Praying with 200,000 Friends...

Saturday evening in Rome at Circus Maximus, an estimated 200,000 pilgrims from around the world gathered to remember, pray and celebrate the life of Pope John Paul II. It was a homecoming of sorts, a mini World Youth Day that included young people and veterans of WYD who are now in their 40's and 50's. Of course, Polish flags were predominant throughout the celebration, which included moving testimonials from those close to JPII (his press secretary, Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls and his personal secretary, now Cardinal of Krakow Stanislaw Dziwisz).

Another moving tribute came from Parkinson's survivor Sr. Marie-Simon Pierre Normand, the miracle cure of her sickness attributed to the late Pontiff. She spoke of praying the luminous mysteries with her religious community and the profound impact JPII had on her own life.

The luminous mysteries were prayed with each decade offered for a special intention: 1) Youth 2) Family 3) Pronouncing the Gospel to all peoples 4) The gift of hope and peace among peoples 5) The Church

Each mystery included a live link from a different location around the world: Poland, Tanzania, Lebanon, Mexico City, Portugal.

The final speaker of the evening was the current Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI, joining via video screen, praying with pilgrims and offering his own reflections which included the powerful paragraph that follows:

In his extraordinary energy of love for humanity he loved, with a kind and tender love, all those "wounded by life" as he called the poor, the sick, the nameless, and those excluded - but he had a particular love for the youth. His calls for the World Youth Days had the purpose of making youth into the protagonists of their own future, becoming builders of history. The youth, he said, are the wealth of the Church and of society. He invited them to prepare for the big choices to be made, to look ahead with confidence, trusting in their own abilities and following Christ and the Gospel...

..."The remembrance of our beloved pontiff, prophet of hope, should not mean a return to the past for us, but let us make the most of his human and spiritual heritage; let it be an impetus to look forward. May the words that he wrote in his apostolic letter "Novo millenio ineunte" from the great Jubilee Year of 2000 resound in our hearts: "Let us go forward in hope! A new millennium is opening before the Church like a vast ocean upon which we shall venture, relying on the help of Christ. The Son of God...is at work even today: we need discerning eyes to see this and, above all, a generous heart to become the instruments of his work."






With music, laughter, prayer and significant involvement from young people and his beloved successor Pope Benedict XVI, you could almost see PJPII looking down and smiling in approval. Perhaps a 2nd miracle is the fact that the day that had been completely overcast held up with just a scant few drops throughout the evening.

So now the prayer continues in the night. As the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims dispersed into the streets, they will continue what they are calling the "White Night" here in Rome, with 8 churches in the city centre open all night for prayer and reflection. The youth of Rome will serve as hosts for the night.






That said, trying to get back to our home base this evening proved to be quite the challenge. With St. Peter's Square closed till 5:30 a.m., pilgrims have essentially "camped" out for the night with sleeping bags and ground sheets a la World Youth Days so it's pretty much a bottleneck anywhere close to the square.

It's after 1 a.m. Rome time and the crowds are singing, dancing, chatting and praying together. Don't anticipate anyone will get much sleep - our wake up call comes in 2.5 hrs. to begin what should be an historic day in the eternal city.

Location:Vatican City

Blessed PJPII - Tireless Witness to the Divine Mercy

Fr. Michael McGourty is a priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Below you'll find his poignant reflection on the late Blessed John Paul II and Divine Mercy Sunday...





​From 1996-2002, I had the great privilege of living and studying in Rome. During that time, the closest church to where I was living was St. Peter’s Basilica. Every day, I could walk to St. Peter’s and make my Holy Hour in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Almost every Sunday I was able to walk to St. Peter’s and to see Pope John Paul II at his Sunday Angelus prayers. I was also able to serve as one of the assisting priests at many of the large Masses at which Pope John Paul II presided.

​It was during these same years that I was in Rome that Pope John Paul II’s health declined radically and he was transformed from the energetic Pope that the Church had known for so many years into a frail and elderly man who tirelessly witnessed to his profound belief in God’s love for all people.

Throughout those final years of Pope John Paul’s pontificate there were constant rumours in Rome that the Pope was going to resign or that his health would force him to retire. Many people would boldly pronounce that he was no longer able to do his job. And yet, despite what others might be saying about him, I would go to St. Peter’s Basilica and watch him celebrate the three hour Easter Vigil and baptize and confirm dozens of people from around the world. As a priest in my thirties I would be tired just watching and attending the liturgies that Pope John Paul II celebrated into his eighties.

​For me, one of the most powerful examples of his tireless desire to serve the Lord and witness to the Divine Mercy came in 2002 when I had returned to Toronto from my studies in Rome. For months people had been saying that Pope John Paul II was not going to be well enough to come to Toronto for World Youth Day in 2002. Many said that he did not have the stamina for such a trip. Amazingly, when he arrived in Toronto he insisted on walking down the steps of the plane on his own without any assistance. It was his way of showing the young people who had come to Toronto to celebrate their faith with him how much he cared for them and wished to show them how important they were to the Church. He was a tireless witness of the Divine Mercy.

​One of the other significant events that I had the privilege of being in Rome for was when Pope John Paul II declared the Second Sunday of Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday and canonized Sister Faustyna Kowalski in April of 2000. At the heart of the Feast and devotion to the Divine Mercy is the belief that anyone who seeks God’s mercy will never be turned away by our all loving God.

In a very dramatic way, Pope John Paul II lived his entire life witnessing to the great love and mercy of God. He was determined to spend his entire life sharing and witnessing to this good news with anyone in the world who would listen to him. It is very providential that Pope John Paul II died on the Vigil of the Divine Mercy in 2005. That is why Pope Benedict XVI has chosen this Sunday to beatify Pope John Paul II in Rome—because he was such a tireless and fervent witness to the Divine Mercy of God for all who seek it.
​
Let us pray that through the intercession of Blessed John Paul II we may all become more aware of the Divine Mercy that God the Father has shown us in the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus our Lord. May we all witness to that Divine Mercy with the same conviction and enthusiasm of Blessed Pope John Paul II.

​This Sunday, we can celebrate that a true hero of our faith is beatified and celebrated by the whole Church!

Breaking Bread with a Future Saint? Lunch with JPII

Emanuel Pires is the Graphic/Web Designer & Photographer for the Archdiocese of Toronto's Office of Public Relations & Communications. He is in Rome this week for the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Below you'll find his story, about the day in 2002 that he, along with 13 other young people from around the world, enjoyed lunch with Pope John Paul II as part of World Youth Day 2002. The piece first appeared in the Catholic Register...








It was a surreal and exhilarating moment in my life that helped to galvanize my faith. I’ve been asked about it many times, shown photos to family and friends, yet I have never truly felt comfortable talking about it. Equal parts disbelief and unworthiness have made it difficult to discuss the day during World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto that I had lunch with the late Pope John Paul II.

When I was first told that I was one of the pilgrims selected to represent youth from around the world to have lunch with the Holy Father I was both excited and scared. I sat down in my chair awestruck with the opportunity to meet the Holy Father. Many dignitaries, celebrities, holy men and women had met the Pope but the chance to break bread with him had my senses temporarily numb. What followed was excitement and joy. I told some friends but generally kept it quiet until a few days before meeting him.

I found it amazing that the Holy Father made a point of sitting down with young people during WYD. To make the time to have a deeply personal and intimate moment with a few of us spoke volumes.

I met the rest of the pilgrims from around the world (14 in all) briefly before heading on a bus to be taken to Strawberry Island. I was a just a jumble of nerves at that point. Whether I showed it or not I don’t know but I was afraid of what to say, of what to do and how the day would be. When we approached Pope John Paul II, he was sitting down and thanking each of the police officers that had been with him during his stay on the island on Lake Simcoe, north of Toronto. I recall a few of the officers talking about how nice it was for him to take the time to do that with them. One officer even mentioned how even though he wasn’t Catholic it was such an honour to be able to spend that brief moment talking with the Holy Father.

When it was time for the pilgrims to head up and greet him, we spent the time introducing ourselves and talking. While many people viewed Pope John Paul II as a living saint, I was struck by how approachable, open and loving he seemed. My nervousness was almost completely gone with a handshake and a few words briefly exchanged.

Once inside, we all sat around the table, quiet and unsure of what to say. The Pope, seeing how nervous we were, picked up a fork, swatted at a fly that landed on his hand and looked up with a smile at all of us. The ice was broken and he proceeded to go around the table talking to each of us. The one conversation that struck me was the one he had with the young delegate from New York. The Holy Father’s tone changed from a jovial one to concern, talking about 9/11 and telling her that the city and victims were in his prayers. Her eyes welled up, she said thank you and to see that tender moment between the two of them has always been the moment that struck me the most.

While some people later on described it as a similar setting to the Last Supper, I viewed it more like a grandfather with his grandkids, sharing love, faith, laughter and song.

I walked away from the experience with a full heart, open mind and a renewed sense of faith. I still look in a tiny chest that I have at home from time to time, at a blessed rosary and medallion given to all the delegates that day, with fondness and feeling truly blessed to have had the opportunity to spend that time with him.

When the Holy Father died I was able to go to Rome and be a part of the multitude of people who went to the holy city to pay tribute. Seeing the tears and love flow from those gathered made me very emotional as well and reflective on that brief time with the Holy Father in Toronto. I vowed that I would go back to Rome at some point when he was made a saint. Luckily I will have that opportunity as I will be heading over to Rome for the archdiocese of Toronto to help bring the story back for those who are not able to be there.

I think that it is wonderful that Pope John Paul II is being beatified. While I believe that he is a saint, I also view him as my grandfather. An amazing man who inspired a generation of vocations and Catholics, and taught us all how to live our lives with dignity, faith and love.

Location:Rome, Italy

The Day I Met Pope John Paul II

As we experience the weekend of events related to the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II, we'll take a brief trip down memory lane. Below you'll find a reflection from yours truly (Neil MacCarthy), recalling the day I met PJPII on April 5, 2001.

I was standing in St. Peter’s Square, the heart of the Catholic Church in the world. Surrounding me were 40,000 young Italians, chanting “Canada, Canada, Canada!” Part of a delegation of Canadian youth (I was turning 30 that day so hopefully I still qualified as “young”) bringing the World Youth Day Cross back to Canada, where it would journey for the year leading up to World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto.

​It was, you might say, “a moment” frozen in time. My previous trips to the Vatican hadn’t exactly been front row seats – I was used to being in the back, squinting to catch a glimpse of what was going on. But this time was different…

I hadn’t been in my seat five minutes when a Toronto priest recognized me, leaned over and said, “Neil, at the end of this ceremony, we need to make a presentation and I’d like you to help me with it.” Figuring he’d be looking for assistance in moving chairs or some heavy lifting, I nodded, “Sure Father, no problem.” He handed me a jacket with the World Youth Day logo and said, “Great, when I give you the signal, give this to the Pope.”

“EXCUSE ME? THE POPE?” You bet I can help out with the presentation. I settled back in my seat, knowing there were about 2 hours before my historical moment with JPII. A friend sat nearby and overheard my good fortune. He leaned in and said to me, “So you’re giving the Pope a jacket. Awesome! Well we’ve gotta write him a note.” “What?” I said. “The Pope”, he replied. “We’ll write a note and put it in the jacket!” Oh of course, a note!!

So right there we crafted our message to the Holy Father. We told him that the young people of Canada were praying for him and inspired by him. We told him that we couldn’t wait to welcome the world at World Youth Day 2002. We signed the note, “the youth of Canada” and on the front we addressed it: JPII we love you! We inserted the note into the jacket pocket and took a breath, knowing full well the reams of gifts and trinkets the Pope likely received on his many travels. It didn’t matter – the note was going in the jacket and we’d have a story to tell.

The end of the ceremony came and I got the signal. I brought the jacket up to the Holy Father. Definitely one of life’s top 10 moments. It likely lasted less than 10 seconds but it seemed like an eternity. Eventually I handed him the jacket, he gave me a blessing our hands squeezed for a brief moment. I returned to my seat. I looked up with the blue sky in the background of St. Peter’s Square and thought to myself – it doesn’t get much better than this. Happy Birthday! Not a bad story if it ended there…

​Two months after giving Pope John Paul II the jacket, I received a call from my friend sitting beside me that day in St. Peter’s Square. “Neil”, he said. “Take a look at the newspaper – he’s wearing the jacket!” Sure enough, a large photo in one of Canada’s national newspapers showed the Holy Father vacationing in the Alps wearing the jacket I had presented him with just months earlier. I wonder if he ever got the note? Not a bad story if it ended there either.

​Fast forward another couple of months. I was in Atlantic Canada speaking at a youth rally to promote World Youth Day and I relayed the story of giving the Holy Father the jacket and the note.

​Two weeks later, a delegation from the Vatican came to Canada on an advance visit prior to World Youth Day. They also stopped in Atlantic Canada to see how preparations were coming along for World Youth Day in eastern Canada. One of the Cardinal’s announced to the crowd assembled that the Holy Father was excited to be making his way across the ocean to our country.

​“He can’t wait to get to Canada and meet the wonderful young people here. He’s really taken a liking to a special gift you gave to him. A winter jacket that at the Vatican we’re referring to as the ‘Papal Parka’.

​A woman from the back row who had heard my talk just a few weeks earlier stood up at the back of the room and proceeded to shout, “Did he get the note?”

​The Cardinal laughed, stopped for a moment and responded, “How do you know about the note?”

​The woman replied, “I hugged the guy who wrote the note – he was here a couple of weeks ago.”

​The Cardinal chuckled once more, looked at her and said, “Well why do you think the Holy Father loves the jacket so much?”

​The woman emailed me this story the next day and I just about hit the floor. Who could ever have imagined that a simple little note had an impact on the Pope.

In a special way this week with the beatification of Blessed John Paul II upon us, I give thanks for the millions he reached in his time with us. My memorable meeting also reminds me that the little things we do for others can have an impact that we could never imagine. A simple note, a kind word, prayers or a gesture of care and love can make a difference. Let’s just say, I write a lot of notes these days.

Location:Rome, Italy

2,300 Journalists, 101 Countries, One Saint...

As day turns to evening in Rome, it's been a busy one with plenty to report. As tweeted earlier in the day, we had a chance to attend a press conference outlining the weekend events planned for the beatification. Among the highlights:

- St. Peter's Square will shut down from 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon till 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning. The "floodgates" will open at that time to allow all to enter the Square in what will certainly be one of the more dramatic, dangerous and courageous moments of the weekend. Look for plenty of jostling among nuns, priests and lay people all cramming to get a good spot

- Media wishing to cover the event are asked to arrive at 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning.

- The casket of Pope John Paul II's body will be moved from its current location to a space literally at the centre of St. Peter's Basilica (literally the tomb of Peter) where pilgrims will have the chance to venerate the late Pontiff's body following the Saturday vigil through the entire night till 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning.

- Saturday evening vigil (at Circus Maximus) will include video of the late Pontiff, testimonials from his former press secretary, personal secretary and the nun whose miracle has been attributed to Pope John Paul II, one of the main reasons we're gathered for the beatification.


- Sunday mass - (see program cover above) will begin at 10:00 a.m. - prep program to start at 9:00 a.m. which will include Chaplet of the Divine Mercy just before mass begins.

- As part of the beatification ceremony during mass, a relic of PJPII will be presented by Sr. Pierre, the nun cured of Parkinson's after she and her community asked for the intervention of the late Pontiff to cure her illness. The relic is a vial of PJPII's blood which was obtained for possible use in a transfusion but later preserved.

- The mass will conclude with the procession making its way through St. Peter's Basilica where Pope Benedict XVI will be the first to venerate the body of PJPII. An expected million or so pilgrims will follow, similar to what was witnessed during the days following his death.

- The first mass with PJPII as "Blessed" will take place Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. with a one hour prep program starting at 9:30 a.m. which will include recitation of some of the late Pope's poetry.

To cover the events, more than 2,300 journalists from 101 countries have been accredited. 16 heads of state will be in attendance with 87 official delegations from various countries in the house so to speak.

All in all, shaping up to be quite the celebration this weekend.

And here I thought 4 a.m. wake up calls were only for Royal Weddings...even when you're in the right time zone, there are times when it's still an early day. But there are many in Rome this weekend who won't sleep a wink. One gets that way when you history is unfolding before your eyes...

Location:Vatican City

A Canadian, German & Polish Pilgrim Walk Into St. Peter's...

Up for 24 hours + can be an interesting feeling. Not getting much sleep on a flight across the ocean is nothing new. So when you arrive in Rome at 7:30 a.m. you have two options: a) sleep and stay on a very strange body rhythm schedule or b) acclimatize as best you can and try to adjust to the new timeline as soon as possible.

So Emanuel and I chose the latter road to travel today. We picked up our media accreditation which will provide us with some excellent access to various sites throughout the next several days. The traditional Vatican Press Office has been expanded to include a Temporary Accreditation Centre, regular home to the Pontifical Council of Social Communications to accommodate the thousands of communicators expected to descend on Rome.

The weather Thursday in Rome was beautiful, about 20 degrees celsius, a little cloudy and breezy but the sun crept throughout most of the day.

Walking through St. Peter's Square it's evident that plans are in full swing to prepare for the weekend events with everything from portable toilets to security barricades and other prep underway. Estimates at this point are that at least 1 million people will be making the trek but hard to know what final numbers will look like.


Stepping back, at any given time, if you're to peruse the crowds, many in national colours, you'd see a Canadian, German & Polish pilgrim walking side by side, hand in hand or even singing together as they all come together for this most joyful occasion.

Public transit is the way to go here so we managed a few subway rides - interesting to note that to accommodate the massive crowds, subways will run from 5:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Saturday and 4:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning. All that said, you can expect that some stations may experience temporary closures, as they did in the Jubilee year for World Youth Day 2000 when it just wasn't safe to allow any more pilgrims into the subway.

I can still recall leaving the final mass at WYD Rome at about 11:00 a.m. and making my way back to our meeting point at the end of the subway line about 7:00 p.m. In between, there was a walk of about 20 km, 5 subways stops closed and 40 degree heat. Ah yes, pilgrimage at its best. Why do I get the feeling we may be prepping for the sequel?


We also had the chance to connect with Archbishop Collins along with his M.C. Fr. Ed Curtis for a rooftop interview that will likely remain an exclusive - trust me when I say there was some great lines but remember that part about technical difficulties? Well let's just say that we'd prefer that you be able to understand the wisdom of His Grace and not be fighting the mighty wind that was present on the rooftop - we'll try for a retake at some point in the next few days.

As for media coverage at this point, we've got strong interest from the Toronto Star, 680 News, CBC and a few others that we're working on, both from Rome and the home office in Toronto. Suffice it to say, most folks back in Canada will likely enter Royal Wedding mode Friday but we'll be stopping by the Canadian College to visit with some of our Toronto priests, attend a Vatican press conference and work on some more proactive media opportunities.

So it's just about time to work on a little sleep given that this has been one of the longer work days of the year. After dinner with pilgrims from Windsor, Bradford and Etobicoke, one might say that we're off to a great start.

In short to recap, Rome is well on the way to setting the table for a million friends to come for a visit...first come, first served. Should make for quite a line for this buffet of faith!

Location:Vatican City

Romeward Bound...

May 1 is just a few days away and this Divine Mercy Sunday will be like no other for the Catholic Church worldwide. The beatification of Pope John Paul II is just days away and already pilgrims are making their way to Rome for the celebrations.

Archbishop Collins has already touched down in Rome and by Thursday morning Neil (your blog author) MacCarthy and Emanuel Pires (graphic/web designer tech guru, photographer, etc.) will be there as well to take in the experience.

We hope to bring a bird's eye view and taste of what's happening in Rome back to Canada. A special webpage www.archtoronto.org/jp2 has been created where we'll post blogs, photos, video, tweets and anything else that we can fit in to document the experience of this historical occasion.

Part of our work is also partnering with the secular media to help proactively with localized stories on the beatification. Recognizing that the Royal Wedding and Federal Election are sandwiched between the weekend events, few Canadian media outlets will have dedicated resources on the ground in Rome. If we are able to connect them with Canadian bishops, pilgrims or clergy to help provide a "Canadian angle" to the story, it will make their job easier.

So away we go. The Toronto Sun has already started the ball rolling with a piece in Wednesday's paper about your blog author heading over. It's a very positive story but I should point out that it makes me sound like a one man crew. Not the case at all as Emanuel and his extensive talents will be on full display through the visual images that he captures as part of the experience. We'll be working in tandem to do the best we can to share the experience with you. That said, what you hope to do in a crowd of 1 million plus and what you can do are two entirely different things. Should be a great pilgrimage.

Speaking of the Sun, if you haven't read the Easter Sunday cover story about the "God Squad" profiling 3 italian priests of the Archdiocese, it's definitely worth a read with video to boot.

In Toronto, Bill Steinburg, Kristen Carey and Nerissa Flores, our capable PR/Communications colleagues will be holding the fort and providing media relations assistance on the local front. There are numerous events taking place in the Archdiocese relating to the beatification and you can learn more about them here.

So off we go on another exciting pilgrimage of hope, faith and celebration. We ask for forgiveness in advance for any blog glitches - we'll be using a new platform that will be more portable but may look a little wonky at times...

Tweets will be more frequent so if you're on Twitter and wish to follow the action, click here.

Know that the faithful of the Archdiocese will be in our thoughts and prayers as we celebrate the memory of the late Blessed John Paul II as he moves one step closer to sainthood...

If you're heading over to Rome, we'll be the ones wearing red in a crowd of a million...you can't miss us.

Photo: Archdiocese of Toronto

He is Risen!

HE IS RISEN! REJOICE!

Were you there?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Photos: Archdiocese of Toronto, WYD 2008 Sydney

Confession: Behind the Inside View...

As we begin Holy Week, readers of the Toronto Star would have seen a very prominent article in Sunday's paper giving some history and context to the sacrament of reconciliation. This week, more than any in the year, you'll find long lineups at many parishes of penitents ready to make amends as we build to the Triduum, recalling the final days of Christ.

To give readers of Around the Arch an idea of how the story came to be, in this case, the Toronto Star contacted us. Feature reporter Mary Ormsby called a few weeks back indicating that she'd like to take readers on a journey that would deconstruct the sacrament, especially for those who are not Catholic and have always wondered just how the sacrament works.

She was looking for history on the sacrament (check), the ability to talk with a priest and penitent about it (check) and some photographs of the confessional, preferably with the "curtain pulled back". Now that was a little trickier. Not something we normally would do, we wanted to make sure this was handled with great care.

So on the historical front we were able to direct Mary to Mark McGowan of the University of Toronto (St. Mike's College) for historical context. You'll find him quoted in the piece. It just so happened that the Diocese of London was holding, as the Star put it, a one-day confession-palooza where every parish had its doors open and a priest available to hear confessions on April 6.

Connecting with their experienced communications director, Mark Adkinson, Mary scheduled a day trip for April 6 where she got a chance to chat with Fr. Michael Bechard, chaplain at Western's King's University College as well as a penitent. In London, the Star was able to photograph an "open" style confession, where the priest and penitent meet face to face. A beautiful photo ended up gracing the centre spread of the Star's Insight section.

So now the only challenge was getting some photos of the more traditional "closed" confessional. Amidst preparation for Holy Week, pending renos and any other number of issues going on at one of our busiest parishes, Rector Father Michael Busch was most gracious in making time for the Star to visit and photograph the confessional at St. Michael's Cathedral.

The "pull back the curtain" photo was the one that ended up in the paper however 24 hours after the pics at the Cathedral, we received a frantic email from Mary, informing us that the pictures didn't turn out, the ambient light was too bright and Fr. Busch sitting in the confessional looked a little too "Vegas" for such an important piece on a more reflective sacrament. (see us working on the photographs below)

The request? Could we set up photographs in another parish with less ambient light? If we're being honest (and since this is a story about reconciliation it's probably important to do so) it was a little frustrating to have to go through the same process again, trying to find another parish on short notice (2 hours) who would have a priest willing to be photographed and for our penitent (Nerissa) to make her way to a parish once again.

But in the spirit of doing all we can to ensure the media have the opportunity to cover the story accurately, a third member of our staff (Bill Steinburg) put out the call to Fr. Andrew Leung at St. Basil's Parish. Ever the trooper, Fr. Andrew gave us the green light and 2 hours later, a second photo shoot was on. At St. Mike's the whole thing took us about 30 minutes. This time, a different photographer needed more time to try and capture the picture they were looking for. So for more than an hour, Fr. Andrew politely helped out, sitting in a confessional to get it right. In between all of this, Fr. Vito Marziliano, pastor at St. Clare's Parish, provided some quotes to Mary on the artchitecture of the confessional (his name never ended up in the story).

Fast forward to Sunday - front page of the paper above the masthead shows a picture of Fr. Busch through the confessional "grill" with the teaser, "Bless Me Father, The Mysterious Ritual of Confession" and points people to the Insight section where a piece "Inside the Sin Bin" goes more than 1800 words. For those not in the journalism biz, this is a HUGE amount of space to devote to a given topic.

Surrounding the piece on reconciliation were "sidebar" stories on confession in the movies and also how other faiths loook at repentence. So what of Fr. Andrew and St. Basil's? Well apparently St. Mike's was too bright with the light inside the priest's confessional area, St. Basil's was too dark. If you go online (or see below) you'll find a shot of Fr. Andrew's hands but that's about it. While he'd likely make a great hand model in another life, we really didn't want to waste any of Fr. Andrew's time if he wasn't going to be in the final piece, but, alas, that wasn't our call to make. It turns out the Star found a picture from the Cathedral they were able to use after all...

At the end of the day, what we did have was a piece that was most educational, informative and provided an insight into the sacrament that would be a new experience for many readers. Of course, we don't edit the piece so there were a few quotes that we wouldn't have included ourselves but that said, that kind of space in a secular paper explaining a Catholic sacrament is not too shabby. You can read the online piece here.

It's always hard to be able to quantify our work with the media, to gauge whether the effort is worth the final piece. Had we just said, "We're not interested", who knows if the piece would have run or worse, what might have run in its place?

We utilize a media monitoring service that tracks articles and assigns a value to their placement, helping us to somewhat quanitfy coverage with circulation numbers and a dollar value. For this article, it lists a Sunday Star circulation of 440,739 and a value to this article of $33,226. So yes, the work was significant in putting this together but at the end of the day and more importantly, we're trying to educate and evangelize in all that we do.

My own reflection after all is said and done? Going to confession on my own is just so much easier...

Photos: Archdiocese of Toronto, Toronto Star

October 22nd Feast Day for Pope John Paul II

Earlier this week, the Vatican announced that the feast day for the soon to be Blessed John Paul II will be observed on October 22nd each year in Rome and the dioceses of Poland. In the lead-up to the May 1 beatification ceremony in Rome, the Vatican also indicated that Catholics around the world will be able to celebrate a Mass in thanksgiving for this beatification over the next year, up until May 1, 2012. The local bishop is responsible for selecting a date for the Mass of Thanksgiving. No such date has been formally announced by the Archdiocese of Toronto at this time.

Some would compare the thanksgiving Masses to the observance of a feast day. One of the more notable differences between the beatification (blessed) and canonization (saint) steps: along with canonization comes the opportunity for universal public liturgical veneration. The exception is that once beatified the holy man or woman may be honoured with a feast day in the places in which they lived or worked. As the late pontiff served both the Diocese of Rome (as bishop) and in all dioceses of his homeland Poland, the October 22nd feast day is automatically entered into the liturgical calendar, according to the decree issued by the Conregation for Divine Worship & Sacraments.

Many will recall that October 22, 1978 marked the historical day in which Pope John Paul II was inaugurated as the first non-Italian pope in almost 500 years. You'll see a ramp up in all things PJPII from the Vatican and in this space as well in the lead up to the May 1 beatification.

On the communications front, as many media and non-traditional media will be in Rome for the beatification celebrations, the Vatican also announced April 8 that they would be inviting bloggers from around the world to a special one day meeting on May 2 to discuss how the blogosphere and the church intersect. Limited to 150 attendees from around the globe, it's already garnered more than 400 applications.

Look for some special announcements and additional information in this space as we lead up to what promises to be an historic celebration for the global church. Of course, on the Canadian media front, it will be sandwiched between a Royal Wedding and a Federal Election. Which will require some proactive work on the hustings to ensure the secular media are fully aware of the celebrations. That said, a million people in St. Peter's Square might also help on that front...

Photo: L'Osservatore Romano

Inter-Faith Pilgrimage To Holy Land

Plenty of people dream of making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land at some point in their life. Well this fall an interfaith group of 100 or so will take part in a first in Canada bringing together Christian, Jewish & Muslim pilgrims on a visit to many sacred sites in Isarel and Palestine. The pilgrimage was recently profiled in some our community newspapers in York Region.

A media event was held about 10 days ago to discuss the upcoming pilgrimage with faith leaders providing insights into the opportunities and challenges such an initiative presents. The full article from YorkRegion.com appears below. Blessings to all who are undertaking this most interesting journey. Contact information is provided below for anyone wishing to take part. More than ever, in a time of violence and persecution in so many part of the Middle East, it's heartening to see partners walking together on this important journey of faith.

Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders are organizing a unique group tour of sacred sites in Israel and the Palestinian territories this fall — the first of its kind in Canada. "In the Path of Abraham" is a week-long, multi-faith trip designed to bring together about 100 followers of the three faith groups with shared links to the Holy Land. Organizers hope it will help them understand each other and bring that understanding back to Canada.

Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Father Damian MacPherson representing Catholics, Imam Abdul Hai Patel and Protestant Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton will lead a group of equal numbers of Jews, Christians and Muslims on a tour of cities and sites that are meaningful to their religions. The travellers will also meet with significant local religious and political figures and visit community projects working to foster peace between Arabs and Jews. The faith leaders and the Israeli government's Consul for Tourism met Tuesday for a multicultural breakfast at a kosher restaurant in North York to officially launch the project that has been months in the making.

"You can get a sense of the enthusiasm we share here," said Father MacPherson, director of ecumenism and interfaith affairs with the archdiocese of Toronto. "[Israel] is such a dynamic place and we will learn a lot from having our feet on the holy ground. There may be a minefield here and there ... but we're not expecting it. This group will hang together and learn from each other." The group plans activities ranging from a Christian sermon while boating on the Sea of Galilee to a lecture by Bethlehem's deputy mayor and a visit with a group of Israeli and Palestinian families who've lost loved ones in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The project was initiated by Hanan Perahia, with Thornhill's Aufgang travel agency, who described the idea to Rabbi Frydman-Kohl, senior rabbi of Beth Tzedec Congregation. He learned Rabbi Kohl shared the same goal and was eager to work with him. "I have always had a dream to create such a group but I knew it was not going to be easy," said Mr. Perahia, who grew up in Israel. Finding leaders with enthusiasm for the inter-faith movement was not difficult; the challenge, he said, was in creating an itinerary that everyone could agree upon and that avoided extremism. "We didn't want to be just touristy. We wanted to bring lectures and look at the issues" that Palestinians and Israelis struggle with, he said.

After months of meetings, the leaders have put together a jam-packed scheduled for Sept. 4 to 10 with visits to Christian sites such as Mt. of the Beatitudes and Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Jewish sites such as the Western Wall and Yad Vashem and Muslim sites such as Al Aqsa Mosque and Nebi Musa. "Everyone has worked together in such a co-operative way," he said. "The fact that we will have the three religions on the same bus together, eating together, exchanging views, seeing the sites that are important to each other and then come together to talk about it, this is fantastic."

Dr. Hamilton, who is General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches and a biblical scholar, is accompanying the group not in an official capacity but as an "individual initiative, for a chance to see a particularly complicated place in the world through the eyes of my sisters and brothers of so many faith traditions. "I expect there will be difficulties." There will be tough times, but we bring an attitude of respect and graciousness and willingness to deal with tough things." She's curious, for example, to learn why 65 per cent of Israel's 3.5 million annual tourists are Christian, but the number of Christians living in the Holy Land is plummeting. "I look forward to seeing modern reality on top of layers of history," she said. "It's not Disneyland, it's a real place with real people with joys and sorrows like everyone else."

Imam Patel, president of the Ontario Multifaith Council, said he is also looking forward to returning to a region he said offered "the best hospitality in the Middle East". The Muslim chaplain at the University of Toronto brought laughter to the breakfast meeting as he described his visit to Israel in 1992 when he lost his shoes and ended up "walking through the streets like the prophets did". When he finally found a shoe store, the shopkeeper insisted on giving him new shoes for free. The leaders have defined five goals for the group, including raising awareness about the complexity of religious issues, understanding the political issues and how they affect peace, promoting "citizen diplomacy", improving relationships and advocating for mutual understanding as a key to peace.

The trip has been endorsed by Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman. "I am confident that this encounter with the Holy Land will only be the beginning of a remarkable initiative." Mr. Perahia hopes the excursion will be an annual event and include younger generations in following years. "We hope people will come back to Canada seeing things differently, not just the CNN view which shows only the bad parts," he said. "There is also good news worth publishing that will show there is hope and human beings from all faiths can communicate, talk and be friends." Father MacPherson agreed. "Some will probably see things they don't like, and we won't be able to hide from one another." It's a dynamic part of the world, he said, but the group remains optimistic the trip will succeed. Last week's bus bombing in Jerusalem "just sent chills through me," he said. "Something like that could just can it at any time, with the way the Middle East is broiling right now. [But] we will keep plowing the ground, planting seeds."

For further information, contact Judy Csillag at judycsillag@rogers.com or 416-526-1747, or Hanan Perahia, hanan@aufgangtravel.com or 905-771-7800.

Photo: National Geographic

New English Mass Translation for Canada - November 27, 2011

Many Catholics throughout the country have been eagerly awaiting the announcement that the revised english translation for the Roman Missal has been given the "green light" for implementation in Canada. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has officially announced (April 1) that the "recognito" from Rome has taken place and that the new translation will be implemented the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011.

In the Archdiocese of Toronto, we've put together a web page that will provide updates on the implementation along with helpful resources and other information. Our priests have already had initial workshops and talks regarding the new translation but there is much work to be done in the months ahead. See the full statement from the CCCB below.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has received recognito for all sections of the English translation of the revised Roman Missal for use in Canada. The Permanent Council has agreed that the first Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011, will be the date for the implementation of the English translation of the Missal. The official decree for this date has not yet been published, because our Conference is still clarifying the exact wording of one of the adaptations for Canada.

This process of clarification will not in any way slow down the preparation of the English translation of the revised Missal for Canada. Both the English Sector National Liturgy Office and the CCCB Publications Department are busy preparing the new publication and their work is proceeding on schedule.

As well, the National Liturgy Office is preparing to start the launching of the catechetical material it has already prepared. The resource, Celebrate and Song, which contains the parts of the Mass spoken by the people, as well as three newly composed Mass settings and the ICEL chants, is now finished, and will be available from the CCCB Publications Service during the first half of April. This resource, which contains the texts of Eucharistic Prayers I-IV and 40 hymns not currently found in the Catholic Book of Worship III, will be available from the Publications Service at http://www.cccbpublications.ca/.

Starting the first week of April, the National Liturgy Office will begin posting texts and power-point slides to be used for workshops at the local level - including workshops dealing with the theology of Eucharist, the process of translation and revision, and the history of the Eucharist. These will be available on the website of the National Liturgy Office, http://www.nlo.cccb.ca/.

Two DVD's will also be produced by the National Liturgy Office in collaboration with Salt & Light TV. These will be ready for distribution by the end of August. The first will be a two-hour presentation on the theological emphases of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The second will be an hour-long presentation with a teaching DVD on the structure of the Mass and the meaning of each part of the Mass.

The National Liturgy Office will provide a packet of material including suggested workshop formats and questions for discussion at the parish level. Early in September, the National Liturgy Office will have CD's ready with a cantor singing a dozen or so of the new prefaces to assist priests who do not read music but would like to sing the prefaces.

Image: CCCB