszka Krawczynski / The B.C. Catholic.
A new pregnancy care centre has just popped up in the heart of downtown Langley. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
CCCB unlikely to issue national guidelines on pastoral approach to euthanasia
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is unlikely to issue national pastoral guidelines on how to accompany Catholics considering euthanasia, Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton, the CCCB president, said. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
Archbishop Carney alumni perform together at restaurants
Jamie De Guia (left), Kalen Dofher, Steven Pringle, and Anthony Maljevac
combine their instrumental strengths as Clavinova Nights. Special to
The B.C. Catholic / Dipidro Photography.
"Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars." The jazz song, commonly associated with Frank Sinatra, flowed smoothly from the instruments of four young men. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
It is easy to offend if you don't understand the culture, says bishop
Keewatin-Le Pas Archbishop Murray Chatlain speaks in a panel at the CCCB
plenary meeting in Cornwall, Ont. Deborah Gyapong (CCN).
Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Keewatin -- Le Pas told his fellow bishops Sept. 27 it is easy to offend and to be offended when one does not understand cultural differences. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.
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