Full Text: Cardinal Collins Homily at Mass of Thanksgiving February 29/12

Below you'll find the complete text of the homily delivered by His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins at the Feb. 29 Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Michael's Cathedral with 1,000 guests in attendance.

Remember, regional Eucharistic Celebrations and receptions will be held in the coming weeks for those who wish to celebrate with Cardinal Collins. All are welcome. You can find more details on these celebrations here.

Homily of His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins
February 29th, 2012

The Sign of Jonah

I: Jonah the reluctant prophet: a sign of Repentance, Engagement, and Trust

Throughout the world on this Lenten weekday, the readings at Mass speak of Jonah, the reluctant prophet sent by God to preach to the people of the distant pagan city of Nineveh. The first reading the Book of Jonah tells of his preaching, and in the Gospel Jesus speaks of his own preaching as a fulfilment of the sign of Jonah.

We can learn from the sign of Jonah, a sign of repentance, of engagement, and of trust.

Jonah teaches us about repentance, for that was the message God called him to preach to the people of the great city of Nineveh. There was much in their society and in their hearts that needed to be changed, and Jonah's message was a call for that change of heart. Of course, Jonah himself needed to repent, for in his willfulness, the source of all sin, he tried to flee to the ends of the earth rather that fulfill the mission on which God had sent him, because in his religious complacency he did not agree with God's plan of mercy for the unbelievers; he did not want their pagan society to be rescued.

Jonah speaks to us of engagement with the wider world. He was comfortable among the believers, but God called him to move out beyond his safe world of devotion to walk the alien streets of the great city of Nineveh. It was to avoid that call to engagement with the wider world that he tried to flee to the ends of the earth, until God through a great storm on the sea brought him back to his mission to Nineveh.

The sign of Jonah also is one of trust. The prophet's first failure was a refusal to trust God's plan for him. He needed to let go of his own prophetic agenda, and follow God's will. Jonah, despite his reluctance, was wildly successful in his preaching: all the people of Nineveh repented immediately - which did not please Jonah. The result of his mission was clearly not dependent upon his enthusiasm or skill: he had to come to learn that it is the provident love of God that brings about conversion, not the talents or zeal of the prophet. We need to learn that too.

II: The Sign of Jonah Today: Repentance, Engagement, and Trust

The Sign of Jonah: Repentance

The message of Jonah is the same as is found in the first words of both John the Baptist and Jesus as they began their ministry: Repent. This challenge is basic for our life in Christ, and is especially emphasized during Lent. One of the prayers said when ashes are bestowed on Ash Wednesday is "Repent and believe in the Gospel." We sometimes forget that. We are called to preach repentance to this world, and we are called, of course, first to experience repentance ourselves.

This is why we need to reflect not only on the message but on the messenger. God can use any prophet, and Jonah himself is very much in need of repentance. The messenger needs first to repent and only then to preach the message of repentance to this generation. We preach not only by the words we speak but by the lives we lead. Our ability to be effective instruments of God in our world is inhibited to the degree that we do not ourselves live with integrity. A wise person once said, "the Gospel loses credibility if conscience tethers the tongue." If there is anything in our lives that will block the light of Christ, we need humbly to attend to that before we can proclaim the Gospel to others. God uses weak servants like Jonah, like the apostles, like you and me - and we always have to preach first to ourselves.

Some practical implications:

1. Individually, get to confession. To repeat – get to confession. Remember, saying to a priest, “Bless me Father for I have sinned” is much better than saying, “Bless me Father my neighbour has sinned.”

This is the first gift of Our Lord to his disciples after the resurrection. The sacrament of reconciliation needs to be widely available, and we all need to experience it fruitfully and frequently, as a basic way of being made ready for our mission as disciples. That is another reason why we will always need more priests: we need more confessors.

2. As a community, in a spirit of repentance we must honestly be attentive to our failures to live up to what God expects of us. A culture of communal humility is the foundation for our effectiveness in bringing Christ to this world.

The Sign of Jonah: Engagement

We need to be engaged, engaged with this society of ours, which may often seem like the great city Nineveh, distant and antagonistic to our faith. We need engagement, bold engagement. Not for us the flight of Jonah.

St. Luke, who reports the message of Our Lord in today's Gospel about the fulfillment of the sign of Jonah, speaks in his second book, the Acts of the Apostles, of the way in which the early disciples boldly and joyfully engaged with the world not of Nineveh but of ancient Rome.

They did so filled with hope and joyful energy as they sought to bring the message of the Lord to that world. We need to do the same today, with creativity, energy, and faith.

People often speak of a secularization of society, and of a receding of the tide of faith.

Secular simply means "of this age"; people of faith are a fundamental part of this age, which would be a crueler place without their witness. But secular has taken on a narrow meaning, a heavy meaning, a limiting meaning. It is interpreted as the absence of the voice of faith in the public square. We need not accept that narrow view. Less reluctantly than Jonah, and with the inner conviction and the joyful courage of the apostles down through the ages we need to make the voice of faith heard throughout society. People of faith already do this most effectively through the massive contributions which they make to aid the suffering and the vulnerable. But we also need to be articulate voices in the public forum. Secular humanists do not have a monopoly on the democratic conversation.

Some practical implications:

We need to learn about our faith, by studying it more fully, so that we may more effectively engage in this world of ours with a sympathetic understanding of the struggles people face, an understanding which is illuminated by the vision of the Gospel. This is where the social teachings of the Church can guide us.

Engagement with this world is essential. This is why in our own community of faith we need to strengthen the formation and training of people who help us to reach out and evangelize. It is important for all of us to encourage people to respond to the various vocations of lay ministry, the diaconate, religious life and the priesthood.

We value Catholic education at every level, including universities, an education in which students are offered a vision of the greater purpose in life. It is holy wisdom that is most needed if our society is to be what God invites it to be. Life is more than a meaningless struggle, in which we are simply lost in busyness. We are called to be people with a purpose, and so we if we are effectively to engage in our society, we all need to learn to use the gift of reason within the context of faith which reveals the plan of divine providence within which our secular society is set.

Our Christian life, within our parishes, and also when it is shaped by the various movements and societies within the Church, needs always to be nurtured by the gifts of word and sacrament, and by our love for one another, but it must always reach outward, towards engagement with the world. If we circle the wagons and become comfortably enclosed within ourselves in an illusion of devotion, either individually or as a community, then we will fall back into the fault of Jonah before he met the whale. Our life of faith always needs to end in outreach. Faith and hope reach fulfilment in active charity. A key norm I always use in assessing any initiative in the Church is: does it include the elements of head, heart, and hands - clear teaching to give it direction according to the Gospel, zealous devotion, and practical effect in serving others.

We need to be engaged, and as a community of faith we cannot let our horizon be limited by our own comfortable world here in North America. We must be attentive to people around the world, especially those who are suffering, and most especially our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering persecution, and all who are suffering that way. This is one reason why we should always be attentive to those who are refugees, thinking also of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, refugees from Herod in Egypt.

It is above all the mission of lay people to be engaged in every aspect of the world of this age, this secular world, in which we live. Those of us who are ordained are called to offer spiritual nourishment in word and sacrament to the lay people of the Church, but it is they who are most immediately engaged in evangelizing this world, by their direct involvement in every aspect of it, to help to leaven this world with the vision of the Gospel and to make it a place more in harmony with the will of God. That message of engagement is to who we all are, if we are to become the sign of Jonah for our world today.

The Sign of Jonah: Trust

As we reflect on the sign of Jonah, we need to consider not only repentance and engagement, but also our need to trust in God's providence. We are called to action and engagement, but it is not our activity that ultimately brings about conversion. In the story of Jonah, we see him revealed as a most reluctant prophet, who does not even want his mission to succeed. The people of Nineveh are converted because of him to a certain extent, when he finally follows God's will and preaches, but you can almost say that they are really converted despite of him.

Just as we are called to be faithful messengers of repentance for ourselves and for those whom we meet day by day, and as we are called to get beyond the comfort of our own lives and engage in the secular world around us, so too are we called to recognize that our mission will be not because of any skill or strength or anything else that we have, but because of the grace of God. We are simply servants.

That is why as we engage in the new evangelization, although we need to think clearly and plan carefully and energetically produce various ways of reaching out to this world, we must ultimately recognize the power of Pentecost. It is the Holy Spirit of God who will bring fruitfulness to our work, just as it was not Jonah's preaching, for he was indeed a reluctant prophet, and not his personal conviction, but rather the power of God that touched the hearts of the people of Nineveh.

I often have recalled, as over the years I have tried to develop all kinds of vocation approaches to encourage those who are called to be priests, that Our Lord gave us only one direction: Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into the harvest. Then our efforts will be fruitful, in God's own way and God's own time. A practical implication of this is that we need to root our efforts in prayer. Our action must flow from adoration. It is no accident that vocations flourish where the practice of Eucharistic adoration is widespread.

That is why Bishop Sheen recommended that every priest spend one hour every day in adoration before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. That also explains why the Church comes alive in fruitful activity, not fruitless busyness, when Christians individually and as a community, take the time for prayer. It is why I want Eucharistic Adoration to become a regular part of the life of all of our parishes. It is trust in our provident God and surrender to His will that is the foundation for fruitful engagement with the world.

This is the purpose of Lectio Divina: to become immersed in the word of God, and to encounter Our Lord through the praying of the sacred scriptures. We move out from the house of the Word of God on our daily mission of evangelization, and return each day to be nourished once more.

We must also be nourished at the table of the Lord through the Holy Eucharist. The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation for our mission of evangelization, both as individuals and as a community, and the daily celebration of the Eucharist provides many people with the still point around which their busy lives revolve. Our celebration of the liturgy, and our disposition to the experience of God's grace through His gift of the liturgy, allows us to be faithful and fruitful in our mission in this world. So we need to be attentive, to celebrate the liturgy of the Church with a humble spirit, to be attentive to preaching, and to music. In our liturgy, as in every aspect of our experience of God, we are invited to appreciate beauty - beauty of language, of music, and of art and architecture - as a way in which we are disposed to experience God, and in which those who do not share the gift of faith can be invited to approach God.

Fruitful action follows from adoration, because adoration and prayer are a sign of our dependence upon the providence of God and it is God alone who brings about the conversion of our own hearts and the conversion of this world.

III: Make a joyful duty our sacrifice of Praise

On this Lenten day in which we are presented by the Church with the sign of Jonah, we can learn about our life of discipleship, as individuals and as a community of faith on a journey through time, through the ages, in the world of this age, this secular society.

The sign of Jonah calls us to repentance, to engagement with the world, and to the trust in the providence of God that underlies everything. That spirit of trust can lead us to a further gift, in the midst of our struggles, one not enjoyed by Jonah, the grumpy prophet. It is the gift seen in the great saints, as they struggled with problems far worse than those that can so often absorb us, and depress us, and fill us with anxiety. It is the gift of joy.

I think of St Thomas More, facing a world in which the evil seemed triumphant, if considered within the narrow perspective of his own age. But his sense of divine providence, developed over years of prayerful fidelity, gave him the deep joy that strengthened him and those around him. I think of St Theresa of Avila, the great reformer who was so serene in her trust in God that she could joyfully overcome the immense challenges to her reform. And there is the great apostle of Rome, St Philip Neri, who preached the good news, in the midst of enormous difficulties, and was able to touch the hearts of people in a world that had lost its way, and particularly the hearts of the young, because of his joyful trust in God's provident grace.

So too, for all of us, as we are guided by the sign of Jonah to repentance, engagement, and trust:

Then hear, O gracious Savior, accept the love we bring,

That we who know your favour, may serve you as our king;

And whether our tomorrows be filled with good or ill

We'll triumph through our sorrows, and rise to bless you still:

To marvel at your beauty, and glory in your ways,

And make a joyful duty, our sacrifice of praise.

The "Ash-mob" & Your 40 Day Spiritual Workout!

Lent has arrived and with it, 40 days of reflection, a time to take stock of where we are in our spiritual journey. Of course, it's still popular to "give something up" for Lent. That's not a bad way of keeping a tangible reminder that something is different, there's reason for pause, it's not about the indulgences but, rather, what we can give back during this season of fasting, almsgiving and reconciliation. Yet giving something up isn't the only way to engage ourselves in the season.

Did you wear your ashes proudly? Perhaps by God's intervention, this year my car broke down on Ash Wednesday which meant taking public transit to work, down to St. Mike's Cathedral for Ash Wednesday services, subway back to the office and a final extended subway ride to pick up the car (I didn't realize my first act of charity for Lent would be for the local mechanic).

So I certainly had the opportunity to wear my ashes publicly throughout the day. I'm not sure if it was an official declaration or not but the Cathedral this year (standing room only for the lunchtime service) was giving out particularly generous doses of ash, the kind that could require a scouring pad to remove. Perhaps that was the reason for a few extra looks but no less than 8 people asked me in my travels, "What's that on your head?" or some resorted to, "Hey do you know you have something on your head?"

These encounters gave me a brief moment to evangelize, to explain in a moment what the ashes were for. It got me to thinking - if every one of us had the chance to explain the symbolism of Ash Wednesday to another 8 people, we'd have the potential for, not a flashmob but an "ash-mob" of sorts, the opportunity to share our faith in the public square en masse.

I also caught a few people in my travels wearing ashes themselves - while we didn't stop for a fist-pump, it was tempting. Kind of affirming seeing someone from the same team on the street, wearing the ashes proudly and offering a smile or brief word of encouragement along the way.

So maybe we can collectively deploy "Operation Ash-Mob" to extend throughout these 40 days of Lent. How can we joyfully embrace the season each and every day? Last year in this space I had the chance to share some tangible ideas to bring Lent to life. It's not necessary to reinvent the wheel so below, with a few slight modifications, are some suggestions to chew on once again this year:

1. Reflect on the words of the new Mass translation. Digest the words don't just ingest them.
2. A more intentional prayer life - consider morning, mid-day and evening prayer.
3. Read a good book on spirituality, one that will enrich your spiritual journey.
4. Make a prayer basket at home - slips of paper or construction paper hearts (invite kids to participate) writing names or intentions that each person around the table picks out before each meal.
5. Attend weekday mass.
6. Say the rosary - even better if you don't mind bringing out your beads in public - on the bus, coffee shop or anywhere else people gather.
7. Make a point of experiencing the sacrament of reconciliation at the beginning and end of Lent at minimum.
8. Tell someone you're praying for them.
9. Don't tell someone you're praying for them and pray for them.
10. Give up meat on Fridays but don't substitute lobster - make fasting something that is truly sacrificial.
11. Keep track of your television and online habits - devote at least as much time to prayer or service.
12. Rumours, gossip, negative chatter that devalues others ends at your doorstep.
13. Begin and end each week with an email thanking someone for all that they do.
14. Be sure to say grace at any restaurant you frequent (don't dodge making the Sign of the Cross either)
15. Buy a coffee for someone living on the street but not until you learn their name and something about them.
16. Pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
17. Reconcile with someone you've hurt or aren't speaking to.
18. Invite someone who's been away from the church to attend mass with you.
19. Write a letter to a political leader on an issue you're passionate about.
20. Donate to charity - make a sacrificial gift not what's "left over" (remember the ShareLife campaign is underway).
21. Attend a lecture or public discussion centred on faith issues.
22. Thank a bishop, priest or member of a religious congregation for their public witness - invite them out for coffee or a meal.
23. Participate in the 40 Days for Life or other pro-life initiative.
24. Learn about the lives of the saints especially your parish saint.
25. Visit someone who's alone.
26. Consider a new liturgical experience - attend mass in the extraordinary form, an eastern rite service, etc.
27. Wash someone's feet - literally.
28. Pray the Stations of the Cross.
29. Find something you admire in someone you dislike.
30. Send a note of encouragement to someone who is participating in the RCIA program.
31. Get involved in Refugee Sponsorship at your local parish or contact the Office for Refugees to offer assistance.
32. At your parish Good Friday service, cram 3 more people than is comfortable in your pew to give them a spot to sit. Better yet give up your seat for them.
33. Attend Lectio Divina (March 4 & April 1).
34. Make time for family activities that are faith related.
35. Express your appreciation to someone in your parish who goes the extra mile - a lector, usher, pastoral associate, etc.
36. Journal about your spiritual highs/lows.
37. Pray for vocations.
38. Make a playlist of spiritual music that you enjoy and share it with a friend.
39. Embrace periods of silence in each day (it's the theme in Pope Benedict's message for the 2012 World Day of Communications).
40. Invite someone you know will be alone to your home for Easter Sunday dinner.

Our "Ash-mob" can make a profound impact this Lent. Now it's just up to us to take up the challenge as ambassadors for Christ. Are you up to it? So while giving up the chocolate and the chips is a good thing, let's embrace this Lent, body, mind and soul. Consider it your 40 day spiritual workout!

Off we go...

Family Day with Il Papa in Rome...

Hard to believe that it's been almost 8 days since we arrived in Rome to begin the countdown to the elevation of 22 shepherds to the College of Cardinals.

Monday was Family Day back home in Ontario - hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and some quality time with loved ones. You might say the same about our final day in Rome. The family of pilgrims that has come together for these blessed days came together one final time for a day that capped off a memorable week of memories and blessings.

We started the day off with Mass at 7:15 a.m. at the Tomb of St. Peter. The rock on whom the church was built, those in leadership have a special fondness for St. Peter ever mindful that they are the successors of the apostles in their role as bishops throughout the world. For a cardinal, it's even more significant in that they, one day, will also have the hefty responsibility of selecting the next Pontiff.

While the chapel beneath the main altar at St. Peter's is ideally designed for about 100 people, we still managed to squeeze close to double that around the altar. We started the pilgrimage last Wednesday morning with Mass at the Teutonic College surrounded by graves and perhaps it was fitting that we ended up beside the tombs of the Popes and leaders of the church who have gone before us. It's a potent reminder that we are all given just a brief time in this world to do what we can with our gifts and talents. We walk away from the pilgrimage reflecting on how we can transform the words of the gospel into tangible care and support for one another...

22 men were chosen by the Holy Father for their own example of dedication to their faith and willingness to share it with the world. Their scarlet robes remind them that those who have come before them have even shed their blood for it.

As Cardinal Collins mentioned numerous times throughout the week, whether in speeches, homilies or media interviews, we can't take our faith for granted. Hundreds of thousands around the world have been persecuted, tortured and killed for proclaiming their faith - the least we can do is practice ours day in and out. As we move into this Lenten season, we have an opportunity this Ash Wednesday to bear witness to the sign of our faith through the ashes that are given to us on the first day of Lent.


Before wrapping up the morning, we had the chance to participate in the Monday Private Audience with the Holy Father that's a tradition following the consistory weekend. While it's termed private, there were still about 4,000 people in attendance - no tickets required - generally, it's a gathering of the delegations of the new cardinals - one last chance to affirm them, support them and, of course to see Pope Benedict.

Each of the Class of 2012 was given two tickets to bring up the people of their choosing to meet the Holy Father. Cardinal Collins selected his sisters, Patricia and Catharine. For the Cardinal, it was the fourth time this week he met briefly with the Holy Father face to face. It was a jovial atmosphere in the Paul VI Audience Hall with flags waving and groups cheering the video replay of their favorite cardinal being displayed on the "Catholictron" video screen.



Following the audience, which only lasted about 40 minutes, we had the cardinal conduct his final media interviews this week, guesting on Canada AM and speaking to Global TV, City and Rogers radio stations throughout Ontario and Alberta as well as a quick sit down with Vatican Radio.

This evening, the delegation enjoyed a wonderful final meal, a fitting way to thank and express our prayerful support for His Eminence. There were kind words from a number of speakers including Bishop Anthony Tonnos (retired Bishop of Hamilton), the bishop who ordained Father Collins as Bishop, sharing thoughts about being moved to tears when hearing of the elevation of then Archbishop Collins to the College of Cardinals.

All in all a beautiful end to a week that was full of emotion, laughter, fellowship and faith.


We often feel frustrated if the secular media doesn't cover the "good news" of the church. Well at last count there were well over 1500 articles this week that, almost in their entirety, celebrated the elevation of Canada's newest cardinal. They showed him waving as he Skyped Grade 3 students and his former high school, they laughed with him as he donned a Leafs jersey in St. Peter's Square and they followed closely the rich historical ceremonies at the Vatican, speaking with the new cardinal, pilgrims and others about the experience.

In short, they helped tell the story and that's exactly what we mean when we say we need to evangelize to both the gathered and the scattered. Who knows how these stories will impact our community down the road?

Now to us, those of us on pilgrimage. We have our own responsibility - to not cradle this pilgrimage in our hands and hide it from others. We need to speak about the experience, how it enriched our faith, how it gave us pride in our Catholic family, reminded us of our own ups and downs on the journey, of how we all have a responsibility to be shepherds in our own little way.

So Happy Family Day - this year's holiday was a little different for us. We were part of an adopted family of pilgrims who won't soon forget how it's not about the destination but, rather, the journey. It's always a good reminder - a pilgrimage can be extremely challenging yet very rewarding. Braving large crowds, elbows and obstructed views or no views at all; little sleep, ceremonies in a foreign language and rain pouring down at times.

Would we do it all again? In a second.

So thank you to Pope Benedict XVI, our spiritual father, Cardinal Collins our local guardian and all the "siblings" and "cousins" that supported one another over this past week. It was exhilarating, frustrating, joyful, challenging and everything in between. Would we do it all again? In a second.

If you feel that life needs the jumper cables to provide a spiritual reboot, a pilgrimage isn't a bad place to start. We had just such an experience this week. After all we've witnessed in Rome, the car won't need a tune up for a while...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rome, Italy

In Rome, It's Christmas in February!

The day after the sea of red, thousands of pilgrims came together to celebrate on the Lord's Day, once again at St. Peter's Basilica, on the solemnity of the Chair of Saint Peter. More metal detectors, long lines and not as much sunshine as Saturday. Joyfully, the pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Toronto delegation all made their way inside today so for that we can be most grateful.

Steps away from the Holy Father, 22 (technically 21 with one from Germany not making the trip due to health reasons) new cardinals joined with Pope Benedict XVI in offering prayers and the Eucharist together with thousands at the Vatican and millions more virtually and through numerous global media outlets.

The spiritual hangover continued with the new cardinals greeting many of those gathered before the start of Mass (see Cardinal Collins with two of his Auxiliary Bishops, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Vice-President, Paul-Andre Durocher and Hamilton Bishop Emeritus Anthony Tonnos below).


The Holy Father chose to preach on the Chair of Peter, part history lesson, part catechesis, full part evangelization, drawing parallels between the physical elements of the chair and the basilica to our own faith. A short sample:

"The window of the apse opens the Church towards the outside, towards the whole of creation, while the image of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove shows God as the source of light. But there is also another aspect to point out: the Church herself is like a window, the place where God draws near to us, where he comes towards our world."

Pope Benedict went on to draw other parallels using the chair of Peter and other elements of the altar for a deep and thoughtful reflection.

Following the Mass, pilgrims had the chance to enjoy a free afternoon in Rome. Cardinal Collins continued on his media sprint with several interviews for media outlets back in Toronto as well as those embedded with our pilgrims here in Rome. We also had a number of pilgrims calling back home to assist with media interviews for broadcasters and other journalists looking to get the pilgrim perspective on all that's unfolded this weekend.



The evening included numerous groups getting together to enjoy fellowship while other events unfolded with the official government delegation that continues to be a presence at a number of varied activities. It's been refreshing to here the sincerity and genuine interest of many of our political leaders who are with us in Rome. They really seem to be enjoying the experience and learning more about the College of Cardinals and the eternal city.

Monday morning will be the final day of our pilgrimage with the delegation enjoying Mass together at 7:15 a.m. at the Tomb of Peter, followed by a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

Some great connections, bonding and fellowship among the group have formed and no doubt many are feeling an array of emotions from the weekend, armed with the knowledge that the pilgrimage is beginning to wind down.

A weekend of blessings, new friendships, booster shots to the faith and most importantly, time to reflect, rejoice and rekindle our own spiritual journey.

With the abundance of blessings and gifts showered on the pilgrims this weekend, you might well say it's Christmas in February here in Rome...



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rome, Italy

Sea of Red...

Well an historic day would not be overstating the scene at St. Peter's Square, Basilica and all points surrounding today as 22 new cardinals were created by Pope Benedict XVI. It's with special pride that Canada and the Archdiocese of Toronto welcome Thomas Cardinal Collins as our 4th cardinal in Toronto's diocesan history and 16th in Canadian history.

The day started early for the pilgrims who lined up around St. Peter's Square from about 6:30 a.m. onwards. A lineup at the Vatican has an amazing way of growing wider by the minute and by the time we entered through the first security check point, it was clear that a funnel had formed and regardless of your arrival time, the departure point of said funnel depended on one's jostling, shuffling, elbowing and shimmying abilities.

About 8,000 people made their way to seats inside the church, yes, it was like midnight Mass with plenty of scarves, hats, coats, socks and maybe even a shoe holding other seats in reserve. Those who didn't make it inside the church including about 40 of our delegation, settled for the consolation prize. While it's not ideal to be outside of the main draw, sitting on chairs with large video screens, St. Peter's Basilica as your backdrop with blue skies, warm sun shining down and plenty of room to move around isn't a bad second spot to be in the world.

The ceremony, streamlined into one day for the first time, included bestowing symbols of the cardinals' office on each new member: biretta (red hat) and ring. Each cardinal had the chance to approach the Holy Father and have a short exchange with him before receiving the symbols of their membership in the college before receiving brief congratulations from each member of the College of Cardinals.

Following the consistory ceremony, there were short prayers and the announcement that seven new saints would be canonized on October 21, 2012 including Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, of particular pride to the people of our first nations and many other Canadian and American catholics.

After the Vatican red hat celebrations, we made our way to the Pontifical Canadian College where priests from our country studying in Rome reside. They put on a lovely affair, with the sun shining and the garden accessible for the 200 or so in attendance, including the official gov't delegation. The new cardinal held a brief media scrum before greeting guests and taking plenty of pics in his new vestments.

Following a little break, the Cardinal made his way to the Paul VI Audience Hall for the traditional courtesy visits, providing an opportunity for anyone at the Vatican to stop by and say hello to the newest red hats. It was quite a sight to see with some visitors stopping by and bringing gifts, prayer cards, best wishes with many current cardinals stopping by to say hello (including former Quebec City Cardinal Ouellet below).


The Vatican Arts Patrons also generously hosted a private tour of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel for the North American delegations (Toronto, NEw York, Baltimore). Considering the total # of pilgrims of all these delegations topped about 2,000 people it was hardly an intimate affair but certainly an opportunity to see some of the most beautiful pieces of art this side of the ocean.

This evening, I spent about 2.5 hours with the new cardinal facilitating interviews with media across Canada. Cardinal Collins has been a real trouper for us this week, giving most generously of his time and saying yes at every point when we've asked him to chat with journalists. Emanuel Pires, who's been taking incredible photos throughout the pilgrimage, was busy working away, editing the pics you're seeing on this blog and our Tumblr page, many which have been picked up by the media to use in their own publications. We've also had plenty of our pilgrims say yes to assisting us with the many media moments this week. A lot of work and some very long days but great to have the cooperation of so many on these initiatives.

So our delegation has been busy to say the least. With Mass pegged for 9:30 a.m. Sunday, it will be another early morning, likely with some new line strategies to get to the front as quickly as possible.

To all those who have been following us virtually or through media articles, offering prayers and well wishes, we're especially grateful. Most importantly, we rejoice on this historic day for the blessings and graces that God has provided to the Archdiocese of Toronto and the church in Canada.

Let's seize this energy and translate it to our own faith journey - perhaps it is the spark that lights the flame within, to motivate us for a spiritual reboot or to push us to the next level on the path.

So for a small-town boy from Guelph to a bishop who carried around a red bible (because the bible needs to be read as he says), there's some more red in your life after today. It's a bright colour that stands out in the crowd - just like the ones who were recognized today. May they wear it well...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rome, Italy

Your Grace one last time...

What a couple of days it's been in Rome. Let's just say some early days and long nights trying to make the most of this historic experience. Between media interviews, logistics and trying to sneak in a plate of pasta, it's been quite the ride.
Thursday we had the chance to conduct another round of media interviews with the Cardinal-designate, starting our day at the studios of Vatican Radio, in the very place where the late Blessed Pope John Paul II used to broadcast.

Cardinal-designate Collins was a guest on the In Conversation with the Archbishop show from New York's Timothy Dolan, himself in Rome to be elevated this weekend to Cardinal in his capacity of Archbishop of New York.


The two had a wonderful chat, discussing some of the joys of their work, their shared Irish roots, challenges facing the church and using unique modern communication tools to evangelize. A great chat.

We then made our way over the studios of RAI TV where the Cardinal-designate chatted for a program that will be used to profile all the new cardinals of the world. Then back again to Vatican Radio for a one one one with Irish staffer Emer McCarthy - it seems Vatican Radio was a bit of an Irish reunion yesterday.
Heading out to the terrace at Vatican Radio overlooking Castel San Angelo the Cardinal-designate Skyped with CP24 back in Toronto. Then on foot we made our way to St. Peter's Square while Archbishop Collins did a phone interview with Toronto radio host, Newstalk 1010's John Moore.

Then we asked the Archbishop if we could take a simple photo. One Archbishop, one Leaf jersey, one fun pic. He obliged with several great shots, we thanked him for his willingness to evangelize through the media and with sports fans and Emanuel and I headed back to our hotel to send out pics, edit and schedule some more media interviews.

Back in Toronto, our team was working hard on getting the shot of the Leaf jersey out to the media we also tweeted it to a few key contacts. We knew things were going well when the Toronto Maple Leafs retweeted it to 140,000 followers. Soon after, from Rome we started to see the photo popping up on news and sports sites across Canada. All in all, a fun opportunity for evangelization to the many Leaf fans out there in the Archdiocese of Toronto and beyond.


Friday in Rome involved a series of meetings with the College of Cardinals, both present and future, with discussions on the new evangelization, canonization of saints and other Vatican matters. We didn't see much of Cardinal-designate Collins till the evening but that doesn't mean there wasn't plenty going on throughout the day.

Our delegation of 200+ was complete - many arriving on flights today including a government delegation 24 strong and many others from Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia. We spent a good portion of the day prepping for our first large scale Mass followed by a reception and dinner to kick off the weekend festivities. We also distributed the coveted tickets for the consistory.

Legend has it that at the last consistory more tickets were distributed than there were seats, leading to some less than Christian exchanges and upset folks turned away at the door, even when they had tickets and many standing in St. Peter's Basilica for several hours. Remember, these are not seats that say Row B Seat 3. We're talking general admission for up to 10,000 people so I suspect tomorrow may be the Catholic equivalent of releasing the iPad or Thanksgiving Day shopping in the USA - hopefully no one is carrying mace.

This evening we had a beautiful Mass at the San Lorenzo Youth Centre - a small and simple church, it's said to be birthplace of World Youth Days. Today, it serves as the home of the World Youth Day Cross - it's always great to see the cross again, as it brings back great memories of it traveling throughout the country leading up to WYD 2002 in Toronto. Ten years later, we're celebrating another special milestone in the Canadian Church.


Following Mass we made our way out to the more historic region of Rome, close to the catacombs for a family style banquet that included the entire group. Unfortunately, the guest of honour was told at lunchtime that the Vatican meetings anticipated to be completed by 5:00 p.m. would be completed at 7:00 p.m. After a reception and fellowship, we began our meal and welcomed Cardinal-designate Collins, Cardinal Turcotte of Montreal and Archbishop Paul Andre Durocher (Gatineau) Vice President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops a few minutes after dinner had commenced.

It was the last night we'll see the Archbishop in purple - red will be the colour of the day and Your Grace will become Your Eminence. We close the book on one chapter and begin a new volume. There was a palpable buzz in the room, some brief but most sincere remarks and a real feeling that you were part of something special and this is just the night before the big dance so to speak.


After declaring he'd be setting his alarm to "get me to the church on time" as well as recognizing that he is "imminently eminent", His Grace said his goodbyes (not before stopping by to complete an interview with CTV National News). All in a day's work.

Today an Archbishop, tomorrow a cardinal - all the while a man who has remained true to his routes, consistently reminding us that his ultimate goal is "to be a faithful and happy priest."

So as day turns to night and morning, new cardinals will fly into Rome, ready to spread their wings and share the gift of faith with their flock. There will be plenty of happy priests, lay people and bishops on hand tomorrow, ready to watch history unfold.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rome, Italy

The Pope, Grade 3's & Panic - Rome in a Day!

Wednesday of our pilgrimage to Rome is in the history books. We certainly packed a lot into the experience. We started out the day with Mass at 8:00 a.m. at the Teutonic College literally between St. Peter's Basilica and the Paul VI Audience Hall. The location for Mass, literally next to a graveyard and the spot where many believe Christian martyrs shed their blood for the cause, was an intimate start to the day that allowed us to ground ourselves and begin the day in prayer.
Following Mass, we made our way (through the side entrance) of the Paul VI Audience Hall. If you haven't been to Rome before, Wednesdays are special as most midweeks throughout the year provide an opportunity to see the Pope up close at the weekly Papal Audience.
The audiences have kept relatively predictable in their content - brief prayer, reflection from the Holy Father, presentation of pilgrims from around the world, final prayer, dismissal. The audience hall seats more than 5,000 and every seat was full today. Getting to Vatican events early is a necessity especially during a consistory week and today was no exception - 2 hours was enough to guarantee we were in the first 10 rows of the Audience Hall, a great vantage point to take it all in.
It's also special when you know some of the "characters" involved in bringing the audience to life. Many folks from the Archdiocese of Toronto will know Fr. Owen Keenan, a Toronto priest who works in the Papal Household at the Vatican and has the responsibility of announcing the various english groups that are in attendance during the audience.

For the uninitiated, the presentation of pilgrims is a wonderful experience, heartfelt pilgrims and part street theatre with announcements of language groups literally spanning the globe. Priests stoically announce groups in Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, French, German and English to name a few. Once your group is acknowledged, you make a loud cheer, sing a song, wave a banner or even in today's case, hold up your baby (a large family organization from Italy was in attendance full of toddlers smiling and waving - see pic below). Throughout the experience, the Holy Father waves and smiles, providing the ultimate "Papal" moment (people can claim for years that "he waved at me") before sitting down in their places. See below a sample of our Canadian contingent...

At the end of the audience, a small group are invited to come and personally meet the Holy Father. Cardinal-designate Collins actually had the chance to meet the Pontiff along with other bishops and cardinals present for the audience. Likely a case of "I'll see you again later this week" as the cardinal to be will have no less than four moments with the Pope over the course of the week. A wonderful expression of the diversity of our global church, it's definitely worth the experience if you ever make your way to Rome.

The afternoon was a free one for our pilgrims. Yours truly and resident photographer Emanuel Pires, hit the hustings for a round of media interviews with the Cardinal-designate on the rooftop of what is affectionately known as "Maria Bambina" a residence for nuns and the odd traveler. It also plays host to one of the most beautiful and scenic rooftops in Italy. It's rumored that a major American network was renting the rooftop out for years at the tune of $5,000/month in anticipation of the passing of Pope John Paul II.

Today it was home to our media interviews and an interactive SKYPE session with students from the Cardinal-designate's alma mater, Bishop MacDonnel SS in Guelph as well as students from Holy Rosary elementary school in Malton. If you're not familiar with SKYPE, put simply, it's a video phone call over a computer or in our case an Ipad.

I'd love to say the SKYPE session was seamless - it wasn't. You quickly learn one of the most unpredictable parts of life in Rome is the intermittent wi-fi and cell phone signals. Not the best mix when you're coordinating media relations for a very critical juncture in the life of the Canadian church. So there were one, no two, no maybe 16 mini heart attacks when 10 minutes before our scheduled chat - with media on the rooftop in Rome, in schools in Guelph and Malton, the signal gave way.

Sprinting downstairs trying to find an alternate location - no signal, no signal, no signal. What to do? Plan B - try to get a SKYPE video signal and use a cellphone to get audio through a speaker phone. A little tardy for class, the Archbishop "arrived" virtually, answering questions for the gang in Guelph unfortunately with no video signal (we sent pics later but I know it's just not the same thing). At least the students gathered were in high school and didn't get too emotional over the glitch:)

For the Grade 3's at Holy Cross, we tried valiantly - even had a video and mic connection at one point but in the end also went with the cellphone but wonder of wonders, we did get our video signal working to the delight of the students (and Archbishop Collins). While the video dropped out a few times during our chat (where was the divine intervention?) we still had lots of fun. Below you'll see a pic of yours truly as Ipad holder and the Archbishop waving at the kids at Holy Cross.

I was very impressed with the maturity of the Grade 3's - they asked questions of the cardinal to be - what were you like growing up? What do you do in your free time? What are you excited most about being cardinal? They were a real treat and we wrapped up the session with a Hail Mary (I'd already recited several when the signal went down), likely one of the first "virtual" visits from the Vatican to the GTA that we're aware of. And yes, there was some nice media coverage of the event as well - let's not forget there are plenty of ways to evangelize even when a bishop isn't physically in the diocese:)

A few more radio, television and newspaper interviews and photos and the Archbishop completed 3 hours of media for a second day in the row. We are grateful to have many of the interviews done early in the week as things will really heat up once Friday comes along.

A big shout out as well to the crew back in Toronto (Bill Steinburg, Denise Torres, Kristen Carey) who are holding down the fort and coordinating media requests from that side of the ocean as well as putting together some impressive social media updates on Facebook, Twitter, etc. - have you checked out www.archtoronto.tumblr.com - there's all sorts of cool videos, pics, etc. on there that you'll want to check out - way to go Denise. Bill has been burning both ends of the candle as the six hour time difference in Rome means he's getting calls virtually around the clock and Kristen is ably coordinating RSVP's, meals, dignitaries and other events for a local celebration in Toronto on Feb. 29 for about 1,000 - so no, not too busy these days for our team:)

So as we move into the wee hours of the night and Thursday morning, it's time to wrap it up for the midweek portion of our pilgrimage and prepare for Thursday - lots ahead and an exciting time for all. Once again, we're grateful for the prayers and kind wishes being sent our way across the ocean - don't forget you're right here with us virtually and in spirit or as they say "and with your spirit".

Rome's a beautiful spot but I think I can say with confidence, when the historic locales were being constructed thousands of years ago, no one said, "let's make sure we build it so they can SKYPE". Pilgrimage is sometimes like our wifi signals - at times, stronger than ever, sometimes falling off for a moment but a pull that is always there - you just have to be in the right place to find it...
- .Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rome, Italy

The Flock Flying South, A Pilgrimage to Rome!

A new pilgrimage has begun for close to 200 Catholics from across the Archdiocese of Toronto and beyond. They're on their way this week to Rome to experience something that doesn't happen very often. For just the 4th time in the history of the Archdiocese and 16th time in Canadian history, a new Canadian cardinal will join the ranks of the College of Cardinals.

The Cardinal-designate is in Rome, a group of about 30 others arrived Tuesday evening and another 150+ will arrive later this week to help join in the celebrations and support Canada's newest cardinal.

In the coming days, in this space, through our website, Facebook, Twitter page and other mediums you'll be hearing more about this historical journey. We've got some interesting plans this week and we hope to bring you a sort of "virtual" pilgrimage bringing a taste of Italy back to our friends checking in from any number of locations throughout the country and around the world.

Our smaller group of about 30 represents a good cross section of the Cardinal-designate's experience to date: bishops both past and present are with us, including retired Hamilton Bishop, Anthony Tonnos, retired Auxiliary Bishop Ustryczki as well as Toronto Auxiliary Bishops Boissonneau, Nguyen and McGrattan.

The Collins family is well represented with about 14 family members joining in at some point throughout the week, most notably the Cardinal-designate's sisters, Patricia and Catharine.

Numerous priests from the Archdiocese of Toronto, about 20, will be along for the experience, if you include the half dozen or so currently studying at the Canadian Pontifical College in Rome. Add to that, clergy from the Diocese of Hamilton, London and Edmonton, Alberta along with Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, Archbishop of Montreal and Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau, Quebec and we truly have representation from both sides of the country.

The federal government has done a wonderful job in recognizing the significance of the historical moment that will take place and, by week's end, we'll have an official gov't delegation of about 20 that includes mostly federal representation but also a representative from the Province of Ontario.

From the media and public relations side of things, we've got about half a dozen journalists "embedded" with us over the course of the week, with more expected to join in from foreign bureaus. Yours truly and Emanuel Pires will be working on the ground in Rome to help tell the story and Bill Steinburg, Denise Torres and Kristen Carey will be holding the fort in Toronto and working with local media requests both from Toronto and throughout the country. We had a great start this past weekend with a lengthy profile in Saturday's Toronto Star about Archbishop Collins followed by a piece on Sunday telling the story of the work of the Archdiocese as well as some of the challenges the church faces in today's world.

Before he left Toronto, the Archbishop did a final round of interviews Friday with Maclean's magazine, Guelph Mercury and Sun TV. Tuesday in Rome included a chat with the Globe & Mail and we've got lots of interest from the media on a fun initiative Wednesday, when the Cardinal-designate will SKYPE with high school students at his alma mater as well as Grade 3 students at Dufferin Peel CDSB's Holy Cross School in Malton.

So sit back, relax and enjoy as we do our best to bring a little piece of Rome to wherever you may be logging in from. Don't forget, our Twitter feed will be very active these coming days so if you're looking for more frequent "fixes", feel free to follow us here.

Please offer a prayer for all those entering the College of Cardinals this weekend and, in a special way, for the Canadian delegation heading to Rome for this historic experience. Know that your thoughts, prayers and intentions will be with us throughout the pilgrimage.

The whole experience started off with 20 pilgrims missing a connecting flight and spending an extra 6 hours in London, England. Apparently we were meant to evangelize beyond Italy:) After being up for close to 24 hours, the group heads for their beds tonight ready to recharge the batteries before meeting at 7:15 a.m. to head for morning Mass at the Teutonic College and then the Wednesday Papal Audience.

So as usual, the only constant is change, the only certainty is there will be new cardinals this weekend - the rest of it will unfold on God's terms. We're just happy to be along for the ride.

Bonjourno from Rome!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Rome, Italy

Celebrating Marriage Sunday - Feb. 11/12!

Building on what is quickly becoming an anuual tradition, the Archdiocese of Toronto celebrates Marriage Sunday, the weekend of February 11/12. The occasion provides a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and affirm married couples throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Many parishes have been quietly celebrating marriage in their own way for years with some creative ideas that range from handing out roses to couples on the way into Mass to renewal of wedding vows, including married couples in the offertory procession, acknowledging those in attendance who have been married the longest, etc.

Once again, we've put together a special website with plenty of resources for couples who are married, are considering marriage as well as information for those looking to enrich their covenant. Archbishop Collins has also penned a letter to couples that can be read this weekend or shared through the parish bulletin.

In addition to supporting married couples, you'll also find the Archbishop references those who are widowed or who have experienced a broken relationship. With programs like Worldwide Marriage Encounter (making a good marriage even better), New Beginnings (for widowed, separated and divorced Catholics), Retrouvaille (marriages in crisis) and others active in our Archdiocese, there's no shortage of enrichment resources to support the Catholic community every step of the way.

We remember the important foundation that the family provides, in a special way, from a faith perspective, planting the seeds of our faith that will be nurtured for years to come.

Take a few moments to visit the Marriage Sunday site and this weekend, thank a married couple for all that they do to strengthen our community, sustaining the everlasting "I Do".