TORONTO - The road to the priesthood for the first North American Spiritan to be ordained in 26 years began while flipping through the pages of The Catholic Register.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis urged Franciscan friars to hold true to their charism of fraternity, humility and poverty and not lose the respect they have earned over the centuries for living up to those ideals.

TORONTO - It is most fitting that the Archdiocese of Toronto welcomed its two newest priests during the celebration of the Eucharist, said Cardinal Thomas Collins.

TORONTO - Fr. David Twaddle always wanted a career where his work would be close to Heaven, but being a priest wasn’t his first choice.

TORONTO - Fr. Ricardo Davis struggled with a calling from two cities half a world apart.

One called him towards a life of celebrity, the other to a life of celibacy.

Motherhood statements are rarely welcomed. They are too obvious and can’t be disagreed with. They add nothing to the conversation. A motherhood statement just repeats what we already know.

Sr. Susan Kidd said the need for consecrated life in the world hasn’t changed, but she admits there was a time when the religious were more visible and it was easier to connect with a sister.

As part of the Year of Consecrated Life, The Catholic Register is proud to present its Call to Service special feature highlighting the stories of religious nuns and priests across Canada and internationally.

You can browse the articles below and see all the advertisements on the Digital Edition. The original pull-out section appeared in the April 26, 2015 issue.

St. Albert, Alta. - It was in the fall of 1859 that the Grey Nuns arrived in Alberta, welcomed by Fr. Albert Lacombe at Lac Ste. Anne with ringing church bells and dancing First Nations people.

TORONTO - Everyone needs spiritual direction at some point in their life, said Sr. Mechtilde O’Mara.

SAN FRANCISCO - A Catholic priest who recently took charge of a San Francisco parish has said only boys can be altar servers, a move that is sparking both criticism and praise and comes amid a wider debate over conservative concerns that the Catholic Church has become too “feminized.”

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican ended a six-year inquiry into U.S. nuns with a report designed to bury their differences and celebrate their contribution to the Catholic Church.

Br. Nathan Wayne had an atypical road to the religious life.

A self-described “total jock” during his high school years in Syracuse, N.Y., he was a star player on the Christian Brothers Academy basketball team, a school renowned for its athletics, and also enjoyed football and skiing.  The now 26-year-old member of the Legion of Christ credits a few committed recruiters with leading him to where he is today, serving youth across Ontario.

WASHINGTON - Sr. Lisa Maurer is a Benedictine nun who lives at the St. Scholastica Monastery on the campus of the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. She works at the Benedictine Health Centre next to the monastery, serving senior members of the community. She prays, studies and ministers at local parishes.

She also happens to coach a men's football team.

OTTAWA - As Pope Francis inaugurated the Year of Consecrated Life Nov. 30, Canada’s Apostolic Nuncio exhorted Canadian religious to build a culture of vocations.