Fr. Carl Matthews, S.J.

I know that I have not been Blogging lately.  Its not for lack of work! Its for lack of Time.
Early this morning I learned that Fr. Carl Matthews, S.J., a former publisher and editor of The Catholic Register, and Chair of Trustees of the Catholic School Board in Toronto, died Sept. 26. The 80-year-old Fr. Matthews was in his 62nd year of Jesuit life.
Fr. Matthews died peacefully at Rouge Valley Hospital in Ajax, Ont. He had been at the Rene Goupil Jesuit Infirmary as his health deteriorated since his retirement from parish life in 2010.

It is Fr. Matthews' dedication to Catholic education where he made his name. He served for 14 years as a trustee with the Metropolitan Separate School Board, the predecessor of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and is among those most responsible for full funding being extended to Catholic schools. Along with the late Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter, Fr. Matthews worked tirelessly in the halls of Queen's Park to bring equal funding to Catholic high schools, which up until 1984 were only fully funded up until Grade 10.
In the early 1990s, Fr. Matthews was publisher and editor of The Catholic Register before returning to parish life. He spent 16 years, from 1994-2010, as pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in Waubaushene, Ont., on the shores of Georgian Bay in the northern reaches of the archdiocese of Toronto.
Born in Kingston, Ont., in 1932, Carl Joseph Damien Matthews attended Regiopolis College in his hometown before entering St. Stanislaus Navitiate in Guelph, Ont., in 1951. After first vows and two years of Juniorate, he went on to Regis College in Toronto. He returned to Regiopolis to teach for two years before returning to the University of Toronto to study education.
Fr. Matthews was ordained a priest June 4, 1966. He served in a number of parishes in the archdiocese, including Martyrs' Shrine in Midland, Ont., Good Shepherd parish in Thornhill and St. Michael's Cathedral.  Rest In Peace Fr. Carl.
Peace

Share Life

ShareLife Annual Appeal 

Raises $14.9 Million, Up 9.4%

Each year in the Archdiocese of Toronto, a tremendous amount of energy and resources are devoted to the annual appeal, ShareLife. It's an opportunity for all Catholics to mobilize around one basic call each one of us has as Christians - to reach out to those who experience poverty and those who are marginalized.

The ShareLife campaign supports more than 250,000 people every year through its support of 40 different agencies. In short, we're not just helping Catholics, we're helping anyone in need who turns to a ShareLife agency for assistance.

With final results announced in August, Catholics throughout the Archdiocese should feel proud that the charity has surpassed its 2012 goal by raising $14,934,663, just shy of $15 million, a 9.4% increase from 2011. For those not familiar with the ShareLife Appeal, there are a number of targeted campaigns that contribute to the overall result. These include corporate, school and parish campaigns in addition to bequests and in-memoriam gifts that are made each year by those who remember ShareLife in their will or after the passing of a loved one and wish to leave a lasting legacy.

It's no secret that fundraising in today's difficult economic climate is not easy. The ShareLife campaign was blessed this year with an anonymous donor who pledged to match new and increased donations up to $650,000. The matching gift had a tremendous impact on the overall result of the 2012 appeal.  Our own Parish raised over $60,000 - surpassing our Goal!  Thank You

ShareLife has come a long way from its beginnings in 1976, with Catholics going door to door that first year to raise just over $2 million. Yet the mission, vision and goals remain essentially the same: to model the example of Christ to serve the poor and marginalized, to put others before ourselves, to give without counting the cost, to value the sanctity of every life!

So whether it's a new immigrant looking to call Canada home, a single mom seeking support, seniors looking for quality care, a child with special needs finding the support they deserve, ShareLife and its agencies are truly working wonders.

Thanks for helping ShareLife go "over the top" in 2012. Remember, the life you change may be the person sitting beside you on the subway, at church or even a friend or relative.
Peace

30th Anniversary

Thursday evening I arrived home from my vacation.  It was a delightful time in Denmark and Switzerland. The weather was terrific - generally 16-18 degrees, and mainly sunny!
Rain only changed our plans on the last day - when were were in Lucern and felt that it would not be all that enjoyable to go for a boat cruise on the lake and climb the mountain overlooking Lucern - which was covered by clouds! So we used the Swiss Rail Pass we had still open for 1 day - and traveled to the Library in St. Gallen.  It was my Dad who had suggested going there - because he wanted to see it himself!  The Library has books from the 6th and 7th centuries, and is housed in a Benedictine Monastery. "While this area of Switzerland fell to the Protestant Reformation - the Monastery with its marvelous Library, remained faithfully Catholic." (That is from Frommer's Travel Guide!)  Like all the visitors to this incredible Library we had to wear giant slippers over top of our shoes, but as priests we were admitted free! (There are some perks in this vocation!) 

Today we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Dedication of Holy Family Parish Church. The actual anniversary was earlier this week - September 12, 1982 - was a Sunday - and Cardinal Carter celebrated the dedication of the Church building. Fr. Leslie Tamas was the Founding Pastor, and is returning this afternoon to Preach at the 5:00 pm Mass.
Peace.