As I wrote last Sunday, last week I attended a preaching conference as part of St. Augustine’s Seminary 100th anniversary events. It was a who’s who in preaching, with all the talks by homiletics experts from all over North America. I think about homilies all the time. Not so much because I have to prepare ...read more

Today is the feast day and the 400th anniversary of the death of St. Camillus de Lellis, patron of nurses and the sick. Camillus de Lellis was born on May 25, 1550 in Bucchianico, Italy.  He possessed a violent temper and struggled with a horrible addiction to gambling, and by 1574 was reduced to poverty and shame in Naples. ...read more

Pope Benedict wrote in the Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini that “the homily is a means of bringing the scriptural message to life in a way that helps the faithful to realize that God’s word is present and at work in their everyday lives.” (VD 59) Add to that the 18 pages that Pope Francis dedicated ...read more

Here’s what’s been happening across our country this week: The Catholic Civil Rights League of Canada has chosen a new executive director. The previous director, Joanne McGarry passed away earlier this year after a battle with pancreatic cancer. In Vancouver St. Mark’s and Corpus Christi Colleges have a new president.  The previous present was made ...read more

Traditionally in Rome once the last wisps of fresh air are sucked out of the atmosphere by the July heat and humidity, the city vacates and the Vatican essentially shuts down. Not this summer. Bishops who cover abuse The second week of July delivered a plate full of news-worthy Vatican events. On July 6 the ...read more

Most Reverend Auxiliary Bishop William McGrattan was appointed as the 12th Bishop of Peterborough in April after the resignation of Most Reverend Bishop Nicola De Angelis, C.F.I.C. The installation of Bishop William McGrattan was celebrated on Monday, June 23, 2014 at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter-in-Chains. Bishop William McGrattan was born in London, Ontario ...read more

On 27 April 2005, at his first General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI told the assembled crowds why he had chosen that name for his ministry as Bishop of Rome. Among other reasons, this was an homage to Saint Benedict, whose feast we celebrate today, who has played such a role in the spiritual and cultural ...read more

On July 4 – 6, 2014, Toronto and I got our first Steubenville Youth Conference experience. The main topic was “God is…”. Of course everyone knows that young people like to dance, play games and sing together.  But have you ever seen today’s youth  enjoy celebrating mass, going to confession and kneeling down before the Eucharist ...read more

Last week, the Archbishop of Krakow Cardinal Stanislaus Dziwisz released the official logo and prayer of World Youth Day 2016, to take place in Krakow, Poland from July 26-31. The logo, designed by Monika Rybczynska, a 28 year old designer and video editor from Ostrzeszow, Poland, personifies the theme of World Youth Day, taken from ...read more

It was not too long ago that we heard about the Syrian civil war every night on the news.  As the original struggle of the Syrian people for greater liberty morphed into a violent tit-for-tat with Bashar al-Assad’s government, the eyes of the international community were fixed on the country, appalled daily by the skyrocketing ...read more