These are unprecedented times as the COVID-19 pandemic forces widespread cancellations and postponements at our churches, schools, business and in all manner of social activities. But although we are urged to practice isolation and distancing, the need has seldom been greater for us to unite spiritually as communities of faith.

At The Catholic Register, that means we remain committed to publishing the newspaper each week on schedule and to maintaining our digital media in order to fulfil our mission to provide timely, accurate and faith-based reporting on how this crisis is impacting our faith communities.

We will continue to constantly update our website, which has been receiving record numbers of visitors, and to interact regularly with our readers through our social media channels and through this newsletter. 

As an added measure, we have removed the pay wall to the digital edition of The Catholic Register, making this replica version of our print issue free to all our readers.
However, we have been forced to implement some extraordinary measures which may impact your ability to reach us.

During the crisis, the staff of The Catholic Register will work remotely and continue to serve our readers and advertisers by publishing the newspaper and updating our digital media outlets as best as humanly possible.

That means most telephone calls to our office will go directly to voice mail, so please be patient as messages are retrieved remotely and calls are returned as soon as possible.
We will be processing mail intermittently, which means it may take longer than normal to process subscription and renewal payments and other mail. 

Your patience and understanding as we journey through these trying times is greatly appreciated.

This crisis has created hardships for several of our advertisers which none of us could have predicted even a few weeks ago. Amid so much uncertainty, making advertising decisions is more challenging than ever. We ask you to continue to support our advertisers as best you can.
We are immensely grateful to the advertisers who have continued their support of The Catholic Register during the crisis. That support is essential as we carry out our mission.

Your patience and understanding as we take care of each other through these trying times is greatly appreciated. May you experience blessings and good health as we continue on this difficult journey.

Sincerely,

Jim O'Leary
Publisher and Editor

Coronaphobia

The coronavirus is dominating world news, shaking all kinds of human activities and becoming a hysteria rarely seen. The fear of it might be called coronaphobia, and it could be more dangerous than the virus itself.

Ontario’s English Catholic teachers have reached a tentative contract agreement with the province that could put an end to work stoppages in the Catholic education system.

Railway blues

The Register gives de facto support to the protesters who shut down crucial rail lines and disrupted the lives of untold thousands as a nation was held hostage by illegal protests against a legal pipeline. Notably absent, as it was in the CBC or most regional rating-hungry TV news programs, was any interview with Indigenous Canadians among the 20 bands who support the pipeline. They support it because it represents a real opportunity to lift themselves out of devastating poverty.

Written on my Heart

By Michael Swan

“Michael Swan has taken ten familiar prayers that he uses in his own daily prayer ritual and offers a deeply personal book that most everyone will nonetheless be able to relate to in some aspect. Using history, tradition, scripture and storytelling, each prayer is given as a passionate spirit of devotion, not as a prescription. In his own words, 'to memorize a prayer is to love it.' The title Written on my Heart is apt.”
—Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI, a theologian, teacher and award-winning author

Canadian orders: 80 pages / Paperback / $11.95 + $5.00 shipping / ISBN 978-1-62785-51-7-4 / Published by Novalis Publishing Inc.

US orders: 80 pages / Paperback / $11.95 + $8.00 shipping / ISBN 978-1-62785-51-7-4 / Published by Novalis Publishing Inc.

International orders: 80 pages / Paperback / $11.95 + $12.00 shipping / ISBN 978-1-62785-51-7-4 / Published by Novalis Publishing Inc.

Vanier abuses

Re: Glen Argan: A lesson for all of us in Vanier’s fall (March 1):

Jean Vanier and L’Arche were a huge part of my formative years. As a child and again in my late teens I spent a year at L’Arche in Trosly, France.

For Evelia Raphael, the subject matter of the annual Friars’ Student Writing Contest in The Catholic Register hit real close to home.