Youth Speak News

Behind every serve, every free-throw, there is an athlete performing at his or her full potential to represent their team as best as they can. To everyone around them, they are just another volleyball or basketball player, however there is much more to that athlete than the jersey he or she wears.

Throughout my years of playing high school sports, one thing I have learned is that the dedication and responsibility to maintain high-quality grades and show up to every practice, which may sometimes last until 5:30 p.m., every night are not easy.

Historic schisms and ecumenism today

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{mosimage}Editor's Note: this is the first place winner of the seventh annual Friars’ Student Writing Award sponsored by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement and The Catholic Register. Lowe, 16, is a Grade 11 student at St. Augustine Catholic High School in Markham, Ont.


“That they may be one in your hand” comes from the prophet Ezekiel and closely relates to the modern Christian goal of “ecumenism.” Ecumenism is a term used to describe “a movement promoting union between religions.”

In relation to Christianity, it explains the effort to develop unity between the churches: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant. To fully comprehend and apply the idea that the prophet Ezekiel was trying to convey, we must look at the past conflicts within Christianity, the present attempts to promote unity and the actions that we can take in order to make unity between churches a reality.

Ecumenism contest winners take home iPods

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{mosimage}TORONTO - Joshua Lowe has taken the first prize in the seventh annual Friars’ Student Writing Award contest for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. (See here for Joshua's essay )

The Grade 11 student at St. Augustine Catholic High School in Markham, Ont., was one of more than 70 high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 who competed by submitting a 500-word essay on ecumenism.

Discovering a guardian angel

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Six years ago, a close friend of mine met her guardian angel. As she recalls the story, she was introduced to him in a dream, a dream which she said was indescribable.

At her darkest hour the following day, she happened to be physically introduced to a young man — the same person as the angel in her dreams.

Entering the new year with Jesus

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{mosimage}TORONTO - Six hundred youth from across Canada ended the year by attending workshops, praying and reflecting on their faith at Catholic Christian Outreach ’s annual Rise Up Conference.

The Dec. 28-Jan. 1 conference, held this year at the Marriott Eaton Centre Hotel in downtown Toronto, built up to a New Year’s Eve party during which Salt + Light Television CEO Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B., interviewed the niece of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassatti, Wanda Gawronska, live onstage.

Feeling like Moses leading up to the wedding day

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On Feb. 14 my fiancé Joseph and I will be married. As many girls do, I have thought about this day since I was six years old — the ring, the dress, the flowers, the cake, the invitations, my dad walking me down the aisle ... and the list goes on. 

Deacon starts campus Catholic chaplaincy

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{mosimage}OSHAWA, Ont. - Providing a ministry of presence to post-secondary students is something that Deacon Bill Letterio considers the greatest aspect of Christian witness — and also the newest.

Letterio single-handedly started up a chaplaincy from scratch at Durham College at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) this past fall.

Aiding AIDS orphans in Swaziland

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{mosimage}BEACONSFIELD, Que. - At first glance, Sara Brouillette, 18, does not seem any different from other CEGEP students in Quebec, expressing worried chatter about the overload of last-minute assignments and exams.

But as soon as she begins to speak about Swaziland, it is obvious there is more to this young woman than meets the eye.

Christmas spirit in a rose

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While in Halifax for the holidays, I was given an unexpected lesson in gift-giving from a stranger.

I was having dinner at a downtown restaurant with my family when I encountered what I consider my dose of Christmas spirit for the season.

Christmas gift ideas

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{mosimage}Christmas gifts don’t have to be expensive to be heartfelt and generous. With Christmas day upon us, there is still plenty of time to put together something memorable. To help you out, members of the Youth Speak News team have kindly shared some of their favourite gift and wrapping ideas that are   meaningful and different.

Redeemer pro-life club off to successful start

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{mosimage}ANCASTER, Ont. - They call themselves Humanae Heartbeat. With the support of the school and classmates at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, outside of Hamilton, students Allie Klassen and Jessica Dunn have re-established the school’s pro-life club, which had collapsed last year due to a lack of proper leadership.

There are already approximately 50 members in the club, many of whom attend meetings on a bi-weekly basis since the club began in September.