URGENT ACTION: DEFEND AND SUPPORT YOUR CATHOLIC BRETHEN AT THE NEWMAN CENTRE TORONTO

Hello Everyone.

I must bring to your attention a matter of urgency within our diocese. One of our Cardinal`s parishes is under attack! As well as the young men and women there and the corresponding Catholic Newman Center to the parish! The matter was first brought to my attention here:

http://torontocatholicwitness.blogspot.ca/2013/01/u-of-t-and-newman-centre-at-odds-over.html

And sadly, the original news bulletin/controversy covered here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/u-of-t-distances-itself-from-catholic-group-urging-youth-to-resist-homosexuality/article6887563/

The local liberal Anti-Catholic rag of radically biased reporting, the Toronto Star, has more and an even bigger count of lost parishioners:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1315648--gay-celibacy-group-prompts-u-of-t-parishioners-to-leave

Having known some of the individuals who work at and with the Newman Centre in Toronto, and been involved in occasional retreats and Compass meetings with friends of mine (that is, when the Centre was not hosting priests who lie about other priests' statuses and promote heresy in their interviews, or priests who teach Lonergan theology that corrupts the minds and hearts of lay Catholics everywhere from a different theological college in the area ...), I can say that the young individuals there and their current chaplain, provide solid efforts and ministry to those students on campus. Here is where you will find those young role models, and Evangelical Catholics who actually practice what they preach in their faith on the U of T campus, and the future lay leaders of our Church! In fact some of them are already exhibiting positions of leadership in our society. E.g. Christina Alaimo, Student Campus Minister at U of T N.C. is part of the executive of the youth wing of Campaign Life Coalition, and is a co-ordinator of the Toronto 40 Days for Life.

They might be doing "Novus Ordo" stuff, but they are filled with vitality, carry out the urgings of the Holy Spirit or the will of Christ, and are faithful to the Magisterium. You likely won't see any of those Newman people who are directly involved in the centre saying "I'm pro-choice" or "I deny the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist" and violating central teachings of the Catholic faith!

In addition, right after Summorum Pontificum, in 2009, they graciously hosted a Latin Mass for the sake of students who were curious about the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, with a brief seminar to teach about the EF, courtesy of the once present FSSP apostolate from Fr. Howard Venette, sadly not with us any more (cause Toronto was made inhospitable to the FSSP through burecratic means ["ghettoizing" the apostolate to a hostile Shrine church in Scarborough, giving into the Jesuits at the Martyrs' shrine who baulked when Collins wanted the FSSP there]). See here: http://www.catholicregister.org/news/toronto-gta/item/8993-newman-centre-offers-education-session-on-latin-mass

Compared to the "c"atholic college St. Mikes on U of T (Seriously, a "cowboys and schoolgirls party" for students annually? Sounds like near-porn to me. Sadly it's true: http://vimeo.com/36161995) and a post-grad school that teaches graduate level theology (including THAT Lonergan theology), the Newman Centre is actually ministering to Catholic students on campus and provides a number of good to excellent programs for students and initiatives such as:

• Generally speaking, a safe, harassment free place where Catholic students can feel welcomed, loved, and receive the Gospel of our Lord. As summarized in the NP article, it is: " ... the spiritual home for Catholic students on the University of Toronto’s down town campus” – but is not under the university’s control, and is funded by the local Catholic diocese." 
• Try and find that on most campuses, even with a "catholic group" or a ministry on campus, cause most or all of them are either under the jurisdiction of the university college or the student government in charge of clubs. Just look at pro-life groups which are being denied status by campuses in Canada, who are having to fight them in court just to remain there!

• Catechism studies
• COMPASS Liturgy of the Word preparation program, which allows students to prepare for that part of the liturgy and obtain more out of it, with reflection and discussion (which also cites heavily as references the Catechism)
• Reconciliation via their priest and the Parish
• Two retreats each year (Fall and Winter) which are open to non-U of T students as well (though the mainline speakers vary. I went to both in 2011, but declined both in 2012 due to the speakers. See above when I haven't "been involved" as to why)
• Recently this year, a 101-Catholicism class for atheists/"spiritual but non-religious"  program as one of the student campus ministers, Greg Garda, was a convert/revert from atheism (very relevant in today's  spiritual but non-practising culture!) and empathizes with what those people go through. More young Catholic leadership here! 
• Fun, moderated, and appropriate parties for Catholic young adults (e.g. Saints dress up Hallows'eve party, St. Patrick's party) vs. the non-Catholic and sinful ones hosted by SMC-U of T (see the Cowboys and Schoolgirls party in the link above) and elsewhere on campus. 
• Annual/twice annual Catholic singles dating events in collaboration with the Sisters of St. Joseph, where the whole context of the night is given a "Catholic framework" instead of the usual "meat market" approach promoted by secular speed-dating nights. 
• Sending a group of students every year to the March for Life and adjoining dinners/conferences which I participated in with them, during May 2011. 
• and yes, the heart of what is causing the controversy, the Courage program for those with same-sex attraction aiming to practice a life not governed by their sexual tendencies every waking hour, introduced this year in Octoeber 2012 at a request from the community. 

Unfortunately, many people, be they "c"atholics or the secular institution of U of T, do not want to be associated with Newman in light of the Courage group because well, homosexuality is part of the "acceptable norm" of society, which is to say "go be self-indulgent and do whatever you want, but don't tell me what to do and screw the consequences!" Further, and sadly so, many priests and lay catechecists in the institutional Church stray from this clear teaching of the Church because of fear of losing support by parishioners leaving their parishes and not donating money, who don't even give two hoots about the faith to begin with and only are cafeteria/C&E Catholics at heart.

So why am I asking for your help? If you haven't noticed by now, the secular government and their institutions are infringing on the rights of Catholics everywhere to practice their faith in public, and yet hypocritically allows all other denominations, including non-Catholic Christians, to be scott-free. This is worldwide, and Canada is not immune just because our Prime Minister is "conservative" and Obama is "Liberal."

Most importantly, the sad consequence of when our priests actually preach the true Gospel and not the "Jesus Loves everyone" garbage has occurred to the Newman Center: As stated in the National Post article, "The Courage program is an official “pastoral partner” of Toronto’s archdiocese, meaning it has the church’s explicit support. But it has caused a rift at the Newman Centre, which at least a dozen parishioners [conservatively speaking] have stopped attending because they oppose the program and its principles, while the U of T has urged the centre’s leaders to discontinue it." According to the Toronto Star's lie-beral estimate, now up to 50 people have left the smaller Catholic parish.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS???? Besides those ex-parishioners showing their true colours as Judases` and false `c`atholics, this means a loss of revenue AND parishioners to the parish and centre, which means less programming and TRUE Catholic campus ministry to Catholic students on campus. I have listed only a sample of programs above. Because it's a smaller church, has fewer masses, and it is where it is in the diocese with a select missionary approach, it does not gain as much support financially as say, a large parish with many families in an area that is well established. Should this continue, somehow, some-way, these liars or the institution that is U of T WILL find a way to close the centre down, and Catholicism will truly be dead on that campus, save the new Opus Dei hosted all-women's residence. Why should the Catholic body of students at U of T, Fr. Cauchi, and all the vivacious students at the Center suffer because of a few piss-pott false "c"atholics?

Here is what I ask: I am asking all of you who read this blog to do one or more of the following:

• #1: Please donate to the Newman Centre at University of Toronto. You may either do so by going into the Church at day hours and taking one of their envelopes and bringing it to the Newman Center, or send them donations in the mail at their address, or inquire in person with their head student chaplain/one of the student chaplain ministers:

Newman Centre 

Catholic Chaplaincy

and Parish

89 St. George Street

Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E8 

Phone: 416-979-2468

#2 Show them a measure of solidarity and support by writing to them, BUT ALSO AND YOU MUST, write the same letter or one of different tone IN DEFENSE of the Newman Center at U of T to the following people. When you do, CC the letter to everyone else you write to in the text of the letter and send them copies:

• Fr. Chris Cauchi and Mr. Josh Canning, respectively Chaplain and head of Student Chaplaincy services at the Newman Centre Toronto. Use the address above. 

• Vice-president of human resources and equity, Angela Hildyard at the University of Toronto, who was referred to in the National Post Article: 

Dr. Angela Hildyard

Room 112, Simcoe Hall

27 King's College Circle,

University of Toronto, 

Toronto, ON, 

M5S 1A1

416.978.4865

416.978.2592

EMAIL: vp.hr@utoronto.ca

• Bill Steinburg, communications manager for the Archdiocese of Toronto, here:

Catholic Pastoral Centre
1155 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1W2
Telephone: (416) 934-0606
Fax: (416) 934-3421
Email: communications@archtoronto.org

• His Eminence, Cardinal Thomas Collins:

Catholic Pastoral Centre
1155 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario, M4T 1W2
Telephone: (416) 934-0606, ext. 609
Fax: (416) 934-3452
Email: archbishop@archtoronto.org

• The Papal Nuncio of Canada, Most Rev. Pedro López Quintana: 

Apostolic Nunciature
724 Manor Ave.
Ottawa, ON K1M 0E3
Canada
Phone: 613.746.4914
Fax: 613.746.4786
Email: apostolic.nunciature@rogers.com

• #3: While perhaps unlikely to be achieved, or you might be too "trad" to want to do this, you should consider asking people, if you have friends or family attending U of T right now, to go and attend their Masses, regardless if they are "novus ordo" and contain that "praise and worship" stuff. Right now, it's not about correcting their liturgy, its about supporting them in this time of crisis. Put the preference and liturgical-sticklerness (save grave liturgical violations that disobey the Holy Father and the GIRM) behind you for a greater cause. 

It all boils down to this: Why the heck should one or two or a few people have the right to VIOLATE our consciences, security, and right to practice and live in society and GAIN PRIVILEDGE because they don't like our values and like to self-indulge? Stand up and fight for your Catholic brethren with your pocketbooks and your support! Let's save what is the true "Catholic Bastion" that is so vital to the young adult age group of Catholics in our archdiocese at U of T!!!!  

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian.