Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Burning Child — A politically correct poem Stop. Don’t speak a word sew lips shut with wire before barbed ire aroused. We must be kindness-carnate sweet asphyxiate in syrup before a word gets out that burns. Smother it pretend it was an embarrassment or accident inconvenient malformed useless unproductive burden on society kill it[…]
Geraldine Thompson, a Sister of Saint Joseph who taught English at Saint Michael’s College, Toronto, was utterly charming in person, . . . and challenging in conversation. Once she asked me, “Why is it that preachers will explain in detail aspects of the Sunday readings that everyone knows and but say nothing about other passages[…]
In one of those many paradoxical ironies of history, it was on this day that Woodrow Wilson – for whom I have not much admiration otherwise, and his ‘Fourteen Points’ at Versailles in 1919 paved the way for an even worse war two decades later – anyway, the president did proclaim this day in 1914[…]
Let us consider, then, brethren, of what matter we were made. Let us consider how we came into this world, as it were out of a sepulchre, and from utter darkness: who and what manner of beings we were. He who made us and fashioned us, having prepared his bountiful gifts for us before we[…]
Absence makes the heart grow fonder… The proverb holds true in the main, but not, we must admit, always. There are many things, and we may admit, even people, we look back upon not with much affection. For the heart to grow fonder, it must begin with some fondness, in that holy absence, in the[…]
We have celebrated a number of ‘Catherines’ of late in our liturgical calendar: Kateri Tekakwitha on April 17th; Catherine of Siena on April 29th; and, today, Blessed Catherine of Saint Augustine (+1688), venerated as one of the ‘six founders’ of the Church in Canada. Saint Franҫois de Laval, whose feast we celebrated a couple of[…]
In light of the recent appointment of Bishop Guy Desrochers as the new ordinary of Pembroke, I noticed that at the same time, the diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall has more or less been abolished – or, more technically, amalgamated with the archdiocese of Ottawa. The current Archbishop, Terence Prendergast, S.J., is retiring this year, and his[…]
Propitiously, on this memorial of Canada’s first, and quite saintly, bishop, a new episcopus has been announced for the Pembroke diocese, where this writer happens to reside. Bishop Guy Desrochers is currently auxiliary bishop for Alexandria-Cornwall, ordained for that munus a year ago January, in 2019. A member of the Redemptorist Order, founded in 1732[…]
(What follows is the homily of Pope Francis from 2014 for the ‘equipollent’ canonization of two Canadian saints – Marie de l’Incarnation, whom we celebrated a few days ago on April 30th, and Bishop Francois de Laval, whom we celebrate today. Editor) We have heard Isaiah’s prophecy: “The Lord God will wipe away the tears[…]
One forgives to the degree that one loves (Saint Francois de Laval, +1708)
