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Fasting for Fasting's Sake
There’s fasting and then there’s fasting! If fasting is going to be effective (and we should want to fast effectively) then we have to be motivated in the right way and know why we fast; we...
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The Year of Mercy: An Invitation to
I have never gotten used to the streets in the American city where my parents moved when I was an adult. The constant development in the area makes me feel like each visit is to a new place. Whenever I...
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Celebrating the Epiphany
The priest in my elementary school religion class was not impressed when I announced confidently to him and the class that Epiphany was "when you take down your Christmas tree." In those days, the Feast of Epiphany marked the end...
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Celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family
The Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of the Lord – usually, the first Sunday after Christmas – is the Feast of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This Family of Nazareth serves as a model for all...
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The Manger: Cradle of God's Mercy
The following is modified from a homily written for the 4th Sunday of Advent by Fr. Michael McGourty, Pastor of St. Peter's Parish, Toronto.
The Nativity Scene is one of the most beloved symbols in Christianity. Before the celebration...
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Marriage & Families: The Bedrock of All Religious Vocations
The following is written by Fr. Chris Lemieux, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Toronto.
In any homily I preach on vocations, I am mindful that it would be an oversight to speak of any religious vocation without speaking...
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The Miracle of Sharing
Pope Francis in one of his Angelus addresses last year spoke of the multiplication of the loaves and really gave me something to think about. His message and reflection was from the perspective of sharing, that in fact the miracle...
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We Have Been Fed, Now We Go to Work
The following post is by Fr. Chris Lemieux, Vocations Director, Archdiocese of Toronto.
That we are called to be disciples is without question; how we go about it is the difficult part. When I think about the real purpose of...
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Refugee Office Handling Record Number of Cases
The Office for Refugees of the Archdiocese of Toronto (ORAT) has been working tremendously hard in settling thousands of refugees from all over the world under the Civic Refugee Resettlement Program. Last year, ORAT reached an unbelievably high number of...
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I Think God Might Be Calling Me to Religious Life
Fr. Chris Lemieux is the Director of the Vocations Office of the Archdiocese of Toronto. As we continue to celebrate the Month of Vocations, we asked him about the steps that women can take if they feel God might be...
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Honouring the Workers in the Vineyard
When you imagine people working for the Catholic Church, your first thought is likely of the 827 diocesan and religious priests in our region, or the hundreds of nuns, friars and brothers who have dedicated themselves to the Church. While...
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I Think God Might be Calling Me to the Permanent Diaconate
Deacon Stephen Pitre is the Coordinator of Diaconal Ministries for the Archdiocese of Toronto. As we continue to celebrate the Month of Vocations, we asked him about the permanent diaconate, and steps a man can take if he feels God...
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I Think God Might be Calling Me to the Priesthood
Fr. Chris Lemieux is the Director of the Vocations Office of the Archdiocese of Toronto. In light of the recent ordinations of two new priests in the Archdiocese of Toronto, we asked him about the steps men can take if...
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2015 National Week for Life and the Family
On the occasion of the National Week for Life and the Family, May 10 - 17, 2015, the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) joins Catholics from across the country and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) by releasing...
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Giving Thanks for 40 Years of Priesthood
The following post was contributed by Debra Gervasio, a secretary at St. Ambrose Parish in Etobicoke.
When I began working for the church years ago, I was truly ignorant about the copious amount of work necessary to run a successful...
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Exodus: A Fundamental Experience of Vocation
On April 26, the Universal Church celebrated the 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations. To mark the occasion, Pope Francis released the following message, titled "Exodus, a fundamental experience of vocation".
"Dear brothers and sisters, the Fourth Sunday of...
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Come as You Are
"We're going to church AGAIN!?"
By Easter Sunday, many children around the Archdiocese of Toronto will utter the words above. Maybe a few adults, too.
The Easter weekend, also known as the Triduum, is the most important time of...
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Parish Hospitality: Come Early, Stay Late!
What's it like when you walk into your local church? Are you greeted with a friendly smile, welcomed with an enthusiastic handshake? Or perhaps it's like no man's land, don't try and snag the 4th row...