Last week’s record financial award to a man abused by a monstrous priest 50 years ago is cringeworthy on many levels.

Our small English-language parish in a borough of Montreal is hardly a hot bed of serious surprises. Recently, though, we received some rather hard news.

London Ontario’s only candidate for sainthood, Henry Edward Dormer (1844-66) was a 21-year-old British Army ensign who only lived in London for a grand total of 220 days — the last seven months of his life — but left an indelible impression that still inspires his adopted townspeople a century and a half later. 

We were all lined up at our desks, blank forms at the ready an plenty of pens for St. Michael’s parishioners to use. 

Everyone in the group knew the greatest commandment. Love God, love your neighbour. Simple to say. Hard to do. 

Canadian bishops must not have seen the hornets nest they were stepping into March 28 when they issued a somewhat ambiguously worded letter to Canada’s Indigenous peoples. 

Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 22 (Year B) Acts 4:7-12; Psalm 118; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18

The other night I was watching TVO’s The Agenda and an erudite, award-winning author was talking about two taboos: politics and religion. It was fascinating television on several levels as she linked the two in Trump’s America.

Here we go again. Development and Peace, an organization created by Canada’s bishops, is back on the hot seat over allegations it failed to properly screen some overseas partners. At least 11 dioceses have withheld funds from the organization after suggestions that several of its partner agencies are offside on issues that include abortion, contraception and gender theory. 

Thanks to generous donors, St. Mary’s University in Calgary was recently able to complete the restoration of our nearly 100-year-old water tower. Built by the Sisters of Providence in 1921, the tower has stood over the Midnapore site for nearly a century, its fortunes waxing and waning — mostly waning — over time.