Daily Archives: August 20, 2011

Take Action: Support the Remaining Amendments on August 31

Saturday, August 20, 2011

At its June 16 meeting, the TCDSB approved several of the less contentious amendments to its Equity and Inclusive Education (EIE) Policy; these appear in coloured italics on the linked page. The rest were deferred to the board’s August 31 meeting. One of these amendments would have the Board “approve only clubs which have goals that are consistent with Catholic faith and Catholic Church’s moral teachings.”

1) Plan to come in person to the meeting on August 31 (a Wednesday, not the usual Thursday). It’s at the Catholic Education Centre, 80 Sheppard Ave East, a short walk east of Sheppard subway station. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM, but come for 6:30. (See map.)

2) Please call or write your trustee. Say you want him or her to support all of the amendments that Trustees Del Grande and Kennedy proposed earlier. These amendments would commit the school system to providing Catholic moral teachings (as defined by the Catechism and other documents of the Magisterium) within the curriculum and as the reference point for all school-sponsored clubs and events.

Here are the trustees:

Ward Trustee Tel/Fax # (416) E-mail
1 Peter Jakovcic 512-3401 peter.jakovcic@tcdsb.org
2 Ann Andrachuk 512-3402 ann.andrachuk@tcdsb.org
3 Sal Piccininni 512-3403 sal.piccininni@tcdsb.org
4 Patrizia Bottoni 512-3404 patrizia.bottoni@tcdsb.org
5 Maria Rizzo 512-3405 maria.rizzo@tcdsb.org
6 Frank D’Amico 512-3406 frank.damico@tcdsb.org
7 John Del Grande 512-3407 john.delgrande@tcdsb.org
8 Tobias Enverga 512-3408 tobias.enverga@tcdsb.org
9 Jo-Ann Davis 512-3409 joann.davis@tcdsb.org
10 Barbara Poplawski 512-3410 barbara.poplawski@tcdsb.org
11 Angela Kennedy 512-3411 angela.kennedy@tcdsb.org
12 Nancy Crawford 512-3412 nancy.crawford@tcdsb.org
Stu. Sabrina Renna 512-3413 sabrina.renna@tcdsb.org

Don’t know which school board ward you’re in? (The school wards are numbered differently from the city council wards.) See this PDF map of ward boundaries.

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Take Action: Support the Remaining Amendments on August 31

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Repentance Reloaded

Saturday, August 20, 2011

The powers of hell continue to rail against the Church. She is attacked from outside but increasingly from within. The Churches greatest treacheries are often carried out from her own members. Increasingly, we see dissent within our own Church with Peter (the Pope and the institutional Church). The false notion is that we can continue to be ‘good Catholics’ without believing everything the Church teaches officially in faith and morals. Nowhere is this rejection of Church teaching more obvious than in the abandonment of the sacrament of reconciliation. Seeing no sin and having little from their pastors by way of holy example and encouragement, they drift. The Church hemorrhages for lack of humility and grace. Jesus’ first words of his ministry were an echo of John the Baptist, “Repent, and believe the Good News.” As people responded to this call, Jesus healed and moved in a great way among them. However, today there has been a rejection of the sacrament of reconciliation. This is the most damaging scourge of the Church. It lies at the root of disunity and is the cause of some of the rut we find ourselves in. If only someone would find a way to speak Truth to unbelieving, cold hearts! I am afraid the Gospel has never been preached! “Repent, and believe the Good News.” NOTE: the word ‘repent’ comes first. Repent! and believe the good news – the fact is that repentance precedes believing! In other words, ‘repent’ so that you can believe the Good News! ‘Repent’ or else you shall be deaf and blind to the News which is Goodness itself because it is Jesus himself!”

Continue reading: 

Repentance Reloaded

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Images from Madrid

Saturday, August 20, 2011

I write this from Madrid where I am participating in the World Youth Days, an event that, every couple of years, gathers young adults from across the world in a celebration of faith in Jesus-Christ within the Roman Catholic tradition. It is difficult to give a coherent account of what is happening here, so I’ve decided just to note some of the many images that stay with me. Here goes.

Hundreds of thousands of young people gathered to welcome the Pope in the heart of Madrid.

Thirty-eight degrees centigrade in the sun at six p.m., with no hope that the night will get any cooler.

Talking with a young man from France who is all excited to meet a bishop from Canada because his mother is originally from Vancouver.

Listening to the questions that young adults have: Why did God give us freedom when we abuse it so much? How can you love someone who makes himself unlovable? How can you share your faith with someone who just doesn’t get it? How can you keep the joy of World Youth Days alive when you go back to the ordinariness of daily life? Does God really want me to become a priest? Does God really love me?

Trying to answer their questions in five minutes or less.

Having lunch at 2:00 p.m., siesta at 4:00 p.m., and supper at 10:30 p.m.

The deep silence of a thousand young adults crammed into a church, just after they’ve received communion at Mass.

A young woman showing me her notes taken during my catechesis, scribbled in ink on her arm because she had no paper with her.

Eight hundred young adults sharing the floor of a school gym for the night, with only four showers and five bathrooms for all… and yet singing on their way to the first activity of the morning.

Chatting with a young bishop from Cambodia where, a couple of decades after all that country’s Catholics were basically slaughtered during Pol Pot’s regime of terror, there are now 20,000 young converts trying to rebuild the Church.

Seeing flags from a hundred different countries being flown side by side in peace, goodwill and harmony.

Listening to the Pope remind young people that faith in Jesus is key to a joyful, meaningful life.

Sharing a prayer service with the 6,000 Canadian delegates to this event, and then moving quickly to allow the 6,000 Australian delegates to take over the space and do the same.

Singing the theme song in Spanish, French, Italian and English.

Learning to say “Muchissimas gracias!” to all the citizens of Madrid for their generous welcome and hospitality.

Smiling and crying at the same time.

Planning to do it all over again in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro.

See the article here:  

Images from Madrid

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Sacraments of Initiation, God’s Lake Narrows, Aug 15, 2011

Saturday, August 20, 2011
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Here is where Ted Dodds, our volunteer pilot who donates his plane, time and gas for amonth to fly me to our isolated missions, flew me for the celebration of initation in God’ Lake Narrows.


The group of newly initiated candidates posing with Fr. Bart Burke and me.


The outdoor fish following the celebration of confirmation and First Communion.

On August 15, feast of the Assumption of Mary, I joined Fr. Bart Burke, a saintly 82 year old diocesan priest, for the celebration of the sacraments of initation in God’s Lake Narrows in north eastern Manitoba. FR. Bart flies a circuit between four communities, SAndy Lake ON, GLN, God’s River and Oxford House. Like Jesus, he literally has no place to rest his head in a way, always on the road, with almost no place to call home.

With perfect weather, the volunteer pilot Ted Dodds, flew me in for a retreat with the candidates in the afternoon, the celebration following, and an outdoor fish fry following that. I was even able to sneak in a swim in the lake upon arrival, and early in the morning the next day before we left to try and beat the inclement weather to St Theresa Point, where we were weathered in for a day.

Originally posted here: 

Sacraments of Initiation, God’s Lake Narrows, Aug 15, 2011

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