Pope Francis has many ways to talk to the world, including his @Pontifex Twitter account with 13 million followers. His speeches, homilies, teachings, messages and, recently, his encyclical on climate change are filled with evidence of his thinking on crucial issues of our time. Here are great quotes from Pope Francis: Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you. Do not be afraid to dream of great things! Hatred is not to be carried in the name of God. War is not to be waged in the name of God. I see clearly that the thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful. I see the Church as a field hospital af

The Knights of Columbus are a catholic-based, fraternal, worldwide organization engaged in charity. Their charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of local, national and international projects. They do good works in projects and activities that meet their principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. Last Sunday, a new chapter was created, right here in our church. On November 19th, the St. Augustine chapter of the Knights of Columbus was officially inaugurated immediately following the 10h30 am mass. This was in important event in our community. (Click image to enlarge) As a Knight, people have the opportunity to support and give back to their community. This

Canada is home to the Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO), a university student movement dedicated to evangelization. The unique movement challenges students to live in the fullness of the Catholic faith with a strong emphasis on becoming leaders. CCO was founded in 1988 at the University of Saskatchewan. From the humble beginnings of a handful of students, the movement now serves thousands of students across Canada. Every year, the movement organizes its Annual Founders' Fundraising Dinner in Ottawa to support the CCO's program at both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. This dinner is an annual event to thank the supporters but also doubles as a fundraising event. In fact, it w

A Christmas nativity scene is probably one of the most recognizable symbols of the Christmas season. Nativities are art, models, carvings, or live demonstrations depicting the night of Jesus' birth. These scenes generally contain the same elements: the Christ child in a manger; his mother, Mary; his father, Joseph; shepherds; angels; various barn animals; and sometimes three wise men. St. Francis of Assisi staged the first nativity scene in a cave outside of the town of Greccio, Italy on Christmas Eve night 1223 in an effort to promote the true meaning of Christmas and worship of Jesus Christ. In planning the scene St. Francis wrote to his friend Giovanni, “I want to do something that will r

Even though he though died on August 28, 430, the writings of Augustine of Hippo remain as theologically relevant and spiritually insightful as they were 1,600 years ago. The man who became a beloved-Bishop and would eventually be remembered as Saint Augustine had such a dramatic conversion to Christianity at the age of 31 that he explored the philosophy of Scripture with a passion that led him to write hundreds of sermons and some of Christianity’s most influential books. Here are 10 memorable quotes from St. Augustine that have helped shape modern Christian thought. 10 The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. 9 It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is h

Saint Augustine (A.D. 354 - 430), also known as Augustine of Hippo, was a bishop of Hippo Regius in Northern Africa. He was an ancient Christian theologian who played a significant role in the development of early Western philosophy--marked by the merging of Greek philosophy and Judeo-Christian religious traditions. He had an intellectual fascination for philosophical inquiries, and spent his early life exploring various philosophical and religious theories. Even though regarded as one of the foremost figures of Western Christianity, he had not even converted to the religion until he was 31 years old. He is one of the most important early figures in bringing Christianity to the forefront in

One of the first things we see coming into the church is the large, central banner, right behind the altar. This large fabric banner is something Father Scott has been carrying with him for over 30 years, as it bears special meaning for him. Here is the little story of the big banner. In 1984, the last year of his pastoral year at St. John the Apostle, Father Scott and a few colleagues were thinking about creating a special banner for the priestly ordination scheduled for that summer–-specifically on June 29th. It turns out there were two feast days on that date. That particular year, since June 29th fell on a Friday, it was the feast of the Sacred Heart and also the feast day of Sts. Peter