Archbishop Collins' 2008/2009 Lectio Divina Starts September 21, 2008

Many Catholics across the Archdiocese of Toronto had the opportunity to be introduced to the Lectio Divina form of prayer this past year. Archbishop Thomas Collins brought the tradition of monthly "Lectio" gatherings from the Archdiocese of Edmonton, Alberta, where he previously served as Archbishop.

In keeping with our focus on St. Paul during this Holy Year, the theme of this year's Lectio Divina will be "A Year with St. Paul" - this is your first look at the poster that will be distributed to parishes throughout the Archdiocese over the next couple of weeks.

To get you started, mark September 21, October 12, November 9 and December 14 in your calendar! All are welcome each month at St. Michael's Cathedral - we start with Vespers (Evening Prayer) at 7:00 p.m. with Lectio Divina running from 7:30 - 8:15 p.m. Those who are unable to catch the Lectio live can also see the series on Salt & Light Television and through the Archdiocese of Toronto's website about a week following each evening.

In the hectic day to day pace of our lives, it's worth stopping by to take part in Lectio Divina. It's an opportunity to say, as the Archbishop does at each gathering, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening."

Poster: Emanuel Pires, Archdiocese of Toronto

Ground Breaking for John Paul the Great Family Centre - Programs Open To Help the Entire Community!

Here's an interesting project that is on the move at St. Augustine of Canterbury Church in the northwest part of the Archdiocese. It's a great example of a parish reaching out to all families in the community to help provide a safe and welcoming atmosphere for all. Sadly, this area has been home to violence and significant gang activity. It's great to see the community looking for ways to provide safe and accessible programs to all, regardless of religious background.

The piece below, comes from the local community newspaper, the North York Mirror, by reporter Fannie Sunshine (the name alone brings a smile to your face!):

Family centre to expand after-school program at Jane-Finch
Programs run by church open to all children in area
August 26, 2008 02:41 PM
FANNIE SUNSHINE

A ground-breaking ceremony for a much-anticipated family centre near Jane Street and Finch Avenue is being held Sept. 7.

John Paul the Great Family Centre at 80 Shoreham Dr., to be built on the St. Augustine of Canterbury Church property and run by the church, will offer after-school programs and other activities for youth, said church secretary Fatima De Sousa.

De Sousa stressed that although the centre will be operated by the church, it'll be open to anyone regardless of race or religion.

The church has launched a capital campaign to raise funds for the $1.5-million project, De Sousa said, adding various city permits must be obtained before a construction date is set.

"We would like to expand our current after-school program, which is run once a week, to daily," De Sousa said. "The main thing is to keep children off the streets."

The 10,000-square-foot centre will boast a gymnasium and five rooms to hold meetings, youth activities, movie nights and arts and crafts, De Sousa said, adding the church now runs programming out of two small rooms.

The after-school programs would help students with homework and would offer activities including crafts and sports.

The Archdiocese of Toronto is loaning St. Augustine of Canterbury Church $1.3 million to bring John Paul the Great Family Centre to fruition, De Sousa said, adding the church is still relying on community contributions for monetary aid.

Photo: Archdiocese of Toronto

Annual Education Mass Around the Corner...August 27, 2008

Catholic education is a topic that's seen no shortage of discussion over the last year or so in our province.

Each year, the Catholic Teacher's Guild sponsors a special mass for all educators - this year's celebration is just around the corner. Any Catholic involved in education is most welcome to attend.

Details below:

Wednesday August 27, 2008 - 6:00 pm

Saint Paul’s Basilica 83 Power St.

Following the mass, there will be a dinner in the parish hall after which Archbishop Thomas Collins will speak about: St Paul the Teacher.

Everyone, of course, is welcome to attend the mass for free. Tickets for the dinner are $40 each. Please e-mail your requests for dinner reservations to barry.white@tcdsb.org. Cheques can be made out to “The Catholic Teachers Guild” and mailed c/o Barry White, 80 Sackville St, Toronto Ont., M5A 3E5.

For more information on the Catholic Teachers' Guild, visit them online.

Photo: Catholic Teachers' Guild

Faith & Politics - Bubbling to the Surface South of the Border...

During the summer months, the news cycle for the media is traditionally slow. With the Beijing Olympics, we have shifted our focus to that part of the world for a few weeks but, south of the border, we've already heard much about the longest political campaign in the world - the march to the White House in the United States. Over the past week, there have also been rumblings that Canadians may face a federal vote this fall.

All this leads to an interesting examination of the role of faith and politics. There are many who feel that the two should remain completely separate - we hear this time and time again in our country, most often when our religious leaders weigh in on a particular issue.

Yet south of the border, it's interesting to note the influence of faith in the upcoming presidential race. The religious background of a candidate has significant influence, how they engage these faith communities can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Many faith based organizations are also tremendously organized, lobbying legislators, meeting regularly with political leaders and certainly not afraid to "flex" their political muscle.

While most of us were watching Canada bring home its first Olympic medals this past weekend, another intriguing event was taking place in California - "The Saddleback Civil Forum". Presumptive presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain each took time to sit down with Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church and author of the best seller, "The Purpose Driven Life" in what was a frank and engaging discussion on a variety of issues. To my knowledge, a discussion like this, facilitated by a pastor, held in a church and aired across the country, has never happened. Why both candidates agreed to the forum is no secret: they recognize the need to appeal to "people of faith", a demographic both are hungry to win over.

A New York Times guest editorial actually suggests Rick Warren should be given a chance to moderate the presidential debates, largely due to his fair, simple yet probing approach to dealing with both men.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has also devoted significant resources to educating the Catholic community leading up to the November vote. The USCCB produced a document, entitled "Faithful Citizenship" in November 2007, that explores the role of Catholics in public policy and how we can apply Catholic teaching to major issues, especially on the eve of an election.

There is also an exhaustive website, http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org/ produced by the USCCB to help Catholics prepare for the upcoming vote. On the site you'll find a vast array of info: everything from study guides for the classroom or family to guest columns by priests and theologians on a variety of topics as well as a clear explanation of Catholic teaching on some of the major issues facing the country. They also tackle the whole concept of "forming conscience", a term we often hear but may not always explore more deeply in the context of our faith.

The reality this side of the border is that "people of faith" have not become engaged in the same manner as our American counterparts nor, do I suspect, would our political leaders be as willing to engage religious communities in the same way. While the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) do not have the same sort of staff resources in place to develop extensive documents, their site is worth a visit along with that of the Catholic Organization for Life & Family (COLF). COLF, co-founded by the CCCB and the Knights of Columbus offer some excellent resources for Catholics on a variety of issues.

In the Archdiocese of Toronto's PR & Communications office, we are mindful that an election may not be far off and we're beginning to look at how we can best engage, inform and inspire the Catholic community to be actively involved as people of faith. Prior to last fall's provincial election, we created a web page to help provide resources to educate our family of faith - we hope to build on this for future elections.

Some feel there is no place for faith in the public square - yet if our faith does not influence how we look at issues like the environment, abortion, poverty or justice, we've missed the point. A good reminder of this can be found by listening to the talk Archbishop Collins gave to the Empire Club on May 31, 2007.

While we likely won't see our federal leaders publicly engaging the local bishop in a town hall setting, there are opportunities for us to do a better job of ensuring our voice is heard. And that responsibility begins with each one of us...

Photos: Getty Images, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

After the Propane Explosion...St. Norbert's Parish - Prayer, Healing & Hope

Canadians checking in on this blog will be familiar with the tragic propane yard fire that tore through Toronto's west end on the morning of August 10, 2008. Countless news reports have documented the difficult days for the community with thousands of residents evacuated not to mention the emotional trauma of waking up in the middle of night to intense heat, flames, broken doors and windows. Two lost their lives that day and another prominent member of the community suffered a heart attack hours after returning to her home days later.

Within the perimeter of the 1.6 km "ground zero", St. Norbert's Catholic Church has been quietly serving the spiritual needs of the community for the past 40 years. While the physical building has a capacity of about 30o people, this past week the church has served as a spiritual home, community hub, and a place of peace for thousands struggling to deal with a neighbourhood that has been uprooted.

Special mention goes to the pastor of St. Norbert's, Fr. Xavier De Pinto, a fine young priest of the Archdiocese, who has been a true shepherd for his people. From making himself available to parishioners who wanted to talk, vent, cry or pray to celebrating mass in memory of the fallen firefighter, visiting funeral homes and offering unconditional support, Fr. De Pinto has been a tireless presence for his people in a special way this week.

I had the chance to visit the parish on Tuesday evening as a substantial number of media outlets were covering the memorial mass. We must remember that when tragedy strikes, we don't always have the answers, we're not sure what to do or say. As people of faith, what we can do is come together and support one another, to pray, to remind ourselves that God is among us in our darkest moments. That all took place Tuesday evening.

When we say "I'm praying for you" to a complete stranger, a friend, a relative, it is a sign of our unconditional care and concern for them. In the aftermath of the ashes, let us continue to offer our prayers for all those affected and raise them heavenward.

In a practical sense, Catholic Family Services of Toronto has also made its resources available to the people of St. Norbert's Parish. A representative will be at masses throughout the weekend - counsellors will be accessible in the coming days for those who need someone to talk to.

It's interesting to note that (Saint) Norbert's own conversion took place in the year 1115 as he rode through the countryside during a violent thunderstorm. A lightning bolt opened up the ground before him, causing his horse to toss him to the ground, rendering him unconscious. A voice from heaven called out to him, "Cease from evil, and do good."

On the morning of August 10th, northwest Toronto was hit by what many orginally thought was a thunderstorm. We have since learned that it was much more than that. Yet this week, instead of worrying about one's self, neighbours were more concerned about each other. Before fleeing their homes, they checked on friends, relatives, strangers. Emergency personnel, various levels of government, businesses - all came together to try to help one another.

In the face of this difficult tragedy, there were moments of "conversion" at work amidst the rubble. Perhaps St. Norbert's protective gaze was watching over the people, comforting those left homeless, bringing them peace.

Now that the immediate danger has been averted, people want answers. There is great anger, finger-pointing and disharmony for many in the community. To a certain extent that is to be expected. Yet, let us pray that wise St. Norbert will be with us through this storm, to guide the way and help calm the turbulent waters ahead.

A church that prays together, counsels one another, supports the stranger, welcomes the family home. We saw all that this week at St. Norbert's Catholic Church.

Isn't that what our faith is all about?

Photos: CP24, St. Norbert's Parish

Opening Our Eyes to St. Paul...

As many are likely aware, Pope Benedict XVI has declared June 28, 2008-June 29, 2009 the Year of St. Paul, a chance to reflect on the life of one of the church's great saints. In the coming months, Catholic across the Archdiocese of Toronto will have an opportunity to take part in a number of diverse activities.

There will be something for everyone: Archbishop Collins' 2008/2009 Lectio Divina series will focus on St. Paul, a specially commissioned icon is already traveling throughout the Archdiocese and numerous resources and reflections are currently available in a special section on the Archdiocese of Toronto website.

Many Catholics may not be aware that St. Paul's Basilica, in downtown Toronto, is actually the oldest church in the Archdiocese, established in 1822. Named a minor basilica in 1999, the church completed its final phase of interior restoration in the spring of 2006.

One of Toronto's downtown community newspapers, "The Bulletin" recently put together an article on St. Paul's Basilica including some photos that really illustrate the extensive work done to the interior of the church. You can view the article online here.

Photos: The Bulletin

Thanks to all who have supported the ongoing evolution of the St. Paul's community. This parish has been an important partner in strengthening the area through a variety of parish ministries and partnerships: offering a breakfast program and working closely with the wonderful staff and students of the local elementary school, supporting the well known Good Shepherd Refuge across the street, where hundreds of Toronto's homeless receive food and fellowship every day of the year, providing a spiritual home to hundreds every day. These are but a few of the tangible ways that the parish is responding to the needs of the community.

If you haven't been to St. Paul's, this year provides a special opportunity to make a pilgrimage there - in addition there are numerous other Pauline Churches in the Archdiocese including Sts. Peter & Paul (Mississauga), St. Paul the Apostle Church (Alliston), St. Paul the Apostle Maltese Parish (West Toronto).

Just as the eyes of St. Paul were opened to the message of Christ, so too do we have an opportunity to follow in his footsteps this year...

Heavenly "Signs" in Barrie!

Photo: Freefoto.com

Across the Archdiocese of Toronto, mass is celebrated in more than 30 languages each week. This makes us one of the most diverse dioceses in the world. One of the languages that might not come immediately to mind is sign language. Yet each week the gospel message is communicated to the deaf community.

Recently, the Barrie Examiner did a wonderful profile on Holy Spirit Parish (Barrie) Pastor, Father Keith Wallace. The piece talks about Fr. Keith's outreach to the deaf community, his plans on building a new church and his ongoing ministry in one of the fastest growing areas of the Archdiocese.

Heavenly Signs
Posted By KELLY MCSHANE

Barrie priest uses sign language to connect with deaf parishioners

Parishioners come to Holy Spirit Parish in search of a sign from God and Father Keith Wallace knows just how to deliver it. "(Having sign language) shows us that we at Holy Spirit are inclusive and all members are part of our family. To have a religious and spiritual leader that you can converse with bridges the gap between the two languages," Wallace said of the separation between the spoken word and sign language.

Wallace has been a priest for more than 20 years, seven of which were spent in Toronto teaching at a school where 25 per cent of the students were hearing impaired. He said he had people in his parish who were both deaf and blind, but still managed to take the subway to get to church every Sunday. Wallace came to Barrie two years ago to join the clergy at Holy Spirit, to the delight of local hearing impaired church-goers.

"Before I came here, they would still go to church and just sit there, even though they couldn't hear anything," Wallace said. He said one of the families in his parish has a child who can hear and was able to translate the service for the hearing impaired members of their family before Wallace's service became available.
One of the five families with hearing impaired members attending Holy Parish comes from Wasaga Beach each Sunday to participate in the service. Wallace said even if there was no sign language offered, there is still a lot a hearing impaired person could get out of a service.

"Most Catholic churches are a feast for the eyes with the stained-glass windows and the wine representing the blood of Christ. They can see that and know what it means," Wallace said.

Being one of only six Catholic priests in Canada who signs throughout their service, Wallace would travel from Toronto to perform services, such as baptisms, for hearing impaired families and individuals in other areas.

"Canada generally tends to be very limited in the number of people who know sign language. The U. S. is far ahead of us. The U. S. seems to be a lot more proactive and not just in churches. Even in restaurants there is usually at least one waiter who knows sign language. Canadians can be pretty mellow," Wallace said.

Many of the younger members of Holy Spirit have chosen to learn sign language in order to communicate with the hearing impaired persons in their congregation.

"(Our hearing impaired members) remind our students not to take things for granted," Wallace said. He said people who can hear have their choice of church, but those without hearing have limited options at best.

Wallace is optimistic for the future. He said there are already three hearing impaired deacons in Ontario.

"Deaf people are taking more leadership roles in the church. That is a real trend here in Canada," Wallace said.

Holy Spirit is in the planning stages of building a new church on Essa Road. The building plans take into account the special needs of each member of the church's congregation. Members who have partial hearing loss would have the benefit wired in hearing aid system in a section of the church. Instead of stairs throughout the alter area, the church would have ramps so that all areas would be wheelchair accessible.

"One of our members wants to be an alter girl, but she's in a wheelchair. We are taking that into account during the planning of the new church," Wallace said.

Wallace said he benefits from using sign language because he has to be so expressive while signing.

"Signing has helped me to be more animated as a person. That's what signing and the deaf people have taught me," Wallace said.

Wallace signs throughout his Sunday mass, which starts at 10:30 a. m. and is held at St. Joan of Arc High School at the the corner Ardagh Road and Mapleton Avenue in Barrie's south end.

From the Barrie Examiner - July 26, 2008

Pope Paul & Gandhi - A Reflection on Humanae Vitae - 40 Years Later

Photo: Archdiocese of Toronto

In July 1968, Pope Paul VI published the encyclical Humanae Vitae. On the 40th anniversary of its publication, much has been written about this historic document which has been widely debated and discussed. Below is an insightful piece that appeared July 29, 2008 in the Irish Independent, penned by David Quinn. It is reprinted below with permission.

Gandhi and Pope Paul united by opposition to birth control

Here is your starter question for 10 points. In 1972, which court convicted a man for handing out a contraceptive device to students at a lecture about contraception? Answer: the Massachusetts Superior Court, later confirmed by the State Supreme Judicial Court.

How is this possible? Isn't Massachusetts the most liberal state in America and hadn't the US Supreme Court quashed Connecticut's ban on contraception five years earlier? Maybe some kind of residual Catholic influence was at work, what with all those Irish Catholics in Boston. Yes, that's right, it was those horrible Catholics again.

For 20 points, who described contraception as "an unforgiveable crime"?

Answer: John Calvin.

Martin Luther condemned the use of contraception as worse than incest or adultery. How is that possible? Haven't Protestants always approved of contraception? It seems not, but we can still rest easy because Calvin and Luther lived hundreds of years ago.

But wait, just 100 years ago the Lambeth Conference of Anglican leaders described contraception as "demoralising to character and hostile to national welfare". So even in recent times, Protestants have opposed contraception. Very well then, what about those nice Hindus the Beatles used to visit?

Sorry to disappoint, but here are the sorts of things they were saying back in the 1920 and 30s: Contraception is "detrimental to the spiritual progress of the human family"; it is "an insult to womanhood"; "any large use of the methods is likely to result in the dissolution of the marriage bond and in free love...birth control to me is a dismal abyss."

And it wasn't just any old Hindu who said these things. Oh no, it was the most admired Indian of our times, the Nelson Mandela of his day. Yes, that's right, none other than Mahatma Gandhi himself. The horror, the horror. Et tu Gandhi?

Now, why in the world am I bringing up all this old stuff? The answer is that this very day is the exact 40th anniversary of the promulgation of Humanae Vitae, the papal encyclical that reiterated the Church's age-old ban on artificial contraception. This is the encyclical which supposedly saw the Catholic Church definitively take its leave from the modern world and which caused ordinary Catholics to lose faith in its teaching authority.

It's as well to remind ourselves, therefore, that opposition to artificial contraception wasn't peculiarly Catholic, or Christian, or necessarily even religious and that arguments against it could be made without any reference at all to God. The Massachusetts case quoted above is a good example. By 1972, the State of Massachusetts was no longer in the grip of the Catholic Church. But of course, it never was. This is the home of Harvard University and the ultra-liberal Unitarians, for crying out loud. The reason it convicted the man in that case is because it believed that making contraception widely available was harmful to the greater good.

The reason it was still possible for the Superior Court of Massachusetts to do this, even after the US Supreme Court had quashed Connecticut's blanket ban on contraceptives, is because that decision did not outlaw placing some restrictions on their availability.

In fact, as late as the 1960s, two-thirds of American states still placed restrictions on the sale of contraceptives and those laws were only dropped as a result of rapidly changing sexual norms.

Was Gandhi wrong about what the consequences of widely available contraception would be?

Was Pope Paul VI?

Judge for yourself.

Both men predicted that there would be a huge increase in marital infidelity, and there was. Of course there was.

Forgetting for a moment the Catholic Church's blanket opposition to contraceptives, the fear of people like Gandhi, and many Protestants, was that making them freely available to unmarried people would lead to a huge increase
in sex outside marriage and, therefore, to marital infidelity.

Both men also predicted it would lead to a lessening of respect for women by men. Certainly, trust between the sexes has been hugely eroded and, if surveys and endless anecdotal evidence are to be believed, women in particular complain that many men are only interested in them for sex.

One thing is certain, however: freely available contraception means it is much easier to have sex with someone you don't know and who doesn't care for you meaning the exposure to emotional exploitation is huge.

As for the notion that in an age of widely available contraception every child would be a 'wanted child', we now know that this is a lot of baloney.

Once you separate sex from love, marriage, commitment and children, when a pregnancy does result, it will be seen as a huge inconvenience, hence the massive rise in abortion and the huge numbers of fathers who want little or nothing to do with their children.

So condemn Humanae Vitae if you will.

Laugh at it if you will.

But read it, and then look at the evidence around you and admit that at the very least it was not entirely wrong.

And if you won't believe Pope Paul, then believe Mahatma Gandhi instead.

dquinn@independent.ie

Originally appeared in the Irish Independent - July 29, 2008

http://www.independent.ie/

The Bloggin' Continues...The Sky's the Limit!

Photo: Archdiocese of Toronto

Well we've had a chance to get a little R & R following World Youth Day 2008. Quite the busy summer it's been to date. With the International Eucharistic Congress and WYD, you might say it's been a summer of renewal and recharging the spiritual batteries so to speak.

For those who've checked in on this blog, we're grateful for your positive response and feedback. We launched the blog as a way to bring these two events closer to home for those unable to make the treks to Quebec City and Down Under.

That said, there are so many wonderful things happening across the Archdiocese day in and day out, you don't have to go far to experience the Catholic community hard at work, changing lives and making a difference.

So we'd like to let you know that we're going to continue blogging, sharing some insights from where we sit at the Archdiocese of Toronto. Whether it be bringing a particular issue to light, highlighting the work of an unsung organization in the community or providing perspective when the church is in the news, we hope these pages will continue to inform, evangelize and educate.

Visit often as we try and take you "behind the scenes", exploring a church that is a key player in the fabric of our community. We welcome your comments and suggestions as to what you'd like to see covered.

As one relative told me when I began working for the church, "What a nice job! What will you do during the week?", thinking that the church is only active on the weekend. Hopefully these pages will show you that we're far from a weekend hangout. We're alive and on the move 24/7 - stay tuned to see the evidence unfolding around you each and every day!

Until then, hope you are enjoying a blessed and joy filled summer!