The Papal Twitter

Earlier this week, I did an interview with Toronto Star faith and ethics reporter Stuart Laidlaw about Twitter and the Pope. The article appeared in Friday's paper and can be viewed here.

And as previously mentioned, yes, the Archdiocese will be providing Twitter updates moving forward - that's the plan for now. But we'll try to keep the updates relevant and targeted. Should be interesting to see where it goes.

For those interested, you can "follow me" on Twitter if you sign up for an account (very simple, just provide a username and password, along with email address - takes about 30 seconds). Then just type in Neil MacCarthy and you're good to go. There are some interesting Catholic feeds on Twitter including regular updates from Catholic News Service, Catholic newspapers from around the country and other Catholic commentators.

We expect to start regular postings in the fall. For now, we'll keep things limited to any significant breaking news. As I like to say, it's another tool in the toolbox for us to use in evangelizing the important work of the Archdiocese...happy tweeting!

Photo: Twitter

O Canada!

We give thanks for the land in which we live, the freedoms that we enjoy and the peace and tranquility of a nation that we call Canada. See below for a throwback to the 70's and 80's - one of the classic TV sign offs at the end of a broadcast day - simply O Canada!

Happy Canada Day to all!

What's the Pallium?

As the Year of St. Paul comes to a close, we give thanks for the wonderful fruits that came from this special year of reflection. In celebrating the Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul, a tradition continues at the Vatican which one has come to anticipate each June.

All the newest Archbishops of the world gather at the Vatican to receive their pallium from the Holy Father. Archbishop Collins received his pallium as Archbishop of Toronto in 2007. For the occasion, our office put together what we call a "backgrounder" to help the media and general public understand the significance of the cermony.

So while school is technically out for summer, today we give you a little education on the pallium and its history. You can impress your friends the next time they ask you, "What the pallium?" Congratulations and prayers to the 34 archbishops receiving the lamb's wool this year!

Background on the Pallium

The Pallium is a circular white woolen garment worn around the neck and is a symbol of jurisdiction and fidelity to Christ in the Roman Catholic Church. The Pallium predates Christian era by at least 200 years.

Originally a simple garment worn for warmth in Greece, early Christians adopted it as a sign of their fidelity to Christ and over time the Christian symbol of fish was used to adorn the garment and in later centuries the cross. Once worn by all Christian followers, by the ninth century, the pallium evolved to a garment given exclusively by the Pope to metropolitan archbishops.

All new metropolitans are expected to be present in Rome for the investiture of the Pallium on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29) following their appointment. On the eve of the Feast, the pallia are carried in great ceremony to the Crypt of St. Peter beneath the High Altar in the Vatican Basilica. There they are blessed and placed in a silver gilt casket. The next morning they are carried in procession at Mass for the investiture ceremony.

The ceremony of investiture is simple. During Mass, following the Liturgy of the Word but before Pope Benedict XVI’s homily, the metropolitans, proceed to a place of special honour. Each metropolitan is called forward and kneels before the Holy Father. As the Archbishop is called forward, Pope Benedict will say:

"To the glory of almighty God and the praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the apostles Peter and Paul, and of the Holy Roman Church, for the honour of the Church of Toronto, which has been placed in your care, and as a symbol of your authority as Metropolitan Archbishop: we confer on you the pallium taken from the tomb of Peter to wear within the limits of your ecclesiastical province.

May this pallium be a symbol of unity and a sign of your communion with the Apostolic See, a bond of love, and an incentive to courage. On the day of the coming and manifestation of our great God and chief shepherd, Jesus Christ, may you and the flock entrusted to you be clothed with immortality and glory. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Additional Information:

• Pallium – singular. Pallia – plural
• An Archbishop can have more than one pallium bestowed on them. To stress the jurisdictional nature of the pallium, a transferred archbishop who already holds a pallium from his previous see, can request a new pallium tied to his new jurisdiction.
• Burial – The pallium is the personal property of an Archbishop as the garment is bound to his person and cannot be transferred to another. An Archbishop can be buried with the pallium upon his death or as per his request put in another suitable location.
• An Archbishop must wear the pallium if vested in sacred vestments.
• Only one pallium can be worn during a liturgical celebration.
• If the Pope is present, he wears his pallium as his jurisdiction is universal.
• If multiple Archbishops are present, the Archbishop whose jurisdiction the celebration is being held at wears his pallium.

Photos: L'Osservatore Romano

Here Come the Scrolls...

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is gearing up for the arrival of the Dead Sea Scrolls in a six month exhibition that begins June 27 in Toronto. It will be most interesting to see how the exhibit is received by people of all faiths in this multi-cultural city of ours. A number of lectures associated with the exhibit have already taken place and a host of other reflections are scheduled in the weeks and months to come. A little more about the scrolls from the very extensive and informative ROM website - it's worth a look.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are widely considered among the greatest archaeological finds of the past century. They include the earliest written sources for the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament), as well as other less well known writings. Many of the ideas and beliefs contained in this collection of ancient parchments have resonated through the centuries and remain influential today. Indeed, they reflect the foundations of important religions such as Judaism and Christianity and have influenced Islam.

Dating from around 250 Before Common Era (BCE) to 68 Common Era (CE), the Scrolls include some 207 biblical manuscripts representing nearly all of the books in the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament). Approximately 900 Scrolls were discovered; some almost entirely preserved and others in fragments.

Together, they comprise one of the most important collections of writings ever discovered. The Scrolls are a collection of biblical writings, apocryphal manuscripts, prayers, biblical commentary and religious laws. Prior to the discovery of the Scrolls, the oldest known copies of biblical texts were written 1,000 years later.

For those who might be interested in checking out the exhibit, the ROM has offered the Archdiocese of Toronto special discount rates that will save up to 30% off the regular admission price. Note you need to purchase your tickets online. Visit www.rom.on.ca/scrolls. Order tickets and use the promo code: CATHOLIC. Print your tickets and just walk right in.

This exhibit provides yet another opportunity for us to learn more about the story of our faith. May this exhibit lead to continued inter-faith dialogue, reflection and prayer.

Graphic: Royal Ontario Museum

Radio Teopoli - Another Evangelization Tool...

In the Archdiocese of Toronto, we're blessed to have so many individuals using their gifts and talents to evangelize in their own unique way. Many are likely familiar with some of the Catholic media in our Archdiocese including the Catholic Register and Salt & Light Television.

However, there are a number of other hard working groups working with modern social communications to reach our family of faith.

One such group is Radio Teopoli. Founded by Fr. Claudio Piccinini, a Passionist Missionary Priest, Radio Teopoli provides programming each week on multilingual broadcaster AM530 in Toronto, broadcasting every day of the week in both English and Italian.

For more information on Radio Teopoli's weekly broadcast schedule and to learn more about the extensive work of the "Teopoli" community you can visit their website here. The site also contains all sorts of information about the TSE (Teopoli Summer Experience) for children aged 6-16, a 12 day retreat that has run for more than 30 years.

One program on the Radio Teopoli schedule is "Building A Civilization of Love", (Fridays 1- 2 p.m.) hosted by Frank Ruffolo and produced by Laura Cirami. This is no doubt a vocation for both journalists who put a tremendous amount of work and energy into every show and do their best to tell the story of all that the Catholic community is engaged in throughout the Archdiocese and beyond. I've done a number of interviews with Frank and regularly get Laura's weekly promo on shows both past and present. Using extremely limited resources, they manage to produce an informative and interesting show for Radio Teopoli listeners each week.

If you're interested in checking out past episodes or learning more about the program, you can view archived highlights on the Building of Civilization of Love blog. On their June 26th 1-2 p.m. show, they will have a special interview with Bishop Vergara of the Phillipines, who was in town last month to speak at the annual Office of Catholic Youth Leadership Banquet.

Depending on your location and "transmission signal" you can pick up AM530 throughout the GTA but can always listen anytime via their website.

It's always impressive to see those working quietly but passionately to strengthen our family of faith. We'll share more information in the coming weeks on the many other Catholic media striving to evangelize through a variety of social media. May God bless them as they continue this important work!

Photos: Radio Teopoli, freefoto.com

Thank You Father...

June 19th kicks off the Year of the Priest worldwide for the Catholic Church. It will be exciting to see how dioceses around the world support this initiative. You can expect to hear special prayers of the faithful for the rest of the month of June and throughout the next year for our priests here in the Archdiocese of Toronto.

In addition, planning is well underway to look at numerous opportunities to support and affirm our clergy over the course of the Year of the Priest. Archbishop Collins has asked Fr. John Bertao (Pastor at St. Gregory's Parish in Etobicoke) and Fr. Marian Gil (Pastor at St. Casimir's Parish) to take the lead on diocesan activities in this regard. This week's Catholic Register has a profile of three priests that show how they continue to strengthen our family of faith!

For a while now, I've wanted to make the connection between the secular Father's Day celebrations and the priesthood. This year seems as good as any. So below you'll find a short piece that I penned below an opinion piece I penned for this week's Catholic Register. To all the dads and "fathers" out there, we say simply, "Thank you."

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Father’s Day. Bring out the greeting cards, new ties and socks. My Dad is an inspiring guy, a role model, someone who’s shown me the kind of person I’d like to be in life. So Dad, never forget you’re #1 (along with Mom) in my books. But this Father’s Day, I’d like to thank some other “fathers” out there. They probably won’t be taken out for brunch this weekend and won’t receive any great art from the kids at school, but I’d like to say thanks just the same.

The secular Father’s Day “shout out” to dads was never intended to thank priests but as the Vatican and global catholic church kick-off the “Year of the Priest” on June 19, it’s as good a time as any to appreciate the men who devote themselves to being our spiritual fathers.

Priests are called on to be spiritual guides, financial managers, grief counsellors and role models for the community – on most days all of this takes place before noon. They’re the ones off to the hospital visiting the sick and dying, baptizing children, burying a loved one, stopping by to bless a home, greeting the homeless who are looking for a meal or a few bucks. In simple terms, they pull a lot of all-nighters and the motivation isn’t financial, it’s spiritual.

At the best of times, many of us find it difficult to visit our own relatives or take a moment to connect with siblings or parents. Priests spend much of their time caring for those they’ve never met, reaching out to people of all faiths, praying, teaching, changing lives forever.

And contrary to what many believe, these “fathers” weren’t born priests. They come from a variety of backgrounds – from athletes to economists, labourers to artists. Yet they all responded to a call, a tug, a vocation, something telling them that they were being asked to serve the community and to serve God. Just like our own dads, they put others before themselves. In a world that says we’re successful based on the amount of wealth and possessions we accumulate, they walked away from that and took a different path. For that, we should all be thankful.

Yes, these “fathers” like to see movies, talk politics, travel, laugh, debate doctrine and cheer (or pray) for the Leafs. Are they perfect? Not at all. In fact, most would readily admit their own shortcomings – there may even be a few people driving home from Sunday mass ready to do that for them. Yet how many of us carry healing oils in our car in case we come across an accident or cut short a rare day off to rush to the hospital to visit a stranger we’ve never met?

From Pope John Paul II who took a bullet for his beliefs to Father John, the neighbourhood priest who faithfully celebrates mass each day; Father Mychal Judge, the firefighter’s chaplain and first recorded victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks to Father Rick who presided at a wedding this weekend; Toronto’s first Bishop, Michael Power, who ultimately died at 43 of typhus after ministering to Irish immigrants with the same disease to Fr. Steve, a faithful visitor to the homeless on the block around the corner from home.

These men help make up the great fathers of our community. You can bet I’ll see my own Dad this Father’s Day weekend and give thanks for all that he’s done in my life but this year I’ll also reflect on the more than 400,000 priests worldwide and all that they’ve done to change our world. Now that’s a whole lot of good fatherly advice along with plenty of dark dress socks.

Photos: Archdiocese of Toronto, Catholic Register, World Net Daily, USA Today, freefoto.com

Happy Birthday! Around the Arch Turns 1!

How times flies...It was a year ago today the first blog entry appeared here on "Around the Arch". At the time, we were in Quebec City preparing for the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), an historic moment for the church of Canada and, in many ways, historical for our global church.

To revisit some of the wonderful moments of the IEC or to take a trip down memory lane ("Marinated Pilgrims", "A Very Public Display of Faith") feel free to check out the June 2008 archive.

So a year after we launched this online space to provide some snacks to digest on our spiritual picnic, how are we doing? This past year, we've thrown up 172 postings on all sorts of topics that connect us to our faith journey. We've tried to highlight the work of the church that isn't always on the front page of your local newspaper, to go behind the scenes and give you a glimpse of the thought process in decision making or strategizing, to profile those that don't have a public relations staff because they're just too busy trying to change lives in their everyday work.

We hope that that Around the Arch is relevant to you. We've invested significant time and effort to try and evangelize through this space. To date, more than 23,000 visitors have stopped by for a look. That includes you and we're grateful that you've made time for us considering all that's out there to distract us in the course of the usual day to day...

We'll continue to forge ahead and look at innovative ways to reach our family of faith and those of no faith at all in the coming days. In the coming weeks, we will take a closer look at a broader social media strategy and see how we can use other tools like Facebook, Twitter and other new media to reach beyond our traditional audiences. Of course, through it all, there are still a limited number of hours in the work day. We'll do our best to make good use of our time and more importantly, good use of yours when you pop by for a visit.

Suggestions, feedback and insights are always welcome. The comments section awaits. Most importantly, we ask for your continued prayers as we work to spread the Good News far and wide. It's the job of every Catholic - feel free to let us know what would be most relevant for you. Thanks to all who have contributed to the discussion this past year.

So from World Youth Day to Lenten Reflections, stories about parishes making a difference to mobilizing the Catholic community on a variety of issues, Happy Birthday Around the Arch - you may not be walking yet but you've certainly done a lot of talking in your first year of life!!

Photo: freefoto.com

Clear Skies Over the Vatican...

Every so often you come across an interesting story about something that the church is involved in. It doesn't get a lot of play, may not appeal to a mass audience but still strikes you as one of those "the church does that?" moments.

One such example - the Vatican Weather Station. For all the weather buffs out there, you may enjoy this Vatican site, with all sorts of updated information about the conditions at "head office" including real time updates on barometric pressure, windspeed, precipitation levels and much more.

The weather station was installed on the roof of the Governor's palace in the heart of Vatican City.

The Vatican State government has also installed six webcams where you can find real time images from six locations at the Vatican: St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Dome, Governor's Palace, Castel Gandolfo and the Tomb of Pope John Paul II.

So any day from your desktop, you can take a virtual trip to Vatican City. Some might say, another evangelization tool to help bring the "light" of Christ to our family of faith!

Photos: Italy Tourism Bureau

It all starts with a good breakfast...

Our office continues to do what we can to develop solid relationships with the media and help them learn more about the extensive good works of the Catholic Church.

As mentioned in a previous post, we held our annual Breakfast with the Media on May 25 as part of celebrations for World Communications Day. The 3rd year for this gathering, we came together at St. Paul's Basilica, a great setting for many journalists who had never set foot inside this historic and recently restored church.

To talk about the restoration, we invited Carlos Nunes to give a short talk about his work. Carlos has a unique job, spending his days revitalizing the interior of churches, with a particular emphasis on artwork and iconography. He has worked on more than 40 churches, many in the Archdiocese of Toronto, including St. Michael's Cathedral, St. Clare's Parish and St. Mary of the Angels Church (see photo).

This week, in the National Post, there was a full page story about Carlos' work, including 3 large photos (unfortunately you won't see the photos in the online version). In the public relations sense, you might call something like this a "home run". A positive story about a unique artisan in the Catholic community, a profile of one of our local churches and the work being done there (St. John's Parish) along with several pictures to help tell the story.

Again, many people think these stories just happen. But without a journalist attending the breakfast from the National Post, without Carlos presenting that morning, maybe this story never sees the light of day. 24 hours later we receive a call from a radio producer who attended the same breakfast also looking to interview Carlos for an upcoming show on CBC's Fresh Air.

A third journalist who attended the breakfast heard us talk about the Catholic community's outreach at the Good Shepherd Centre across the street from St. Paul's Basilica and plans to film an episode for her television show with Good Shepherd as the central focus. 3 solid "Good News" stories from a simple breakfast with the media. This demonstrates to our team that proactive public relations is so important.

We need to be able to tell our story and look for opportunities to make it easy for reporters to cover the church. They often say deals get done at the golf course but for us, these past few weeks, it's pretty amazing to see what can happen over breakfast...

Photos: Freefoto.com, Archdiocese of Toronto

Connecting at the Catholic Media Convention

Just back from the Catholic Media Convention. There are very few opportunities in the year for Catholic communicators to connect in a professional development setting. For the last three years, I've had the chance to attend the convention and have always come back with a number of helpful ideas and contacts. This year was no exception.

Bill Steinburg and I from the Archdiocese had the opportunity to meet with a number of our counterparts from across North America at this year's gathering, which focused on "New Media for the Good News". We attended sessions that included: Digital Media Bootcamp, Strategic Communications Planning and Producing for the Web among others.

We also had a chance to hear a couple of very interesting keynote presentations. One was a roundtable discussion on "How to Live Your Faith in the Hollywood Marketplace". Three actors and two producers openly discussed their experiences in Hollywood and how they tried to infuse their faith into their work. A fascinating discussion that illustrated the delicate balance between trying to be a person of faith and maintaining a career in a place where religious values is not always seen as a positive thing.

The second keynote was from Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who provided some insights on the phenomenon that is Twitter and how it has evolved. For those not in the loop, Twitter is the latest social media tool that allows users to exchange real time updates with others around the world. Only catch - your messages are limited to 140 characters. You can "follow" others and have them follow you. A few interesting tidbits about Twitter:

> Jack was inspired by the simple chatter of cab drivers in New York City who were able to provide information about their location, routes, etc. in just a few short words.

>The original name for the application was Twitch. The founders wanted a word that would evoke a physical sensation. Twitch didn't seem to quite do it so one of the co-founders scanned the same pages in the dictionary and found Twitter which seemed like the right fit.

>The evolution of the application is largely based on the user network. Users came up with the hande, "Tweets" (sending or receiving messages) and other commonly used jargon.

>Jack felt that Twitter will be successful when it becomes just another part of everyday life much like the telephone or electricity. He leaves it to others to determine how it will be used. He recently visited Afghanistan where they have had discussions about making Twitter a default communications system, bypassing traditional land line telephone networks altogether. It's also been used by emergency responders to provide real time updates regarding their location, emergency conditions, etc.

All in all, some very interesting presentations and informal discussions at this year's Catholic Media Convention. We'll take much of what we learned back home and consider how it can be applied in the Archdiocese of Toronto to serve our family of faith. The challenge for many communicators - how to fit it all in the course of our day. With new media emerging, how do we shift resources from one area to invest time and efforts into another.

Stay tuned as we do our best to stay on top of the latest trends and tools in evangelizing to the community at large. In gathering with others from across the country, we pray for all those who communicate the message of the church. Whatever means we use, may we continue to transmit it faithfully and joyfully!

Logos: Catholic Media Convention, Twitter

Facebook, the Pontiff & Breakfast with the Media

You may already know that each year, the Vatican recognizes the valuable contributions of journalists and communicators by celebrating World Communications Day. This officially took place on Sunday, May 24, 2009 but throughout the world we're seeing initiatives that continue this week. Here's just a few examples....

The Vatican announced this past week that Pope Benedict will now have a presence on Facebook. You can visit http://www.pope2you.net/, a site sponsored by the Ponitifical Council for Social Communcations. Stop by to find out how to connect with the Holy Father on Facebook in addition to downloading applications for your iphone, YouTube and WikiCath, similar to Wikipedia with a Catholic slant. In his first couple of days online, the Holy Father has attracted more than 50,000 "fans" on his Facebook page.

It's good to see the Vatican looking to these modern communications tools as part of their overall evangelization efforts. Here in the Archdiocese of Toronto, we hosted our annual "Breakfast with the Media" for the 3rd year running. An opportunity to connect with the secular media, we invite journalists from many faith backgrounds and various "beats" to join us for breakfast with the Archbishop. This year's event took place at St. Paul's Basilica with about 30 in attendance. We had the chance to celebrate morning prayer together before hearing from restoration artist Carlos Nunes, who spent many years restoring the Basilica.

With representatives from newspaper, radio, television and online media outlets, it's an opportunity for us to show the face of the church alive and at work while encouraging those called to vocation of journalism an oppportunity to retreat from the busy-ness of their day to day activities. As one attendee told me, "It was the perfect way to start the week." More than a few seeds for future stories were planted this morning. Most importantly, it was a wonderful opportunity for fellowship and community building, all under the backdrop of World Communications Day.

While we were at breakfast, Friar Rick Riccioli, pastor at St. Bonaventure's Parish in Don Mills, was up bright and early as a guest on Canada AM, speaking about the latest online offerings from the Vatican in conjunction with World Communications Day. Kudos to Friar Rick on a job well done and having to fit it all in with a 2:30 segment - not an easy task! You can check it all out online.

Finally, I'm off to the Catholic Media Convention ("New Media for the Good News!") which is held annually for Catholics working in communications at the diocesan level as well as many catholic journalists in radio, television and newspaper. Guest speakers include Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter along with sessions that include Strategic Planning for Diocesan Communicators, Digital Media Bootcamp and many more.

You may recall last year the convention took place in Toronto for the first time ever. It will be nice to attend a conference and not have to be part of the planning committee. That said, it's a great opportunity to network with other communicators, celebrate "wins" and strategize about how we can continue to raise the bar on our work...

In light of all the digital media, I can tell you that I took great pleasure in penning a handwritten note to a colleague today - with all the modern communications tools at our disposal, there still is something incredibly intimate about writing a note by hand...it's just too bad my penmanship hasn't improved since Grade 4...

Photos: Vatican, Catholic Media Convention

Life: Imagine the Potential!

Thanks to all who joined in the celebration at Dundas Square this past weekend. A powerful statement in the centre of the city. A great day had by all. Photos can be found online here. Look for video clips and more footage coming soon...and to answer the question as to whether this will be an annual event - we still have to catch our breath! That said, there was a lot of goodwill and positive feedback from the event. Stay tuned for more on the Year of the Priest...coming soon.

If you're an American Idol fan and checking out this week's finale, you might catch this powerful new ad from CatholicVote.org. It's a powerful message and definitely worth a look!

12,000 March for Life...Peacefully & Respectfully!

Last week in Ottawa, I had the opportunity to attend the 12th annual March for Life. Sadly in our country, there is no abortion law. Over the last 40 years, more than 3.5 million children have been aborted. It’s a conversation that is uncomfortable to most yet one that needs to be discussed.

On May 14, 2009, in the wind and rain, more than 12,000 people of all faiths and ages (including thousands of young people) gathered on Parliament Hill to respectfully speak out for the unborn and encourage our government to take another look at how we treat the most vulnerable in our society. Earlier in the week, an MP also introduced legislation aimed at allowing assisted suicide, what we'd term euthanasia, putting end of life issues back at the top of what will likely be the next growing debate in our country. Yet when it comes right down to it, the debate is not that different from one that has gone on for 40 years – how do we protect the most vulnerable at all stages of life?

The March for Life events included an increased presence this year from Canada’s bishops with more than 10 present for the day’s activities, including Archbishop Collins. A number of Toronto priests, parishioners and students from across the Archdiocese also made the trek to Ottawa, despite a day filled with rain and wind.

I was impressed with the professionalism of those who spoke at this year's rally. The pro-life speakers were respectful yet passionate in their presentations, a key to having our voices heard beyond our own community. Almost 20 MP’s from the Pro-life caucus flooded the steps of Parliament Hill to encourage those present to continue to lobby their elected members to work for new legislation. As they remarked, the abortion debate is a polarizing issue in our country and we need to come up with logical and reasoned arguments presented with charity to effectively lobby those in government.

During the March throughout the streets of Ottawa, there was a joyful tone among those present. Some prayed the rosary, others sang songs, many walked arm in arm. We encountered a small group of pro-abortion protesters who were met with “God Bless You” or friendly waves.

A powerful witness took place after the March when several women spoke about the pain experienced through their own abortions, how they had come to regret that fateful decision and how their lives were forever changed. Some developed addictions, while others struggled with depression or attempted suicide. As they shared their stories, the sun emerged through the darkness, a fitting metaphor for the support these women have received from many worthwhile organizations including Silent No More.

We continue to pray for all those who have experienced the pain of abortion in their lives and reach out to them. We also encourage those in crisis to speak to someone and recognize the many services that are out there to support their pregnancy.

While there was little secular media coverage of the event, no doubt organizers will redouble their efforts and do it all again next year. As Catholics, it's the type of event that we should all consider taking part in. We were reminded on the Hill that each one of us were at that vulnerable stage, the unborn baby in our mother's womb. Thanks to our mothers who made the conscious decision to say yes to the gift of life.

Kudos to all those who took part in the March for Life and for the hard working organizers who pulled it all together, including the hard working folks at Campaign Life. On a day when I was fielding calls about Angels & Demons, I couldn't help but imagine what could be accomplished if we channeled some of the energy and attention into a different story, one that wasn't a piece of fiction but all too real.

It's a story that needs to be told again and again. 12,000 voices brought that story to the nation's capital last week - let's hope it's just the beginning of a new chapter in protecting the most vulnerable among us...

Photos: Archdiocese of Toronto

Stop by for St. Paul in the Square this Victoria Day Weekend!

On Sunday of the Victoria Day weekend, consider stopping by Dundas Square in downtown Toronto for "St. Paul in the Square". It will be a unique opportunity to see faith alive in the public square in the heart of our city.

Stop by with family and friends for any part of the afternoon. A quick rundown of the day's activities can be found below:

Schedule for Sunday, May 17, 2009 –

“St. Paul in the Square” (Dundas & Yonge St.)

3:00 p.m. Welcome & Greeting
Rosary & Litany to St. Paul

4:00 p.m. Music with Susan Hookong-Taylor & Friends… (you may remember Susan and her beautiful "Song of the Cross" that was used during World Youth Day 2002).

5:00 p.m. Break (video clips on vocations and other Catholic initiatives)

5:30 p.m. Lectio Divina with Archbishop Collins
(Reflection on Acts 17:16-34)

6:30 p.m. Break (more video clips)

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Concert with Contemporary Christian Artist, Matt Maher

You are welcome to come for any portion of the day. As this celebration takes place in the public square, people will be coming and going throughout the afternoon/evening. Stop by anytime!

For those unfamiliar with Dundas Square, it is located in downtown Toronto at the corner of Dundas/Yonge St. across from the Toronto Eaton Centre. If you're taking public transit, get off at the Dundas subway station and head outside - you can't miss it!

Remember, this is a free event. Bring your own snacks or take advantage of the many vendors/restaurants nearby.

As always, you can find more information on the event online.

Looking forward to seeing many of you downtown this weekend!

Photo: City of Toronto

Choir School Hits the Road...Cantate Domino - Sing to the Lord!

Those who frequent St. Michael's Cathedral will, no doubt, be familiar with St. Michael's Choir School, the well known educational institution established in 1937 to serve the Cathedral and Archdiocese by educating and training boys who sing at many of the prominent liturgical celebrations at our mother church.

Well this week, the senior boys' choir hits the road for its spring tour 2009. This week's "Sing to the Lord" concert series travels to eastern Ontario and Quebec for a series of free performances:

Tuesday, May 12, 7:30 p.m. - Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, 385 Sussex Drive, Ottawa

Thursday, May 14, 7:30 p.m. - Église Saint-Dominique, 175, Grande Allée Ouest, Québec

Saturday, May 16 - 5:00 p.m. - Church of St. Andrew & St. Paul, 3415 Redpath Street, Montréal

The spring tour features sacred music which has emerged over the centuries by composers from Canada and around the world. From Gregorian chant, music from the Renaissance to works by Grief, Lassus and Tavener - in short, there should be something for everyone who's got an interest in sacred music.

St. Michael's Choir School is one of only six choir schools in the world affiliated with the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. During its remarkable 70 years, St. Michael’s Choir School has produced some of Canada’s most celebrated vocalists and performers, from the famous Crew Cuts and Four Lads of the 50’s to presentday artists such as Michael Burgess, Jerzy Cichocki, Matt Dusk, Stewart Goodyear, Kevin Hearn (The Barenaked Ladies), John McDermott, Claude Morrison (The Nylons), Robert Pomakov, Michael Schade to name a few.

This year, the boys are staying a little closer to home - last year's tour took them to the Czech Republic for the International Boys and Men’s Choral Festival in Prague.

We get the opportunity to appreciate St. Michael's Choir School on a regular basis here in the Archdiocese of Toronto. It's nice to see the seeds spread beyond the GTA to eastern Ontario and Quebec. Travel safe boys and be good to your chaperones!!

Photos: Archdiocese of Toronto

Toronto's Newest Priests...A Closer Look

In our post below we talked about the upcoming ordinations. The past few days we've had the chance to see their stories profiled in the secular media, a wonderful evangelization opportunity.

It's always great to see the different personalities of the ordinandi shine through. Their diversity helps strengthen the entire church.

If you'd like to take a closer look at some of their stories:

The National Post's story on Thomas Lim - "Banking on Priesthood" can be found here

The Toronto Star's story on Frank Portelli - "I don't know why...but I was called." can be accessed here.

CFRB Newstalk Radio in Toronto did a 10 minute interview with Eric Rodrigues about his dream of heading to medical school before realizing that God had other plans. Host Dave Trafford also wrote a great blog which is worth a read as we move into Mother's Day weekend. You can find the blog and link to the radio interview here.

Continue to pray for the Class of 2009. God knows they'll be praying for us...

Photos: National Post, Toronto Star

Road to Priesthood Runs through Regent Park, the Chemistry Lab and the Butcher Shop…Meet Toronto’s Newest Priests

Photo from this year's Ordinandi Dinner - Note this photo also includes those to be ordained for dioceses other than Toronto - 7 from this group will serve in the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Well we seem to find ourselves saying it again and again but boy, is it busy around the Archdiocese of Toronto these days. This is Catholic Education Week (see post below) and on Saturday, one of the high points of the year takes place with the ordination of the Class of 2009. We will welcome seven new priests for service in the Archdiocese of Toronto!

This year's "Men in Black" come from wide-ranging backgrounds, including a biochemist, a financial securities specialist from Regent Park, a meat cutter and high school teacher to name a few. Having spent no less than five years preparing for their ordination, the seven newest priests for the Archdiocese of Toronto, will each assume a role of service in one of the more than 220 parishes of our local church, which stretches from Oshawa to Mississauga and north to Georgian Bay.

We do what we can each year to help the public learn more about those ordained to the priesthood. Look for a piece in Wednesday's National Post profiling the moving journey of Thomas Lim and some of his classmates. Eric Rodrigues from the Class of 2009 will be interviewed on Toronto station CFRB Thursday at about 12:40 p.m. (you can listen live here). There really are so many wonderful stories to be told. Our job is to try and get the message out beyond our Catholic community.

This week we try to make the job of telling that story for the media as easy as possible. We issued a media advisory Wednesday and made three of this year's class available to reporters throughout the week. To help non-Catholic journalists understand the formation process leading up to the big day, we've put together a series of profiles and "backgrounders" to help them get up to speed quickly. We even provide a visual snapshot of the actual ceremony so that journalists attending Saturday can "follow the action" as it happens.

We're told time and again by journalists that these tools are a HUGE help. Part of proactive media relations is not only contacting journalists to make them aware of a story but doing all that you can to make telling the story to a secular audience that much easier. And at the same time, these tools are a pretty good refresher or teaching tool for our own Catholic community.

As we spend time with the ordinandi before their big day, it's a special moment. Think of the eve of graduation, a wedding or any other significant event in one's life. While they aren't seeking the media spotlight, we continue to tell them, "Your story may inspire another vocation. Now isn't it worth telling?"

So many of us see priests on the altar and never get a chance to learn about what life was like before ordination day. The meat cutter, the biochemist, the Bay St. businessman - all these experiences help make them better priests and for that, make our Catholic community that much stronger.

So the next time you're sitting in a pew and thinking, "Was he just born a priest?", think again. These life experiences pre-ordination day help shape the shepherds of our faith for years to come.

Kudos to the Class of 2009! We're praying for you and just know that there are parishes across the Archdiocese that can't wait to see you in action!

If you want some more inspiration and have a few minutes, check out the Fishers of Men video put together by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The whole thing runs about 19 minutes. And remember, if you're in the Toronto area and thinking about a vocation to the religious life, contact our Vocations Office.

Photos: Archdiocese of Toronto

Good News For All - Catholic Education Week 2009

(The following entry was written by Bill Steinburg, Communications Manager, Office of Public Relations & Communications, Archdiocese of Toronto)

As the father of two students in a Catholic elementary school, I’m thankful for the education my son and daughter receive.

As is the case in every school in Ontario, my kids are taught the science, social science, math, and language skills of the standard provincial curriculum. They have the chance to compete on teams, both athletic and academic, and to participate in other extracurricular activities.

There’s another element to it, though. The kids also start their day with prayer, attend Mass with their classmates from time to time, and learn about our Catholic faith from teachers, visiting deacons and priests. They actively live their faith every day, guided by people who have dedicated themselves to Catholic education.

Like other schools – in both the public and separate system – our school is a community full of supportive staff, families and friends. We fundraise and volunteer together, attend after-school functions together and assemble to celebrate milestones in our children’s lives.

In our Catholic school, however, many of us (admittedly not all of us) also attend Mass together as part of the larger parish. We visit in the church hall during the coffee time afterward, socializing in the context of our larger faith community. The parish-school-home connection benefits us all.

Some people question the validity of the Catholic education system in Ontario. But I see the positive results in my children.

Just before Easter, my 12-year-old son initiated a discussion at the dinner table about the Stations of the Cross. He’d learned about Pope John Paul II’s alternative stations and wanted to explore the meaning of the differences between them and the traditional stations. His genuine interest and enthusiasm made the conversation a real pleasure.

On other occasions, asking my 9-year-old daughter about her day has garnered mention of the lunchtime Rosary group she attended, or the visit from a deacon or priest. These references are made with an ease that comes from familiarity.

My kids are thriving in their school. They’re experiencing a rich and well-rounded education, an education informed by our Catholic faith. As a result, I’m proud to say they’re becoming responsible, well-rounded young Catholics, with a growing sense of their place, and their faith, in our larger world.

Their lives wouldn’t be as complete without Catholic education. Another reason to celebrate the "Good News" alive and at work in our community.

Photo: Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA)

A New Chapter in Reconciliation

Pope Benedict XVI met Wednesday at the Vatican with representatives from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops along with native leaders, elders and survivors of native residential abuse in a meeting that could be described as an historical chapter in reconciliation for these groups.

While many diocesan bishops and other religious communities have apologized for past abuse at native residential schools, the meeting with the Holy Father elevates this issue to the highest level of leadership in the Roman Catholic Church. To my knowledge, no other global church leader has made a formal apology of this nature. Pope Benedict has shown numerous times during his papacy a willingness to meet with victims and seek their forgiveness for the sins of the past.

Below you'll find the new release from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Deep gratitude for Pope’s meaningful meeting with Canadian Aboriginal representatives - 29 April 2009

(CCCB – Ottawa)…. Following their meeting with Pope Benedict XVI earlier today, Archbishop V. James Weisgerber, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Mr. Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, expressed their deep gratitude for the special attention given by the Holy Father to the question of Aboriginal residential schools that had been operated by Catholic dioceses and religious communities.

The private meeting with members of the Canadian delegation followed Wednesday morning’s General Audience. In addition to Archbishop Weisgerber and Chief Fontaine, the Canadian delegation was composed of representatives of Aboriginal communities and of Catholic dioceses and religious communities in Canada.

The Aboriginal representatives were all former students of residential schools: Mr. Peter Kelly, an Elder; Mr. Edward John, Grand Chief of the Tl’azt’en Nation, British Columbia; Ms. Delia Opekokew, a Cree lawyer; and Ms Kathleen Mahoney, a professor of law and negotiator of the Indian Residential Schools settlement.

The representatives of Catholic dioceses and religious communities were Most Reverend Gerard Pettipas, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Grouard-McLennan and Chair of the Corporation of Catholic Entities that signed the Residential School Settlement Agreement; Father Tim Coonen, O.M.I, representative of congregations of men religious who are included in the Agreement; Sister Marie Zarowny, S.S.A., representative of congregations of women religious who are included in the Agreement; and Mr. Pierre-L. Baribeau, legal advisor to the Catholic Entities.

According to Archbishop Weisgerber, the Holy Father expressed his compassion toward the Aboriginal communities of Canada for the unfortunate events that occurred in the residential schools for over a century and assured them of the support of the entire Catholic Church. “His face spoke even louder than his words, “ said Archbishop Weisgerber. “He listened intently and one could see how saddened he was by these traumatic events of the past and their continued effects on the lives of the people today. The Holy Father expressed the prayer and hope that this event would help the Aboriginal communities of Canada be internally freed from this historic tragedy and enabled to create a strong future. The Pope offered his spiritual support and presence for the Church in Canada as it continues to work in partnership with Aboriginal communities in building this future together.”

Since the early 1990s, Catholic religious communities and dioceses that had been involved in the Residential Schools have expressed their regrets to the Aboriginal Peoples for the painful abuses they suffered in the schools. This meeting with Pope Benedict XVI opens a new chapter in the relationship between Aboriginal Peoples and the Catholic Church in Canada.

Photo: Reuters

Catholic Missions in Canada...Spreading the "Good News" to every corner of our land...

Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of attending the annual Catholic Missions in Canada dinner. It's a great event that allows all in attendance the opportunity to learn more about the missionary work that goes on in our very country.

Most of us think of overseas when it comes to "missionaries" but that's not the reality for more than 600 missionaries serving various communities in our country. According to the Catholic Missions in Canada website:

Not all missions are foreign missions. It may surprise many Canadian Catholics, but they don't have to look far: some of the poorest and neediest missions served by the Church can be found here in Canada. These are mainly poor and scattered communities in the Canadian North, isolated from their neighbors because of geography and the extreme cold of the long winter season.

These are missions located in the hinterlands which cannot be reached except by plane or by log truck. These are mission churches still heated by old wood-fuelled stoves. These are missions without running water and the amenities of life. These are missions where families constantly struggle to cover the basics such as food and shelter and clothing because opportunities for work and jobs are scarce. Sometimes missionaries have to travel more than 100 kilometres each way to celebrate the Eucharist or to preside at a funeral service. Most often, there are too few missionaries available to bring the Good News of the Lord to the small mission communities.

Last evening's keynote speaker was Bishop Gary Gordon, the jovial bishop of Whitehorse (see one of their missionary churches above), a diocese that stretches a geographic territory just about the size of France with less than 10 parish priests to minister to the community. His predecessor was killed flying his own plane to get to a religious service.

Bishop Gordon spoke of how he recently put several thousand km's on his truck over Easter weekend to ensure that several communities had the chance to have an Easter liturgy. As he put it, "If I had a crowd this size (about 150 ppl) in one of my communities for mass it would be like the Super Bowl. It's not uncommon for the bishop to travel 10 hours to celebrate mass for 8 people.

Yet Bishop Gordon does it all with a smile on his face, starring in a short five minute video where he welcomed viewers to the Diocese of Whitehorse and its' -30 degree weather.

This kind of personal witness really does put into perspective the power people of faith can have in our country. It also reminds us of the tremendous blessings we enjoy in the Archdiocese of Toronto. We often hear people frustrated that they only have "one" priest in residence. Meanwhile, not so far away, parishes in the north of Canada have a stole on the celebrant's chair, praying for the day when that seat will be filled with a priest for their community.

Since it was founded in 1908, CMIC has been quietly serving the country. A visit to their educational website will tell the story of our Canadian missionaries and how our faith continues to stretch throughout this vast nation.

In many ways, we're all missionaries - as Bishop Gordon said, "We could sure use your help in our neck of the woods. Teachers, women religious, priests, anyone willing to help we can put you to work." No doubt the nuns and priests still working in their 80's would be most grateful...

Photos: Catholic Missions in Canada