Category: BC Catholic

Reports of dwindling religious practice among Catholics in Canada may be more prevalent each year, but a different trend showing increased interest from young adults is giving hope for a possible resurgence of the Church in the near future.

A 2022 research report from Cardus titled The Shifting Landscape of Faith in Canada revealed religious indicators among those who identify as Roman Catholic have overall declined since 2017.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
First Reading: Jer 23:1-6
Second Reading: Eph 2:13-18
Gospel Reading: Mk 6:30-34

The apostles “had no leisure even to eat,” says the Gospel Reading. When they tried to “rest awhile,” the people followed them.

As expected, our June 10 MAiD edition generated reader response, including from readers who didn’t like the content. We want to hear all perspectives, even those we disagree with, so a selection is printed here. Because their views are so contrary to Catholic belief in the sanctity of life, our response is provided.

“The pro-life response to assisted suicide is not only the right response,” says pro-life apologist Stephanie Gray Connors. “It’s the beautiful and inspiring one.” 

Catholics needn’t be demoralized by the onslaught of Canada’s “extreme” euthanasia regime, because logical argument and compassionate action offer effective ways to counter the culture of death, Gray Connors told about 200 people at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Port Coquitlam. 

As we travel life’s journey, most of us gather warm memories of entertainment icons. For those of us of a certain age (and older!) there is now a welcome opportunity to revisit and delight in memories, by way of both stage and screen, of some such icons.

Greed is a sickness of the heart. Pope Francis called greed “that form of attachment to money that keeps a person from generosity.”

He continued, saying, “to heal from this sickness, the monks proposed a drastic, though highly effective method: meditation on death.

Looking to the future with hope was the clear message presented by the Archdiocese of Vancouver and the Kamloops First Nation (Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc) as the two signatories of the Easter Sunday Sacred Covenant held a press conference Wednesday.

The full document was released in English and Chinook for National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, with a promise to answer questions at Wednesday’s press conference.

Vancouver Archbishop J. Miller and a Vancouver rabbi are welcoming the call by an alliance of faith communities for more robust protection of religious institutions.

At a June 18 news conference on Parliament Hill, the Canadian Interfaith Conversation (CIC), an alliance of faith communities working to combat hate based on religious identity, issued an urgent call to action for the protection of all faith groups from such attacks.

The Sacred Covenant signed on Easter Sunday by the Archdiocese of Vancouver and Kamloops First Nation was made public on Friday, National Indigenous Peoples Day.

In a statement, the Archdiocese and the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc said the date was chosen to share the document in English and Chinook, “an important common language among First Peoples and settlers arriving from many countries.” 

Reading cleaning and decluttering blogs I’ve been inspired to go through my clothes and knick-knacks to get rid of anything I don’t need. Marie Kondo, a professional organizer and tidying expert, has a whole philosophy, “Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy.