NEWS

TORONTO - Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto officially turned 100 at a May 16 banquet that was a celebration of a century of helping the needy through its many agencies and volunteers.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Even after the initial death toll was cut by more than half, the human and material devastation of a string of tornadoes that buffeted areas of the archdiocese of Oklahoma City May 19-20 was incalculable.

PARIS - Visitors were evacuated from Notre Dame Cathedral after a man committed suicide in the 850-year-old church, police said.

QUEBEC CITY - More than 400 people, including Archbishops Gérald Lacroix of Quebec City and Christian Lépine of Montreal, marched peacefully to the Quebec National Assembly on May 18 to oppose government plans to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide.

LAGOS, Nigeria - Nigerian bishops said they hoped the government's declaration of a state of emergency would help restore some normalcy, and one bishop said President Goodluck Jonathan was just fulfilling his constitutional duties.

VATICAN CITY - As the death toll rose from the massive tornado that struck near Oklahoma City May 20, Pope Francis offered a special prayer for the victims during his early morning Mass May 21 and later offered his condolences through his Twitter account.

JERUSALEM - Extremism in Syria and Iraq is growing and could jeopardize the safety of all Christians, warned Church leaders in the region.

TORONTO - Our Lady of Good Counsel parishioners came together over nine days of prayer to pay homage to the sometimes forgotten side of the Holy Trinity.

OTTAWA - Participants in this year’s National March for Life May 9 came away equipped with a new awareness of the horrors of female gendercide.

TORONTO - For Debbie Fisher the only way to overcome the trauma caused by having an abortion is to break the silence and speak out against the life-ending medical procedure.