I enjoyed Peter Vogel’s coverage of the solar eclipse. My wife and I managed to see the Great Eclipse in 2017. We stayed in Newberg just south of Portland but still needed to drive south that morning towards Salem to be in the totality zone. Not sure where to stop, we happened upon a parish church (St. Edward’s) in Kaiser where they were providing parking and coffee by donation. It was an amazing view. So for 2024, we decided to stay in Niagara on the Lake. The St. Vincent de Paul church bulletin even included a section on the eclipse. Unfortunately it was cloudy, but it was still an eerie exp ..read more

One Saturday morning, Madonna House Vancouver held a morning of recollection, its first since the pandemic. What a providential them it chose for this hybrid mix of in-person and online participation: the chit-chat apostolate.  At first the title of the presentation felt mundane to me, and even now, it challenges my preconceptions and values. Yet the talk by Madonna House’s Marie Therese McLaughlin  has been one of the most impactful and fruitful ones I’ve heard.  She spoke of the importance of encountering people, and how every person is worthy of being seen and encountered.&nb ..read more

Just over three years ago, I began a life-changing journey by enrolling at St. Mark’s College at the University of British Columbia. While graduate school had always been on my bucket list, I will admit that I had assumed I would take courses in either English or education. However, information about the Archbishop’s Scholarship for Leadership in Catholic Education prompted my curiosity. A return email from the college’s Dean, Dr. Lynda Robitaille, answered all of my questions, and I decided to apply for the scholarship and enroll in my first course in January 2021. I was quite nervous about r ..read more

In the Apostles’ Creed, we profess: “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints.” Pope St. Pius X explained it this way: “the Church’s spiritual goods, both internal and external, are common to all her members because of the intimate union that exists between them. The internal goods that are common in the Church are: the graces received through the Sacraments; faith, hope and charity; the infinite merits of Jesus Christ; the superabundant merits of the Blessed Virgin and of the saints; and the fruit of all the good works done in the same Church. The external goods that are ..read more

Archbishop J. Michael Miller, who keeps a portrait of Blessed Pier Giorgio hanging in his office, says he is “thrilled” to hear that the devout Catholic and mountain climber may be canonized during the 2025 Jubilee celebrations. He said the saint has been a favourite of his for years. “Knowing this, Father John Horgan gave me the gift of the wonderful portrait of him, which is hanging in my office.” A portrait of Blessed Pier Giorgio hangs in Archbishop Miller, at far left.  (Paul Schratz photo) Father David Bellusci, OP, author of Pier Giorgio Frassati: Truth, Love, and Sacrifice, said t ..read more

In the garden I find peace and contentment with God because of fragrant flowers, rich greenery, and cultivated landscapes. I can feel God’s presence in what I see and cultivate. I used to admire gardens and didn’t think I had a green thumb. I am flipping that script and becoming a gardener. I started with house plants: a spider plant and a Zamioculcas zamiifolia plant (“ZZ” is the shorter nickname). The ZZ is a tropical plant that has beautiful shiny green leaves. These first plants stayed healthy even with a couple of moves across cities. Digging in the dirt, the smell of earthworms and cut g ..read more

Ascension of the Lord, Year B First Reading: Acts 1:1-11 Second Reading: Eph 4:1-13 Gospel Reading: Mk 16:15-20 When Jesus rose from the dead, he did not return to earthly life like the people he had raised. His resurrection was essentially different: his body was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and the glory of his Father’s divine life, says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For example, it was no longer limited by space or time, but able to be present how and when he willed – even through locked doors – as we have heard since Easter. St. Paul called him “the man of heaven,” for ..read more

Now that it’s available on Netflix as well as in theatres, one feels obliged to watch one of the most anticipated films of the year: Dune 2. I must be honest and admit it is not a film to which I was eagerly looking forward, especially as I had been less than impressed by the first Dune. Despite that, I committed myself to viewing the 165 minutes of the sequel. Having done so, I can only say that for me the film lived down to my low expectations. Of course, many filmgoers revel in the world of science fiction movies, delighting in all the impressive special effects that today’s technology make ..read more

Never before have we known so much about that which doesn’t concern us. Never before have we been able to think of someone and then almost instantly establish communication with them. As a species, we have never needed to practice this much self-control in order to accomplish our goals. There is a strong current at work, and if we haven’t yet learned to swim proficiently, we will be “carried to places we do not wish to go” (Jn 21:18). More than ever, the Christian needs to become a sign of opposition to the current of mindless consumption and obsessive doomsday forecasting. We must believe St ..read more

Archbishop J. Michael Miller has added his name to an open letter to B.C. Premier David Eby from religious and cultural leaders, asking for expanded safety measures from hate-motivated behaviour targeting vulnerable groups. The April 23 letter points to community centres, schools, businesses, and places of worship becoming targets for vandalism and disruptive protests and expresses concern that “global events” often spur local backlash against communities and diasporas. “All communities have a right to gather safely, practice their culture, worship, and provide services to their children, seni ..read more