Sometimes I think everything in life is wonderful: nature, places, people. Then I hear stories of destruction, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual, and I s ometimes believe this isn’t a world where I want to be living; it’s a world that seems like a nightmare from which I can’t wake.

I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario in April to see the exhibit “Revealing the early Renaissance: Stories and Secrets in Florentine Art” that has been running since mid-March. The exhibit showcases a collection of religious panels, pages, books, stained-glass windows and altar decorations made by artisans in and around Florence, Italy, during the 14th century. Although these pieces were created centuries ago, we can still find a connection to God and the Catholic community through these works.

I attended Catholic elementary schools, and when I was in Grade 8, I was choosing a high school to attend. The most popular question people asked me was whether I would choose to attend a public or a Catholic high school. I knew that whatever school I chose — public or Catholic — it wouldn’t mean I’d lose my faith. Catholic schools aren’t a place where you’re forced into your faith, but rather taught how to strengthen it.

Updated 03/11/13 - Corrections on volunteer appreciation event title

When in a conversation regarding anything political, I’m often told to keep my religious beliefs to myself and out of the conversation.

Camp registration season is here, and as youth and parents decide which camp is best for summer fun, camps are dealing with the challenge of how to offer a rewarding and unique experience.

RICHMOND HILL, ONT. - The pro-life movement is spreading in the halls of St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School.

It always seems as if a sex scene in a movie begins just as my parents walk into the room and suddenly I feel very awkward watching the movi e. But when I am alone or with my friends, this same sex scene is merely another scene in a movie.

App takes cues from Facebook and Twitter

The “Pope App,” released on Jan. 23 for iPhone and iPad, turned my skepticism into genuine surprise. The app’s features are intriguing and work seamlessly. My iPhone’s memory space is almost at full capacity, but here’s why the Pope App is staying on my smartphone for the long run.

Think of the most beautiful experiences in life. Holding a newborn baby. Feeling the waves of the ocean crash at your feet. Sunsets. Christmas morning. Cheeks that hurt from smiling. A first kiss.

This semester, I am enrolled in a course on the History of the Reformation, the 16th-century movement led by Martin Luther which caused a break in the Catholic Church and resulted in Protestantism.

TORONTO - High school students are receiving a reality check on the dangers of drinking and drug abuse.

TORONTO - My friends have seen my agendas, year after year, filled from the front to the back with to-do lists, various events and other little notes. With all of this organization and planning, it seems out of character for me to suddenly switch the university program I applied to for another right before the application deadline, making my future harder to visualize.

This past December, I had the privilege of helping feed the homeless at St. Francis Table on Queen Street West in Toronto with five of my Grade 12 classmates.

TORONTO - At first, it was awkward. The Grade 10 students from St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic High School weren’t really sure what to do, so they stuck to the perimeter of the room. The St. Jude’s special needs clients, however, weren’t as shy. They swayed their hips and pumped their fists to music that praised God.

It’s 10 a.m. on a wintry Sunday and you’re sitting in a solid wood pew. The priest has stepped down from the pulpit to stand between a Nativity scene and an Advent wreath with half-melted candles counting down the weeks before Christmas. He’s speaking warmly as he delivers a heartfelt homily.