Alison ten Bohmer found more than just peace and comfort when she discovered Pietra Fitness. She found a sense of purpose in helping people build a deeper connection with their bodies. (Contributed photo)
Pietra Fitness is a Catholic exercise program that promotes mental wellness and body-mind connection. It involves poses and stretching, a meditative environment, and prayer, although it is not, as instructors point out, “Catholic yoga.”
Sharon DeLalla, the new manager of the Men’s Shelter, wants to help the shelter explore the boundaries of what is possible. (Nicholas Elbers photos)
Conversations are rare at the Men’s Shelter, and even with sunlight streaming through the repurposed nursing dormitory windows, the atmosphere is muted and heavy. Sharon DeLalla is hoping to change this. The ex-Talitha Koum executive brings her experience working with women overcoming addiction to the Archdiocese of Vancouver men’s hostel as its new manager.
Catherine Koch, founder of Love is the Answer, a non-profit, for orphaned and vulnerable children in Uganda, is being remembered for her humanitarian legacy. (Contributed photos)
Koch was the founder of Love is the Answer, a charity that provides food, medicine, and supplies in emergency situations, financial assistance for schooling and boarding, and assists with setting up income-generating programs for Ugandans.
Father Lanzani told the gathering that the seminarian’s witness “is possible because they have experienced that God does not disappoint … that it is God who fills their lives.” (Arleen D Souza photos)
“To open the doors of eternal life, an eternal life that we can already live and experience here, in the daily routine of our life.” The April 21 gala was held not only to raise money for Redemptoris Mater but also to celebrate the seminarians.
Programs for the Marriage Anniversary Mass. Two hundred couples gathered for the annual celebration. of milestone anniversaries. (Miso Media photos)
“On this Mother’s Day, the good Lord has brought us together to give him thanks and praise for the 6,800 years of married life,” he said. “This includes two couples married for 70 years or more; and a great many more who have been married for 60 plus years.”
Project Advance funding helps support outreach to the Downtown Eastside among many other projects and ministries. This year’s campaign is aimed at empowering parishes in being centres of worship, proclamation, and outreach. (Project Advance)
For the last 17 years, Project Advance has helped Sancta Maria House maintain its Vancouver facility, where it runs a home for women looking to heal from substance abuse and related problems.
University athletes with professional ambitions don’t usually come to mind in mental health discussions, but Kieran Eve is opening up about his personal struggles so he can help people see that mental health concerns aren’t limited to a certain type of person. “It’s always a good message that ‘if someone is going through something mentally, it’s normal,’” the 2019 Archbishop Carney Secondary graduate told The B.C. Catholic. “There are people out there to help you through it. Don’t just think you need to get through it by yourself. You aren’t weak. It’s important to get the help that you need.” Eve, who just finished his second year of business at Trinity Western and currently plays for the TWU Spartan soccer team, was recently featured in a Bell Let’s Talk video where he shared his experience with mental illness. He remembers talking with his father about finding a way to share his mental health experience with others. His father told him that God would give him an opportunity, and the next day Kieran received an email from TWU asking for athletes who wanted to share their experiences with mental illness. His mental health struggle started during COVID when lockdowns and closures left him socially isolated. He has always cared about training and fitness, but he says social media amplified his insecurities to an unhealthy level. “Obviously you only see the best of the best on social media,” he said. “Everyone looks glamorous; everyone is saying you need to be doing so much. It puts so much anxiety focusing on what others are doing.” Kieran Eve was told by his father that God would help him find ways to share his mental health story. The next day Trinity Western asked for athletes who wanted to share their experiences with mental illness. So much of an athlete’s identity is wrapped up in being an athlete, he said, that “when you see someone doing better than you it can push you to extremes.” He remembers watching professional athletes on social media and thinking, “Wow, I have a lot of work to do,” when actually it should be “you versus you.” “I got this idea that I should get ahead in my fitness,” he said. “I started focusing on my diet and it spiralled into an eating disorder.” He described the experience as an inescapable torment. “I was super focused on calories; I was terrified of getting fat,” he said. “From the moment I woke up all I would think about is what I would eat.” He eventually opened up to his parents who tried to help him as much as they could. After a series of medical tests they received a phone call saying he needed to go to the hospital as soon as possible. Eve was hospitalized for severe malnutrition and heart complications. Eve says it was important to get help from a professional who knew his brain better than he did. He was surprised to find that many of his insecurities stemmed from past experiences. “Even things in your childhood can have long-lasting effects on your life,” he said. “Something that you didn’t think was a big deal can have a long-lasting impact.” Eve attributes his recovery to a renewed understanding of God’s love and presence in his life. Growing up in a Catholic household, he said his parents always taught the family to put their trust in God. However, it wasn’t until his hospital stay that he truly learned that “God is personally there.” “He isn’t just this distant far away being that doesn’t care, he is actually there for you,” he said. “For me, the biggest insight was that God is personal – at the end of the day I felt connected to God through my own surrender to him.”
Eve, who just finished his second year of business at Trinity Western and currently plays for the TWU Spartan soccer team, was recently featured in a Bell Let’s Talk video where he shared his experience with mental illness.
Catholic teachers need to maintain relationships anchored in love when dealing with gender-confused students, psychologist Julia Sadusky says. “There are philosophical forces acting on students that they don’t understand,” Sadusky told Catholic teachers, principals, and counsellors. (Gregg Webb photo courtesy of .juliasadusky.com)
In a talk at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre for Catholic school teachers, Dr. Julia Sadusky outlined an approach teachers can take with gender-confused students that focuses on accompaniment while maintaining their integrity as Catholic teachers.
Fra’ John Dunlap, an Ottawa-born lawyer, is sworn in as the 81st prince and grand master of the Order of Malta. (Order of Malta photo)
A Canadian lawyer has been elected prince and 81st grand master of the Order of Malta, the first time a professed knight from the Americas has been chosen as head of the order. Fra’ John Dunlap, a member of the Ontario Bar Association and the New York State Bar, was sworn in on May 3 as head of the order. He will hold the office for 10 years.
St. Mark’s College and the Center of Christian Engagement hosted Canada’s first international conference about Pope Francis. Dr. Nicholas Olkovich opens the third keynote speech by Dr. Catherine Clifford. (Nicholas Elbers photos)
A forum on Pope Francis’ papacy from a Canadian context was alive with dialogue and tough questions while also maintaining a celebratory mood as speakers from around the world gathered at St. Mark’s College to examine the significance of Francis’ pontificate. About 40 speakers took part in Pope Francis and the Future of the Church:...