The saints who kept church doors open
Amidst the bustling liturgical season that runs from the feast of the Lord’s Nativity to the Epiphany, it is easy to lose sight of the memorial of Dec. 29 on the Roman calendar. St Thomas Becket, the 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury and martyr that the Church commemorates on the fifth day of the Octave of Christmas, is truly worth remembering here and now.
Editorial: For love of Christ
The beautiful paradox of Catholic faith is living itself out in Quebec where church pews are empty by State decree but parking lots outside Christ’s houses of worship are filling with prayer.
Cold air Masses bring faithful together
Fr. Emanuel Zetino snapped the photograph that has been striking an emotional chord with Canadian Catholic social media users in recent weeks.
Francis Campbell: Return to in-person Mass will be in God’s hands
Leisurely work-day walks provide a welcome respite from renewed restrictions brought on by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Outdoor Mass circumvents Quebec church restrictions
In the weeks since Quebec’s indoor Mass ban took effect, some Catholics are making do by embracing the outdoor religious celebrations available to them.
Indoor Masses on hold indefinitely in Quebec
Except for funeral ceremonies with up to 25 attendees, Quebec’s churches will remain empty for the foreseeable future.
With Ontario moving into Step 3 of its reopening plan as of 12:01 a.m. July 16, there will no longer be capacity limits for places of worship. That won’t mean, however, that churches will be wide open for Mass.
Alberta pastor to appeal worship ruling
Three congregants of GraceLife Church near Spruce Grove Alta., are joining their pastor’s fight for religious freedom after a provincial court ruled Pastor James Coates’ religious and life, liberty and security freedoms were not infringed by pandemic regulations.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lankan churches once again have halted services, church weddings and Sunday schools due to a third wave of COVID-19 infections.
Irish government to lift ban on Mass attendance May 10
DUBLIN -- The Irish government said a COVID-19-related ban on Catholics attending Mass will be lifted May 10.
Too many challenges with drive-in Mass
This past Easter Sunday, Fr. Harrison Ayre remembers walking back into St. Peter’s in Nanaimo, B.C., just to gather himself after celebrating the most stressful Mass of his life. Then, just as he sat down in a pew, he heard a bang.
DUBLIN -- The head of the Irish bishops' conference said the government's move to criminalize attendance at Mass as part of COVID-19 regulations was a "potential infringement of religious freedom and of constitutional rights."
B.C. churches launch appeal on religious gathering ban
VANCOUVER -- Three Christian churches are appealing a B.C. Supreme Court judge’s ruling in favour of the prohibition on in-person religious gatherings in this province.
Peter Stockland: Community suffers with church closures
The Holy Week chaos that hit Ontario churches when the Ford government slammed on its COVID “emergency brake” hours before Good Friday is part of the chain reaction of frustration faithful Canadians are experiencing.
OTTAWA -- Most Catholics and religious Canadians are trying to maintain a connection to their faith during the ongoing COVID pandemic.