NEWS HEADLINES:
December 2004
Season's Greetings from Scarboro Lay Missioners
Greetings from the Lay Mission coordinators, John and Jean MacInnis, and from Lay Missioners around the world. Read more
Remembering Special Children - 'Christmas Children' to be held in prayer.
Personal stories from our Scarboro Lay Missioners working in Malawi, Guyana and Thailand. Read more
Memorial Mass and Events at Scarboro Missions (October 31, 2004)
There was a very good turnout of the relatives and friends of the deceased priests and lay missioners. A morning reception started the day followed by the 11 am Mass. Lunch was followed by a power point (slide show) presentation with a brief pictorial history of all deceased members - 101 priests and 2 lay missioners (beautiful memorial plaques for those 103 members are mounted on the wall just outside the main chapel). Then a good number moved to the priest's cemetery at the neighbouring St. Augustine's Seminary, where 2 bishops and 41 priests are buried. Prayers were offered for those buried at the cemetery, other regions of Canada and overseas. See pictures in Photo Gallery
News from the Malawi Team
Learn about the Scarboro Missioners who are currently serving as part of the Malawi team, made up of Ray and Beverley Vantomme, Betty Ann Martin, Mary Olenick and Barbara Michie. Read more.
Fr. John Carten's trip to Malawi, Central Africa (April 6 - 27, 2004)
Fr. Carten made a trip to Malawi in April to visit the five Scarboro Missioners working in Malawi. He had a chance to visit the numerous projects that they are working on. Read more with trip pictures in Photo Gallery.
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Japanese-Catholic Community
The Toronto Japanese-Catholic Community celebrated its 25th Anniversary Mass at the Scarboro Missions on June 13, 2004. The small Community has a unique relationship with the Scarboro Missions - having Mass celebrated in Japanese by the Scarboro Missions priests who have spent many years in mission work in Japan. Read more with pictures in Photo Gallery
NEWS FROM THE INTERFAITH DESK
2004 Parliament of World Religions (Barcelona) - A Power Point Slide Presentation
Every 5 years, the Parliament of World Religions gathers somewhere in the world. These events have been the largest multifaith gatherings in interfaith history. In July of this year, 8,000 people of many faiths from many parts of the world converged upon Barcelona to dialogue, sing, meditate, celebrate, meet and rejoice together. Read more
Understanding World Religions — An Interfaith Educational Series (Fall 2004)
Throughout October and November, Scarboro Missions is sponsoring a series of weekly lectures on a number of World Religions. All lectures will be presented by practioners and specialists in the various religions. Read about the Schedule. The series will conclude with a special Hindu Worship Service and Interfaith Presentation at the Hindu Temple (The Vedic Cultural Centre) on December 5th. For more details and a map.
Litany of Thanksgiving for the Religions of the World
Most religious traditions put an emphasis on the discipline of thanksgiving. This litany gives grateful recognition to the unique and diverse gifts of a number of the world's spiritual traditions.
Read the Litany of Thanksgiving...
Golden Rule Workshop offered in Toronto
A workshop featuring the Scarboro Missions Golden Rule poster is offered on a regular basis in Toronto. This striking poster features the golden rule in 13 religions. Since its official launching, the poster has made its way throughout North America, in schools, penitentiaries, hospitals, offices and homes, in both spiritual and secular settings.
Read more about the workshop.
Do-it-yourself Workshop Outline for Spiritual Care-givers in a Multi-faith Society
Scarboro Missions organizes training sessions enabling people to grow in sensitivity to the multi-faith reality. Chaplains in care institutions are a key audience for this training. We have developed an outline of this workshop in order to enable people to conduct these sessions themselves.
Read more...
Ecology and Interfaith
The April 2004 issue of the Scarboro Missions Magazine focuses on our responsibilities with respect to the environment. This special edition contains articles by representatives of numerous faiths as to how each faith understands its stewardship to the environment.
Brazil: Eviction of indigenous from own land prevented
The Federal Court in the Brazilian state of Roraima ordered three indigenous communities from the Raposa/Serra do Sol indigenous land to withdraw from their own land by October 29th at the request of rice farmers who had invaded the land. Failure to comply would have resulted in the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR) paying a daily fine of R$ 10,000 (~US$ 3,570) and the indigenous people possibly compelled to leave, with the use of police force if necessary. The indigenous people intended to resist. However, on October 28th the chief justice of the Supreme Court suspended the Federal Court orders and the indigenous people were allowed to stay in their communities. Read more...
KAIROS campaign defends refugee rights
Year two of the Cultivating Just Peace campaign focuses on refugee rights. This summer Immigration Minister Judy Sgro called on Canadian churches to stop offering sanctuary to refused refugee claimants. The churches responded that the problem lies in a system which does not allow appeals even if claimants are to be deported back to possible torture or death. While Canada does allow reviews on humanitarian, compassionate and procedural grounds it does not allow reviews on the merits of a refugeeÕs claim, unlike the majority of Western countries. In 2002 Parliament approved the Refugee Appeal Division but the federal government declined to implement it. The KAIROS campaign promotes a petition to the House of Commons calling on the government to implement the Refugee Appeal Division. Read more...
Scarboro Missions 2005 Calendars
The Magazine calendars are now available. In March 2005, the UN launches the "International Decade for Action: Water for Life" dedicated to an appreciation of water and our stewardship of water as a vital resource for all life on Earth. The theme of the 2005 calendar invites you to reflect on water as God's gift; its importance, and our work as a global community in preserving it and ensuring its just distribution. To order them, please visit the Store.
The "Year at a Glance" large wall calendars (poster size 24" x 36") are now available. To order them, please visit the Store.
Also available are the free monthly donation-envelope calendars. To get one, please contact mid@scarboromissions.ca or call 416-261-7135, ext. 242.
What's New on the Web Site
This is a monthly feature that highlights the recent additions made to the web site. Read more...
Need to get in touch with us?
We'd love to hear from you!
Scarboro Missions
2685 Kingston Rd.
Scarborough, ON M1M 1M4
info@scarboromissions.ca
Tel: 416-261-7135
Toll-free: 1-800-260-4815
Fax: 416-261-0820
Download our Guidelines for a Golden Rule Workshop
The guidelines will help you create or facilitate a group discussion on the Golden Rule across the world's religions.
