Poverty

Tucked behind St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church on 45th Street in Calgary is the residence of Fr. Michael Bombak, his wife Kimberly and children Tobias, Miriam, Georgia, Philomena and Ignatius.

It was a humid August in Paris when Claire Brown learned she was pregnant. Working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute Curie, Brown was thousands of miles away from her family and friends in Canada. The father had already revealed himself as untrustworthy; he would later berate her for being “selfish” because she would not abort the child. 

Advent has always had a special importance to me, a type of monumental weight signalling what is unquestionably the most consequential moment for humanity: the arrival of Jesus. It is a time of waiting and preparation, marked by the gradual lighting of the candles on the Advent wreath.

A simple stable is where God chooses to be born into the world, a helpless infant child. Many Christian households display creches with baby Jesus figurines as part of Advent preparations for Christmas.  There is another kind of “stable” though where Jesus wants to be present as this particular Christmas approaches, the stabilization centres of Somalia. 

Martyrs’ blood

Michael Swan’s “Red Wednesday” story in the Nov. 27 issue explains that persecution of Christians happens all over the world. 

At this liturgical moment when Catholic eyes, hearts and minds focus on Mary as the mother who delivered our Lord and Saviour into the world, it’s fitting to also direct attention to the Canadian women behind Momentum.

Fr. Gabriele Amorth, SSP (1925-2016) was the chief exorcist of the Vatican and a member of the Society of St. Paul (one of the congregations founded by Blessed Fr. James Alberione). I had the privilege of interviewing Fr. Amorth in 2011, while filming a documentary on Fr. Alberione (MediaApostle.com). 

As the COVID pandemic began three years ago, many asked what the new normal might be once it subsided. In that question, there was an optimism, even hope, that a massive amount of suffering and death would smarten us up, spur us to become more concerned for the needs of others. 

The Vatican has had diplomatic contact with Russia regarding comments Pope Francis made about Russian minorities being responsible for the worst acts of cruelty in the country's war on Ukraine.

With scientists warning that the loss of nature is accelerating at dangerous speeds, Catholic activists are urging nations at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal to act to protect life on Earth at all levels.