On June 1, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada held a national event that many of today’s young people would find highly challenging: spending one hour away from their smartphones.

Anyone looking for hope from the June 15 Supreme Court of Canada decision on Trinity Western University can find it shining in the pages of the judgment itself.

In 2010 I was invited to take part in an eight-day course called The Church Up Close. It was held in Rome in a stunning building occupied by Opus Dei called Santa Croce. It was located off the equally stunning Piazza Navona.

I grew up in a hardware store. Not one of the fancy big box stores that occupy acres of inner city landscapes. My dad’s store was a small, rundown shack that he built as far out in the city as he could in order to afford the land. 

It is wonderful the theology we learn in coffee shops.

Thirty years ago I was in Nicaragua as Daniel Ortega’s first presidency was approaching its best-before date. Apart from a trip to the Holy Land, it was the most inspirational trip of my life because of the people I met, the hardships they endured at the hands of the Americans, and the hopes and dreams that filled their hearts.

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, June 17 (Year B) Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34

Words are rarely enough. Actions speak louder than words. When we want to restore a broken relationship, a simple “I’m sorry” or even a long, detailed apology may not suffice. More is required. 

It’s big news for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien that Amazon has made a billion-dollar commitment to bring to television a five-season series based on the epic Lord of the Rings fantasy saga.

For the sake of the planet, the rights of Indigenous peoples and the future, the Catholic Church in Canada spoke out against the pipeline.