Virtual Recommendations
All Saints’ Virtual Recommendations for June and July 2022
Perspectives on Current Events that Challenge our Faith
Brought to you by: allsts.guestspeaker@gmail.com
1. What Makes Education Catholic? 1 hour
Now that only 3% of staff are members of a religious order, and many students are not Catholic, this is an important question that requires an answer. This is a recording of the April 25, 2022 webinar with Dr. Thomas Groome, author of the new book, What Makes Education Catholic: Spiritual Foundations, in conversation with Patricia Dal Ben, representing the Catholic Curriculum Corp., which partnered with Novalis to present this event.
What a comprehensive look at the history of Catholic education both in Ontario and globally!
2. The Pope's Astronomer: Meet Br. Guy Consolmagno, 13 minutes
2022 First Place Gabriel Award for Best Video for Social Media
Br. Guy Consolmagno has an incredible job. He is the Pope’s astronomer at the Vatican Observatory. Most people do not even know that the Vatican has an official astronomical observatory with telescopes in Italy and the USA. The Vatican and astronomy have a long history dating all the way back to 1582 and the Gregorian reform of the calendar. The observatory also has one of the major collections of meteorites in the world, with over 1100 pieces from the depths of space.
3. From Peru to Mars: New Worlds and Jesuit Science, 1 hour 24 minutes
This presentation provides fascinating perspectives on Science and Faith, but it is also quite technically advanced at times. For a quick insight into a current event that was all over the news in mid May 2022, you may wish to consider this short cut: To learn about the Black Hole at the centre of the universe that was imaged for the first time ever, last month, listen to Br. Guy’s answer to a question about this very recent current event. Fast forward to 1:06:20 hour/minutes/seconds.
If you want to learn more about the black hole, google vaticanobservatory.com, May 12, 2022.
4. Welcoming the Hidden Christ in Our Parishes, 1 hour 28 minutes
https://bit.ly/PVWS-VideoMay2022
By clicking on the link above, you will see and here a recording of a webinar that was sponsored last month by the Archdiocese of Toronto. ‘Welcoming the Hidden Christ in Our Parishes’ was presented by an expert panel led by Dr. Constance (Connie) Price, Co-Director of the Office of Formation for Discipleship. Expert panellists from various parishes in the GTA will give us insight into the sometimes-hidden world of the obstacles we are not always aware of that are literally roadblocks to the full participation of our parishioners with disabilities – both visible and not visible disabilities. This is not about ‘building the ramp’ – this presentation goes deeper and beyond mobility accommodations.
Recommended resources are shared as well.
5. The Wasted Opportunity Report, a read-only resource
https://www.secondharvest.ca/resources/research/wasted-opportunity?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eblast&utm_campaign=WastedOpportunity
Rescuing surplus food in a throw-away culture.
The Second Harvest has provided us with gourmet food for thought.
Can we become part of the solution?
Some administrative notes:
If you receive the All-Saints’ Virtual Recommendations twice, once from All Saints’ Parish and once from allsts.guestspeaker@gmail.com, please respond to allsts.guestspeaker@gmail.com and we will remove you from our distribution list of past participants.
Similarly, if you receive these All Saints’ Virtual Recommendations only from allsts.guestspeaker@gmail.com and would like to receive all communications from our All Saints’ Parish, please respond to allsts.guestspeaker@gmail.com and ask us to have your email address added to the All Saints’ Parish distribution list of parishioners.
Please note that the link provided in our weekly bulletin leads to our All Saints’ Parish website, under Outreach Ministry, Virtual Recommendations. There you will find copies of the last six months of Virtual Recommendations.
Thank you for your continued interest in Current Events that Challenge our Faith.
We hope there is enough to keep you learning until the end of July.
Blessings for Global Peace and Good Will,
Franca Gallucci & Domenic Di Giacomo
Virtual All Saints' Guest Speaker Recommendations
Outreach Ministry
All Saints’ Virtual Recommendations for May 7 to june 4, 2022
Blessed Are the Peacemakers | Free Online Conference
May 24, 2022 7:00 pm (Eastern Time)
In a time when war, freedom protests, autonomous weapons, and decolonization are daily news, what does the peace tradition of faith communities suggest for us today? Now perhaps more than ever, peace requires serious consideration. Join people from around the world as we gather on May 24, 2022, at 7 PM EDT, for our 2022 Voices for Peace conference – Blessed Are the Peacemakers.
Our featured keynote — award-winning author and the publisher of Orbis books, Robert Ellsberg, will talk about what it is to create a culture of peace that embraces the radical vision of the Beatitudes.
Special guests include Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Willard Metzger, Executive Director, Citizens for Public Justice; Joanne Jefferson, Kairos Indigenous Rights Circle, Stolon Nation; opera singer and concert artist Measha Brueggergosman; and peace activist Sister Mary-Ellen Francoeur.
Event Sponsors
Henri Nouwen Society, Canadian Council of Churches, Church of the Redeemer, Religions for Peace Canada, Citizens for Public Justice, Basilian Centre for Peace & Justice, and The International Thomas Merton Society.
Click on this link to register for this free online conference.
https://www.livemeeting.ca/register/?meet=18719&rel=18825
On Reconciliation Between the Jesuits of Canada and Indigenous Peoples
Frequently Asked Questions
In-Person Day Retreats at Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre, Pickering
Listening to Indigenous Voices, May 19, 2022, 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Offering gratefully accepted.
Led by: Fr. Bill Robins, SJ, Fr. Trevor Scott, SJ, Mary Hyland and Catherine Von Zuben
A day, led by the Spirit, to learn – to listen – to share – to witness and to pray. You are invited to gather in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, to engage in true Dialogue, as we raise awareness about the History and on-going Legacy of injustice left to our Indigenous sisters and brothers.
Register: registration@manresa.ca OR 905-839-2864
https://jesuits.ca/event/listening-to-indigenous-voices-2/
Exploring the Via Natura with Les Miller, May 30th, 2022, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Suggested offering : $50.00 per person. Includes lunch and coffee/tea breaks
The Via Natura is a way of contemplating creation that leads us closer to the Creator. We draw on insights from Celtic spirituality, Teilhard de Chardin SJ, Bernard Lonergan SJ and Pope Francis. We will also be using expressions of the ideas in the presenter’s recent book Northern Light: A Canadian Prayer Book. This day of recollection will remind us about our place in the flow of creation and healing of our damaged planet.
Register online at: https://manresa-canada.ca/events/ OR email: registration@manresa.ca
A Day of Reflection: Catholic Parents of LGBTQ Young Adults, June 4, 2022 @ 9:00 am – 5:00
$50.00 Suggested Offering, includes break and lunch -- Facilitated by Fr. Philip Shano, S.J.
To register, please call Mike Hyland at 647-296-2499.The day will include Storytelling. Presentations. Discussions. Communal prayer. Quiet time. Worship. Socializing. We hope to provide a relaxed and supportive atmosphere for Catholic parents to reflect on and talk about their concerns and needs, ask questions about Catholic thought and practice, learn about ministries and resources and meet and interact with other parents who are at various points on their personal and family journeys.
https://jesuits.ca/event/a-day-of-reflection-catholic-parents-of-lgbtq-young-adults/
Annual Day of Reflection for Women, with The Sisters of Life
Either Online or In Person
St. Augustine’s Seminary, Saturday, June 4, 2022
9:30 AM Start time for all Registrants,
End time: 1:15 for Online Registrants, 2:30 PM for In-Person Registrants
The Sisters of Life will lead us on a journey into the Heart of Woman to uncover and recover the Feminine Genius desperately needed in our day.
In-Person - $50 plus HST
Online - $25 plus HST
Click on this link to see the day’s full agenda and to Register for either the Online Day or the In-Person Day
https://staugustines.on.ca/events-listing/annual-day-of-reflection-for-women
Conversations in Catholic Healthcare, Saint Monica Institute
Archbishop Thomas Cardinal Collins of Toronto and other prominent Catholics explore troubling consequences of the secularization and commoditization of the Canadian health care system for the dignity and human fullness of those it seeks to serve. Cardinal Collins joins host David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China who has served on the board of a Catholic healthcare network; Moira McQueen, PhD, Executive Director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute; Father Kevin Belgrave, S.T.D., Director of the Institute of Theology of the St Augustine Seminary; and Dr. Pascal Bastien, M.D., General Internal Medicine Specialist at the Queensway Carleton Hospital.
The Importance of Catholic Health Care Series Introduction 1 min https://youtu.be/juFpaoEzixo
Walking with the Good Samaritan 5 min https://youtu.be/h91FQkOA3QA
Catholic Health Care Now more than Ever 5 min https://youtu.be/_Z1SYcna8zc
Questioning the Marks of Medical Progress 4 min https://youtu.be/fupkqwaBEMk
We are made in the image of God 4 min https://youtu.be/HMed_VBp9Ic
The Sacramental Meaning of the Human Body 4 min https://youtu.be/It8En9sPZOg
Life Issues 4 min https://youtu.be/q6OCbeJjDJw
The Human Person 5 min https://youtu.be/hEsQ8PSz9Kc
Scanning the Ethical Horizon 5 min https://youtu.be/dvZVCkoz-30
The Vocation of the Catholic Doctor 5 min https://youtu.be/-NQ5n-Ut1gM
Conscience and Cooperation with Evil 5 min https://youtu.be/Ade89CZeFGo
All Saints’ Virtual Recommendations for April 2022
- Following last month’s Part One recordings, here are the recordings of Parts Two and Three of the deVeber Institute’s Lecture Series on Palliative Care and MAiD.
Part Two: Doctors’ Roundtable
Dr. Leonie Herx: https://youtu.be/5MUwpn-yTXY
Dr. Thomas Bouchard : https://youtu.be/JDft9VOASEM
Dr. Paul Zeni : https://youtu.be/BICOV_HrkUo
Doctors’ Roundtable Discussion : https://youtu.be/7JPCWasfyFo
Part Three: MAiD for Mental Illness
Dr. John Maher: https://youtu.be/UFWwsnsjibM
Dr. Sephora Tang: https://youtu.be/IjDSULjSLWc
Q and A Session: https://youtu.be/ZzdKtGnljTE
- The first ever virtual Ignatian Spirituality Conference held last weekend provided a rich opportunity to learn from clergy who have spent a lifetime working with and contemplating on our global challenges from a Catholic perspective. Here are recordings of three of the eight presentations.
- Ignatian Meditation: Through a series of poignant photos, Fr. Scott Lewis, S.J., offers a compelling meditation on suffering in today’s world and the need for healing this brokenness. https://youtu.be/BBrU0zMtjrQ
- Personal and institutional conversion: Fr. Peter Bisson S.J. candidly walks us through Jesuit history with our Indigenous Peoples, the “cannonball” revelations, and the painful journey and evolution to today’s Peace and Reconciliation.: https://youtu.be/BvdW69ASoEQ
- Gilles Mongeau S.J. reflects on 30+ years of ministry with marginalized communities. This presentation focuses on accompanying LGBTQ+ persons in the Ignatian tradition. https://youtu.be/hd-sm9-9eu4
- The Witness of a Life-Giving Faith
Monday, April 25, 2022 09:00 AM - Monday, April 25, 2022 03:00 PM
Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Renewal Centre, 2325 Liverpool Rd., Pickering
A day of reflection for men and women. In our environment of growing social polarization and division, in which our Christian faith is so often used as fuel for such polarization and divisions, many people see our faith in Christ as overly-defensive, political and life-depleting. But our faith in Christ was born to be life-giving, as we have been experiencing this Easter season. What does it mean to be alive in our faith in a Christ-like way? What do life-giving Christians in the spirit of the Resurrection give witness towards?
This day will include talks given by Fr. Trevor Scott, SJ, Reconciliation Service, confessions available and plenty of time for private prayer and to walk our grounds. Included is lunch and break. The day ends with Mass.
Facilitated by Fr. Trevor Scott. A suggested offering of $50 per person.
REGISTER: www.manresa-canada.ca
CONTACT: registration@manresa.ca
PHONE: 905-839-2864
- A Lenten series with a current events perspective: Four powerful podcasts from “Ideas”, a BBC Radio4 production. Moira McQueen commented on Dr. Kathryn Mannix’s message: “A compelling talk!” Each talk is 14 minutes long.
Please note: These talks are profound and can be painful to hear as some presenters share deeply personal trauma.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006xp1x/episodes/player
- A retired palliative care physician Dr Kathryn Mannix explores how to be a companion to the dying as she considers the words, "I was sick, and you cared for me".
- Author and social entrepreneur Dr Krish Kandiah considers the words, "I was a stranger and you invited me in".
- Historian and theologian Rev Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes considers the words, "I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink".
- Sexual abuse survivor Dr Margaret Kennedy, now living with a degenerative condition, looks back on the trauma as well as the joys in her life, as she considers the words, "I was naked, and you clothed me".
All Saints’ Virtual Recommendations for March/April 2022
- In case you missed Part One of the deVeber Institute’s March Lecture Series on Palliative Care and MAiD, here are recordings of the three presenters. We hope to provide the recordings of Parts Two and Three next month.
David Shannon: MAiD and Individuals with Disabilities
Dylan McGuinty Jr: Radical Autonomy in Supreme Court Jurisprudence
Dr. Margaret Cottle: Dignity Conserving Care
- In this very timely episode of Henri Nouwen, Now & Then, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archbishop Borys Gudziak talks about the harsh realities facing the Ukrainian people, and how their faith and strength of character have already given them the moral victory. Listen to this podcast to learn the historical roots of this challenging current event from the perspective of our Church.
https://henrinouwen.org/listen/borys-gudziak/
- Ignatian Spirituality Conference, 500 years of Spiritual Richness to Use in our Lives Today
8 free virtual sessions, April 2 and 3, 11:00 am to 7:30 pm
Experience time-tested methods to delve deeper in the spiritual life. Make meaningful connections, build community and be inspired. Experience healing, transformation, and hope.
Topics for this two-day conference address some challenging current events: Ecological Inheritance, How to Pray, Discernment, Journeying with LGBTQ persons in our families, society and church, Pilgrimage Displacement Refugees, and more…
Register here:
https://ignatienne-ignatian.vfairs.com/en/
- On a Spiral Path to the Milky Way with Dr. Gabriela Navarro
A challenging current event for a Catholic woman from Chile who excels in science.
An inspirational story from The Vatican Observatory
When she was a young girl growing up in southern Chile, Gabriela Navarro had many dreams… from being a volleyball player to being an astronaut.
In this podcast, follow the spiral path of now-Doctor Navarro that has brought her to studying the structure and formation of the Milky Way and its galactic bulge with the James Webb Space Telescope in Rome… via the 2018 Vatican Observatory Summer School (VOSS), and the 2019 SuperVOSS (which she helped organize!). She is interviewed by Br. Guy Consolmagno on March 8, 2022, shortly after receiving her doctorate.
- Strength, Hope and Dignity
In case you missed this International Women’s Day presentation by Samaritan’s Purse, here is the YouTube link:
- Is There Hope for Judas? A spiritual reflection on Forgiveness for this Easter Season, by Christoph Wrembek SJ.
“Hope for Judas” . . . Judas, the son of destruction… Judas, about whom the gospels tell us very little beyond the dramatic events during the Passion. Jesus’s loving-saving action finds its culmination in him.
All Saints’ Virtual Recommendations for February/March 2022
1. Last month we recommended a webinar that featured Dr. Moira McQueen and Dr. Massimo Faggioli. How Do We Walk together as Church? Embracing Pope Francis’ New Call to Synodality.
During this exclusive webinar, 1,838 attendees joined authors Moira McQueen and Massimo Faggioli for a robust conversation on the topic of Synodality and how the faithful at all levels can participate in Pope Francis’ call to solidarity and contribute to a rich reflection on a vibrant future for the Catholic Church.
Click this link below to hear the webinar’s recording.
If you wish to participate in the first step of the Synodality process that Dr. Moira McQueen describes in the webinar, you may wish to consider taking the Archdiocese of Toronto survey that seeks to generate honest feedback from all parties in the archdiocese in order to inform the Synod. Click this link to access the survey.
2. The Serra Foundation exists to promote vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Hear what motivated this year’s new ordinandi to embark on this journey.
The Ordinandi Dinner is Sponsored by the Serra Foundation of Canada and the 6 Serra Clubs in the Archdiocese of Toronto
This year it will again be presented virtually on
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 @ 7pm via youtube.com/archtoronto.
A message from the organizers:
Please join us as we gather to celebrate new priestly vocations and our seminaries.
We hope you will join us as we meet and honour our Ordinandi at St. Augustine’s Seminary and Redemptoris Mater Seminary who with God’s grace, will be ordained to the priesthood in 2022.
Come share with us the unique opportunity to meet these fine men and to hear about the unique faith journey that lead them to this most noble commitment.
There is no cost to view this event.
3. The deVeber Institute presents its March Lecture Series:
Palliative Care and MAiD, March 1, 10, 16
A three-night lecture series via Zoom addressing Palliative Care in the face of MAiD, featuring doctors, lawyers, and psychiatrists at the forefront of the conversation.
Night One, Three Perspectives, features David Shannon, Dylan McGuinty Jr, and Dr. Margaret Cottle who will tackle:
MAiD and individuals with disabilities
Radical autonomy in Supreme Court jurisprudence
Dignity conserving care
Click on this link to register for the first night, March 1 at 8pm.
https://cts.vresp.com/c/?ThedeVeberInstitutef/417703cd2c/5f5cc19354/3662cab122
March 10: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kE_GVeZdTaOqcq9bY_h32A
March 16: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GcQOkTF_QmK8ApYj770lcw
Please note that you must register separately for each night.
4. Samaritan’s Purse, the same organization we supported to send off the Christmas shoeboxes, invites us to join in on March 8 for a special one-hour online event to celebrate International Women’s Day. See into some of the dangers and challenges faced by women worldwide and be inspired by their stories of strength, hope, and dignity. Hear from Samaritan’s Purse staff on the frontlines of walking with these women in Jesus’ Name, including Anna Zatsepina, protection program manager for Samaritan’s Purse in Cambodia.
Learn how you can make a difference in women's lives around the world.
Tuesday, March 8, 9:00 PM EST
Click on this link to register.
5. Dynamic Women of Faith Conference
An online event – Tickets $28.25
Saturday March 19 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Keynote Speaker: Antonia Salzano, mother of Blessed Carlo Acutis
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/dynamic-women-of-faith-conference-2022-tickets-261294046527?keep_tld=1
6. Last month we recommended The Newman Centre Catholic Mission Faith and Reason Lecture entitled “Artificial Intelligence”, with Dr. Michael Ryall.
This webinar was presented on January 27.
Here is the link of the recording:
Artificial intelligence is an exciting and very active area of research in computer science. Many describe the goal of this line of work to be the creation of machines with “human-like” intelligence. Popular culture leaves us with many images of what success might look like, from the killer soldier robots in The Terminator, to the oppressed robots of Blade Runner, to the special agents in The Matrix, to the idyllic companion in Her. Unfortunately (or not, depending upon your perspective), none of these scenarios will materialize any time soon—contrary to media hype, machines exhibiting truly human-like intelligence are still way off in the distant future. Nevertheless, we have entered the Age of AI. This technology may not be up to creating the kinds of beings imagined in science fiction movies, but it is powerful, it is omnipresent, and it is exerting a massive influence on the affairs of humans. Is this influence good or bad? In this talk, Dr. Ryall will explore the answer to that question from an Aristotelian/Thomistic perspective of human flourishing: do these technologies make us more or less human?
All Saints’ Virtual Recommendations for January/February 2022
- A Zoom presentation and conversation with Sister Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, Undersecretary for the Vatican Office of the Synod of Bishops, on Synodality, Young People & Church was held on Friday, January 14, 2022. Here is the recorded version.
We suggest that you fast forward to the 10 minute mark to see a fabulous animated video that clearly explains the meaning of and intention of this three year Synod. The Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada are very proud to have worked so closely with Sr. Nathalie, the first woman religious ever to have been selected to participate in such a meaningful position.
This presentation and discussion will prepare you to participate in an upcoming virtual event on Wednesday February 16, at 11:00 am with Drs Moira McQueen and Massimo Faggioli. This is a free presentation as well, but you will have to register for it.
How Do We Walk together as Church? Embracing Pope Francis’ New Call to Synodality
Register: https://bit.ly/RegisterSnodality
Finally, you may wish to consider taking the Archdiocese of Toronto survey that seeks to generate honest feedback from all parties in the archdiocese in order to inform the Synod.
- Sister Joan Chittister is interviewed by Karen Pascal of the Henri Nouwen Society about “The Monastic Heart” and offers valuable insight and encouragement for these unprecedented and challenging times. A Benedictine, the oldest order in the Catholic church, she speaks openly about the beauty of our faith from the perspective of a 1500 year old order which is still a shining light in our world today having endured many struggles. No giving up. Embrace the grace.
Enjoy this podcast. 40 minutes
- A simple meditation by Henri Nouwen
The “Ifs” That Enslave Me
As long as I keep running about asking “Do you love me? Do you really love me?” I give all power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with “ifs.” The world says: “Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much.” There are endless “ifs” hidden in the world’s love. These “ifs” enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world’s love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain “hooked” to the world—trying, failing, and trying again. It is a world that fosters addictions because what it offers cannot satisfy the deepest craving of my heart
- The Newman Centre Catholic Mission
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITH MICHAEL RYALL
Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Online Event | Eventbrite Registration: artificialintelligence2022.eventbrite.ca
- A drop of hope for global Religious Freedom. Happening now. Watch this story. A positive initiative from Kasakhastan. 5 minutes
https://templetonreligiontrust.org/explore/religious-freedom-starts-with-one-voice/
- Some food for thought
From: A Network for Gratitude at https://gratefulness.org/
If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished? RUMI
Blessings,
Franca Gallucci & Domenic Di Giacomo
Virtual All Saints' Guest Speaker Recommendations
Outreach Ministry
