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TORONTO - It's mid-summer at the MasterCard Centre in south Etobicoke, and a Toronto Maple Leafs' prospect game is about to get underway. Some of the most talented young hockey players in the world are powering across the ice for the pre-game warm up. Sporting the blue and and white of the hometown Leafs, some names are already familiar to fans, and all are currently under the scrutiny of scouts in the National Hockey League's biggest market. Leafs' general manager Brian Burke himself is visible on occasion from a box above the ice, surveying the prodigious talent circling below.

For one player, however, this is a setting that may seem more familiar than to the others. Matt Finn, Toronto born and raised and selected by the Leafs in the second round, 35th overall, in the 2012 draft, is poised to become the hometown hero fans of the franchise have been awaiting.

The middle sibling of three brothers, Finn grew up in central Etobicoke as a Leafs fan, attending St. Gregory's Catholic Elementary School and Michael Power/St. Joseph High School before leaving for Guelph to play for the Storm in the Ontario Hockey League. He played school hockey in both places, and helped to start up the first St. Gregory's intramural team.

"I loved it. Just being out there and playing with them," said Finn of his time in school athletics. "You don’t get many chances to do that often. To be able to play and compete with some of your best friends is pretty special.

“It was really great to have that community supporting not only myself but hockey (development) as well in that neighbourhood,” said Finn, who also attended St. Gregory's Church where he was confirmed.

He also attributes the hockey community in Etobicoke for some his most influential and fond memories of the sport that he hopes to make his career.

“When I was six or seven years old, my team, the West Mall Lightning, won a tournament where the final game was played at the Air Canada Centre. That was a really cool experience for me," said Finn.

"Playing hockey with your friends on the backyard rink at all hours of the night, and being out there doing what you love — it's something that you don't forget,” said Finn, whose childhood friend, Connor Brown, was also drafted by the Leafs.

“We actually grew up playing hockey together, since we were about three or four years old. He������Ƶapp one of the first friends that I made playing hockey," said Finn of his fellow Michael Power/St. Joseph's alumni.

Finn had a breakout season last year with the Storm — Finn led the Guelph defence in goals, assists and points (48 in total — and is finally coming down from what has been the most exciting time in his young career.

“Things are calming down," he laughs. "It������Ƶapp been a crazy couple months, for sure."

At six feet tall, Finn is a multi-talented player.

"I think overall, I’ve found my comfort level as a player... I just kind of took it and ran with it,” said Finn of his success this past year. “After my first year we lost a lot of the senior players and they moved on to the American or National leagues so there was a lot of room for young players like myself. I saw an opportunity and did the best that I could.”

For now, Finn expects he will return to the Storm for another season or two, where he hopes to work on his strength and skating to allow him to fulfill his dream of playing for the Leafs.

“That������Ƶapp always been the goal," he said, "and I was fortunate enough for that to become a reality this summer.”

Now 18, he also relishes the potential opportunity to be selected for Team Canada for this year's World Junior championships in Russia.

"To represent Team Canada and play in the World Juniors, that would be a dream come true for me.”

Despite the often strained relationship between the fans of Leafs Nation and the sometimes beleaguered Leafs, Finn welcomes the opportunity to become a part of the historic franchise.

“Growing up in Toronto... I think I know more of what to expect. I’m extremely excited to be a part of the organization.”

For now, Finn intends to work hard and dedicate himself to earning a place in the NHL, and speaks earnestly about his love and enthusiasm for the game.

“I think it speaks volumes about the sport, how passionate you have to be to play it.”

AURORA, ONT. - Trustees from the York Catholic District School Board agreed on Aug. 21 to accept the province's Memorandum of Understanding as a framework for local collective bargaining with their teachers' union.

The York board joins the Toronto Catholic board as the only ones to date to sign on to the province's plan to freeze teacher wages for two years, alter sick leave benefits and cut sick days, all part of the government's austerity measures to deal with a $15-billion budget deficit. In July, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association was the first of the education stakeholders to sign on to the deal.

"Adoption of the MOU will help provide labour stability and peace of mind," said board chair Elizabeth Crowe. "We have always worked in a spirit of collaboration with all our employee groups and we greatly value those relationships."

By approving the MOU it ensures there will be no labour disruption this year in York Catholic schools.

That looks like it may not be the case across the province. No other union has accepted the provincial deal and other school boards have voiced their concerns about collective bargaining being taken away from them. Premier Dalton McGuinty, however, has vowed to bring in legislation to prevent a labour disruption and has recalled MPPs from their summer break for a session beginning Aug. 27 to deal with the issue.

The York board, with 55,000 students and 103 schools, now has until Dec. 31 to sign contracts under the agreed upon guidelines.

TORONTO - The 2012 ShareLife campaign is over the top.

The annual campaign by the archdiocese of Toronto's fundraising arm surpassed its goal of $14.3 million by more than $600,000 this year. And for the first time since 1999, the campaign exceeded its parish goal, coming in at more than $37,000 over the $12.3 million goal.

Arthur Peters, ShareLife's executive director, said much thanks for pushing the campaign over the top must go to a matching gift donor, who wishes to remain anonymous. The donor matched new gifts as well as increased contributions from returning donors. All told, he gave $650,000 in matching funds.

"This year our parishioners were challenged by a generous donor to increase their gifts or to make new gifts to support the work of our agencies and they've responded very generously," said Peters.

Peters said the matching gift motivated parishioners to donate to the parish campaign, but did not directly contribute to the $12,337,548 raised — a seven-per-cent increase over last year. The $650,000 is reflected in a miscellaneous fund.

An additional $1.37 million came in from the corporate and school employee's campaigns pushing the collective total to $14,934,666.

"We're very grateful to the parishioners of the archdiocese of Toronto who in a difficult economy have responded generously to the needs of ShareLife's agencies and contributed a record amount to help those who are served by our agencies," said Peters.

Despite the present economic hardships, 157 parishes, about 70 per cent of those in the archdiocese of Toronto, increased donations from 2011. This marks the largest number of parishes to increase their gifts from the previous year seen by Peters since joining ShareLife eight years ago.

"At the end of the day our parishioners have always demonstrated a commitment to helping the marginalized in our society and around the world," he said. "These funds will be used to help the people who need our help the most."

Over the next few months ShareLife's allocation community and advisory board will determine the 2013 allocations, distributing this year's donations to more than 30 social service support agencies.

"The fact that we've raised a significant amount of money more in this years campaign means we'll be able to help our agencies in a greater way."

TORONTO - Catholic Cemeteries' held its 25th Annual Mass for the Faithful Departed Aug. 15 at seven locations throughout the archdiocese of Toronto, offering those who've lost loved ones a chance to grieve together.

"Essentially what we are doing is offering a sense of comfort to those who've experienced a loss," said Amy Profenna, manager, marketing and public relations for Catholic Cemeteries — Archdiocese of Toronto. "Coming together as a group at the cemetery and praying for your deceased loved one at the place of burial is very significant for a number of people."

On average about 12,000 to 14,000 people attend this special Mass — held each year around the Feast of the Assumption — seeking the consoling atmosphere. Traditionally the services are celebrated in selected cemeteries but fears of rain forced this year's services indoors at nearby churches.

While the formal components — the liturgy, hymns and sacraments — resemble a standard Mass, it is the unified reasoning for attending which makes the service unique, said Profenna.

"(Families) are essentially finding a place where they are accepted in their pain within their abasement because everyone else there has also experienced a loss," said Profenna. "They can come and safely pray and work at that question of why did my loved one die."

That's why Alda Bassani attended the evening Mass at St. Monica's Church, site of the Mass relocated from Mount Hope Cemetery.

"It's wonderful that they bring us all together to pray for our loved ones," said Bassani, principal at Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School. "It's part of the grieving process to pray and to be with others that have been through the same thing."

Earlier this year Bassani lost her father, Joao Machado, to kidney disease. He was 86 at the time of his death. Knowing the inevitable had been staring him in the face for years, Bassani's father had tied up almost all the loose ends in his life before passing.

"He wanted to live one more year in order to see my son graduate from Harvard University," said Bassani, as her eyes grew increasing moist.  

Although her son Jonathan, who lives in New York State, couldn't attend, he contacted Bassani before the service through Blackberry Messenger saying he would be there in thought and prayer.  

Following the Mass, Bassani said the evening brought her closer to her father, who she described as embodying a joy of living and a zest for life.

"It made me feel closure to my dad ... because of the singing, because my dad loved to sing," she said. "It was very helpful and I'll be back next year hopefully, if I'm alive and well."

Fr.  Brian Clough celebrated the Mass at St. Monica's while Cardinal Thomas Collins concelebrated the Eucharist at Holy Cross Cemetery in Thornhill, where the main service was held.

TORONTO - On Aug. 11 campers travelled about three hours from Toronto to St. Mary of Egypt Refuge for the inaugural week of the "Youth Camp ... with a difference."

"We're not so much wanting to entertain kids,” said Mary Marrocco, the refuge������Ƶapp executive director. “We really want to help them to become strong, solid people by teaching them skills (and) doing that in a community way and having them actually contributing to the building of the place."

That������Ƶapp literally building. These campers, aged 13 to 18, were to spend seven days evaluating design concepts, learning basic woodworking skills and constructing a physical structure — in this case an outhouse.

They’ll do this while still enjoying the 1.16-square-kms of wooded property in Queensborough in eastern Ontario, working on crafts and participating in prayer (which is optional as the camp is non-restrictive).

According to Marrocco, even money didn’t get in the way of registration for campers.

"Our priority is for the people for whom the fee might be difficult,” she said. “If people phone us and say, 'I'd really like to send my kids there but I really cannot afford to pay the $250,' then we say you're first on our list."

A limit of 15 campers ensures all-inclusiveness as each person will have a designated role during the construction process, said Marrocco.  

"Another difference is that it's not a big camp with a couple hundred kids and staff, it's more of a family atmosphere," she said. "None of the kids are building it by themselves, but they'll all be given a real part to do that will contribute to the real building."

Overseeing the construction is Luc Lafond, a 58-year-old semi-retired automated equipment designer. Lafond������Ƶapp involvement, as well as the camp itself, came about last fall when he stepped forward to organize a group of volunteers and lead them in building a cabin for the refuge. During the three weeks of construction something changed in Lafond.

“In the past I was always giving my money, doing what I would have called my share,” said Lafond. “I realized that it is never too late to start helping others and it������Ƶapp not just by putting money in an envelope that is the most efficient.”

With this new sense of satisfaction from community service, and having observed a lack of basic construction skills in young volunteers, Lafond offered to co-ordinate a construction-themed summer camp.

"What I realized was that the kids who were helping us, they didn't know how to hold a hammer or use a screwdriver,” he said. “I said this is mind boggling. When I was a kid I grew up with my dad in his garage and he showed me everything. I never realized how lucky I was to have a father that showed me all that so I thought maybe I could turn around and do the same for those kids who do not have that opportunity.”

Marrocco, and the refuge������Ƶapp sponsors who were involved in the conversations, liked Lafond's idea so much that soon he found himself volunteering for a second camp. Week two is aimed at the parishioners of St. Silouan the Athonite, mission parish of the Carpatho-������Ƶapp Orthodox diocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. With campers slightly older, most between 16 and 18, and of a specific faith, the projected will reflect their Orthodox faith.

“The second week is mainly directed to the kids at our church,” said Lafond, who was baptized Catholic but attends an Eastern Orthodox church with his wife and daughter. “We’re building the Iconostasia, the wall in an Orthodox Church separating altar and the people.”

Although St. Mary of Egypt Refuge is a Catholic faith-based refuge, the parish������Ƶapp mission, St. John the Compassionate Mission, has partnered with the site since opening in 2001.

“We are really in a partnership with the refuge. It has to do with the personal relationship that Mary Marrocco had over the years with the mission,” said Deacon Pawel Mucha. “The relationship between us and the refuge is so good. I would say the distinctions (between religions) are pretty blurred.”

He repeatedly said what is more important is the “common ideal of service” shared between the mission and refuge.

The second camp begins on Aug. 17.

TORONTO - Each Sunday laughter, Tagalog chatter and tear-drenched tissues fill the pastor������Ƶapp lounge at Our Lady of the Assumption Church.

That������Ƶapp where about 20 women meet each week for the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry that runs out of the parish in the Bathurst and Eglinton area of Toronto. All of the women have families in the Philippines that they have left behind to work as nannies in Toronto. The ministry was formed to help ease the suffering caused by separation from their loved ones thousands of kilometres away.

“Every day is a struggle for me because I am not happy any more,” said Riza San Pedro, a 34-year-old live-in caregiver. “What I am doing for me to cope is in the morning I’m just reading some passages in the Bible and sharing it with some of my friends through texts. Then in the evening I’m praying the rosary. That������Ƶapp every day.”

Prior to coming to Canada in 2009, San Pedro worked as a nurse. Now she������Ƶapp a nanny, a single mother of two and separated from everyone she knew back home in the Philippines — including her family who she supports by working abroad.

San Pedro came to Canada through the federal government������Ƶapp Live-in Caregiver Program. Since her arrival, San Pedro has bounced from abusive employer to abusive employer while constantly seeking some sense of comfort.

“I was trying to find a church that could understand a caregiver like me and what I’m going through,” she said, a search that lead her to Our Lady of the Assumption and the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry which has helped her to rediscover dignified employment, self-esteem and friends she can relate to.

“All of them have their children in the Philippines. They’re all sacrificing over that and they have different ways of coping with that loneliness that they feel from being away from their children,” said Faye Arellano, the ministry������Ƶapp volunteer co-ordinator. “It������Ƶapp almost like an extended family (here). Everyone can relate to each other, even in their problems.”

Formed three years ago, the ministry was originally named the Grass Roots Hub but quickly rebranded itself as the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry to provide greater clarity for caregivers seeking a consoling outlet. This comforting happens through Bible study, socializing and accessing the Internet which many use to communicate with the family they’ve temporarily left behind.

“I take my hat off to them for having that strength and bravery to just focus on their purpose for coming here,” said Arellano, adding the women������Ƶapp goal is permanent residency in Canada and eventually bringing their families here. “For most of them it������Ƶapp that they want to provide their families with some food on the table and even the basic needs that their family requires.”

The government������Ƶapp Live-in Caregiver Program, which underwent adjustments in 2010, offers what Manuela Gruber Hersch, president of the Association of Caregiver and Nanny Agencies Canada, called “a very generous immigration path to become permanent residents.” She says this with authority having emigrated from Austria as a live-in caregiver while a teenager — but things were much different then.

Today a six-month caregiver course is required before entering the immigration program. Graduates can then use agencies, such as those represented by Gruber Hersch, to find an employer in Canada who must pay travel costs at no penalty to the employee. Once here, employees must complete 3,900 hours of work, 10 per cent of which can be overtime based on a 37.5-hour work week, within a minimum of 22 months and maximum four years. Upon meeting these conditions, they can apply for an open work permit which allows them to move out of their employer������Ƶapp home, and the caregiver industry if desired, as well as apply for permanent residency.

These reflect some of the policy changes that came into effect April 1, 2010 which sought “to protect live-in caregivers from abuse and exploitation and make their transition to permanent residence simpler,” said Bill Brown of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

As these policies were developed during Immigration Minister Jason Kenney������Ƶapp 2009 coast-to-coast consultations with caregiver agencies, media outlets began publicizing the struggles of these workers, who are almost exclusively women.

This heightened attention struck a nerve at Our Lady of the Assumption, prompting pastor Fr. Ben Ebcas Jr. to call upon his parishioners to form a ministry.

“He called a community meeting asking people what can we do about our suffering caregivers and that������Ƶapp where I first started getting involved,” said Arellano. “We thought the church would be good to step into that, to step up to the plate, because as Catholics this is really the only way to live the Gospel challenge of really helping the marginalized. From there on it������Ƶapp just built up.”

Now Arellano assists about 20 caregivers on any given Sunday, some who aren’t even Catholic but still find relief with the ministry. That number swells to more than 45 when events are held at the parish by the Archdiocesan Filipino Catholic Mission, of which the ministry is a branch.

While an absence of family is the common thread of sadness for these workers, it is not their only struggle. Many, like San Pedro, suffer work-related problems ranging from abusive conditions to self-esteem issues derived from a sense of social status demotion from becoming a nanny.

“Everyone would acknowledge that they are going through a tough time but alas, because of this faith that we believe in, even suffering takes on a different meaning,” said Arellano.

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Four tales of hardship, separation

Meet four women from the Philippines working abroad as live-in caregivers. While their experiences in Toronto are different they share a hardship — sacrificing family life to provide for those they love and left behind.
This suffering brings them back to the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry every Sunday where they temporarily find relief from the pain. Here are but four stories of many as told to The Register������Ƶapp Evan Boudreau: the good, the bad, the unjust and the tragic.

The good

At 46 years of age, Gina Magcalas has already spent half her life working abroad, including all 12 years of her son������Ƶapp life.
“In the Philippines it������Ƶapp hard to find a job,” said Magcalas, who holds a bachelor of commerce and specialized in accounting. “After I graduated I applied (for jobs) and they always asked you where is your background. How can I have ...  experience with a job if they will not accept me.”
This forced Magcalas to search elsewhere for work. She began working abroad as a nanny travelling to Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and now Canada, the furthest she������Ƶapp been away from her son Ralph Jacob.
Magcalas medicates homesickness by cladding her living quarters with photos, most of them containing her son.
Despite this hardship of the heart, Magcalas considers herself fortunate.
“I’m one of the lucky nannies who came here (because) I have a good employer and nice accommodations,” said Magcalas, who lives with a middle-aged couple and their four-and-a-half-year-old son Finnigan. “My employer told me if I wanted to go home I can but I said I wanted to wait until I got my open work permit.”
So when Magcalas received her permit last December she immediately bought a plane ticket to attend her son������Ƶapp elementary school graduation in April. It had been four years since they last saw each other.
Now back to work in her employer������Ƶapp St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street home, Magcalas is anxious to receive permanent residency status and sponsor her son������Ƶapp immigration to Canada.

The bad

When Riza San Pedro decided to come to Canada she mistakenly thought it would be a paradise.
“I’d heard that Canada is a very good country with more opportunities when it comes to jobs,” said San Pedro, who first worked abroad in Saudi Arabia as a nurse for five years. “But when I came here I was not so lucky because I struggled with employers. That first two years living here was like a living hell because I struggled to find a good employer.”
Her last employer restricted food consumption, had her sleeping near the furnace and required her to scrub 10 washrooms twice a week. Then when San Pedro gave her two weeks notice on a Tuesday, they told her to leave that Friday.
But hardship isn’t new to San Pedro.
“The reason why I left (the Philippines), well it������Ƶapp kind of personal. I had a very bad marriage — a nightmare,” said San Pedro, 34. “When my second child was born that������Ƶapp when (my husband and I) really got separated.”
Receiving no child support San Pedro knew that a nurse������Ƶapp wage in the Philippines, about $400 a month, wouldn’t cut it. As a nurse in Saudi Arabia her wage tripled but the government offers only a six-year foreign worker������Ƶapp permit. So San Pedro swallowed her pride, gave up her career and enrolled in the Canadian government������Ƶapp Live-in Caregiver Program with the goal of permanent residency in Canada.
That was three years ago and due to her unstable employment, San Pedro still faces several years before she can sponsor her children, aged 11 and 9.
“It������Ƶapp really frustrating,” she said with tears welling in her eyes. “Actually you cannot explain the feeling.”

The unjust

When Winnie Cuento left her husband and three children in 2005 she never thought her   permanent residence status would be jeopardized by her eldest daughter.
“I received a letter (from the Canadian embassy in the Philippines) ... and they put your daughter is mentally retarded,” said Cuento, explaining why her permanent residency in Canada has been denied. “It������Ƶapp hard for me because I know my daughter isn’t retarded. She is only a slow learner.”
When applying for permanent residency a medical evaluation of the applicant������Ƶapp dependent family members is required to determine their potential strain on Canada������Ƶapp social services. Regulation 72 (1)(e)(i) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations states “a foreign national in Canada becomes a permanent resident if, following an examination, it is established that they and their family members, whether accompanying or not, are not inadmissible.”
Another letter, sent by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, explained that her daughter������Ƶapp medical condition, this time labelled developmental delay, “exceeded the average Canadian per capita health and social services cost, which is currently set at $4,806 per year.” According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, Cuento������Ƶapp 16-year-old daughter would require Intensive Support Amount Level 2 special education, costing $12,000 per academic year, thus exceeding the average demand and making her inadmissible.
“It������Ƶapp hard for me at this time because they refused my papers and I worked so hard,” said Cuento, who appealed the decision by submitting an “individualized plan to ensure that no excessive demand will be imposed on Canadian social services,” an option contained in the letter from CIC.
Despite offering to pay the education costs, Cuento������Ƶapp appeal was denied. To make matters worse, her work permit expired.    

The tragic

The second time in six years Marife Gamino went home to the Philippines, she buried her eldest son Alfred.
“That was a very hard time when I saw him in a casket,” said Gamino, who began working abroad as a live-in caregiver in 2005 to support her family. “I was never expecting that to happen to me last year in 2011.”
A motorcycle accident hospitalized Alfred just months before he was to complete his degree in human resource management. Being halfway around the world in Canada, all Gamino could do was call.
“He could not move but I knew that he heard me when I called on the phone because my sister told me and my other son told me ... he cried when I talked to him on the phone,” said Gamino, 44.
Less than 24 hours later her son, then 20, died.
“Since that has happened . . . I am stuck crying.”
But tears won’t feed her three other children, husband and parents who she financially supports. So after the funeral Gamino said goodbye again and returned to her job in Canada. Her heavy heart finally got some relief on Dec. 7 — the date her late son would have turned 21 — when she received her open work permit after waiting 18 months.
“Now I’m still hoping for that permanent residence so I can bring my family,” said Gamino, who credits the Live-in Caregivers’ Ministry for her strength. “They were praying for me, for my family, so I kept strong. I’m still strong (and) today I still survive.”

TORONTO - As the new chaplain at the Newman Centre, Fr. Chris Cauchi is looking forward to serving the spiritual needs of students at the University of Toronto.

“Newman is such a vibrant place,” Cauchi told The Catholic Register. “I’d like to first observe what������Ƶapp going on, learn, and I’m very blessed I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Many priests and laypeople before me have already laid the foundation.

“My hope is to be able to nourish and support that growth that is going on here.”

Cauchi moved into the Newman Centre June 27, taking the reigns from Fr. Michael Machacek. He’ll also serve as pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, located just next door to the Newman Centre.

Cauchi, who turned 32 on Aug. 11, was first assigned to be associate pastor at St. Barnabas parish in Scarborough, where he helped co-ordinate the youth ministry. When he moved to St. Michael������Ƶapp Cathedral two years later, he was involved with the young adult ministry along with being the assistant chaplain for Ryerson chaplaincy.

Born in Canada, his family decided to move to its native Malta when he was three years old. It was in Malta where he entered the seminary.

“We have the policy of the internship year,” said Cauchi. “We have to do it outside of the diocese, so being Canadian, I thought it would be good to do it here.”

He returned to Malta for his theology but his diocese of Gozo has a policy where you must serve abroad for at least two years after ordination.

“So in my case I came here and from two years it became seven and I’m still here. And I like it.”

His appointment to Newman came as a surprise, he said.

“But I’m very glad to be here.”

His role will comprise three components: the parish, the residency formation program and the chaplaincy outreach to students, he said.

“I want to emphasize my mission would be to try to make justice with the three of them.”

The challenges of the job will reflect the challenges of every Catholic, said Cauchi.

“How can we remain rooted in the tradition of the Church? How can we grow personally and communally in our relationship with Christ? How is Christ calling this community to leave behind what������Ƶapp familiar and go to the unfamiliar territory that Christ may want us to be?

“These are some questions that every believer needs to focus on, that our community is focusing on. And I think the Holy Spirit will continue to guide this community and this process of change.”

TORONTO - When Fr. Fernando Couto talks about St. Mary������Ƶapp Catholic Church in downtown Toronto, it������Ƶapp as if he������Ƶapp talking about a beloved friend.

“The building is talking, if anyone is listening,” he said. “It needs our help.”

One of the oldest churches in Toronto, St. Mary������Ƶapp is crumbling, said Couto, who has been pleading with the archdiocese since he arrived at the parish in 2008 for more money to complete its restoration.

“It has structural osteoporosis,” Couto said of his church at Bathurst and Adelaide. “We’ve been basically ignoring it.

“The damage every year is great.”

The current St. Mary������Ƶapp is the third building of the historically Portuguese parish. Built in 1885 and completed four years later, it is older than Casa Loma, the Ontario Parliament buildings and City Hall, and is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Toronto.

But there hasn’t been much upkeep, Couto said, evidenced by the sinking foundation and crumbling walls, rotten wood and cracked slates.

“One day, bricks fell from the tower,” Couto said. “Rain (was) coming in through the windows.

“We (had) to address this sooner or later before (the) structure (became) too damaged or people got hurt.”

For his part, Couto would like to see St. Mary������Ƶapp restored to its former glory.

“There������Ƶapp lots of history here,” said Couto, who has been collecting old photographs of the building, both inside and out. He said he would like to put the outer pews back to their original position, facing into the middle of the church, as well as fix up many other nooks and corners.

But first, the basics, like the tower, the roof and the outer structure.

“It������Ƶapp like a car,” Couto said. “I can live without a phone, a good radio, leather seats. (But) I need good brakes, an engine.”

The archdiocese of Toronto lent St. Mary������Ƶapp $3 million, which helped to fix most of the tower, and the parish itself has raised an additional $1.2 million. But according to Couto, it������Ƶapp not enough.

“It������Ƶapp like trying to buy a car with (enough) money for a bicycle,” he said. “The work we’re doing is not curtains and flowers. This is serious structural work.”

Couto said the church will need a minimum of $6 million to be properly restored, which is why he is still appealing to the archdiocese as well as parishioners, who, he said, have been very generous and understanding despite many not having much to give.

“St. Mary������Ƶapp (is) one of the nicest buildings in Ontario, in Toronto,” Couto said with obvious pride. “It������Ƶapp time to pay back for the neglect on many years.”

Couto acknowledges that times — and demographics — have changed: this church that used to be filled with Portuguese Canadians is becoming more and more English as the cost of living downtown has increased and condominiums have “sprung up like mushrooms after the rain.”

But all the more reason, he said, to preserve St. Mary������Ƶapp.

“We’re losing it,” he said. “And once we lose it, we can’t get it back.

“There������Ƶapp the busy downtown (right there),” he said with a wave to Bathurst Street. “And you come in here, and here������Ƶapp the peace.”

The Toronto Catholic District School Board is the first Ontario board to ratify a deal signed by the province and Catholic teachers aimed at ensuring labour peace this school year.

At an emergency meeting Aug. 7, the TCDSB agreed to the tentative deal signed by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association and the province earlier this summer. The agreement includes a two-year wage freeze for teachers, changes to the sick leave gratuity and a cut in sick days. The province has been pressuring teacher unions to sign the agreement as part of its austerity measures in dealing with a $15-billion budget deficit.

"I'm proud of the leadership our board has taken," said Ann Andrachuk, TCDSB chair. "By working with the Ministry of Education and our labour partners, we will be able to both balance our budget and continue to provide an enriched Catholic education in Toronto schools."

Vice-chair Sal Piccininni said the agreement allows the board to "maintain the healthy fiscal outlook we have worked so hard to achieve." He added, "The only responsible thing to do was to act in the best interest of the board, students, parents and the community by signing the OECTA agreement."

Education Minister Laurel Broten praised the Toronto board for its decision.

"I know the TCDSB trustees have the best interests of students at heart," said Broten in a statement. "That's why I commend them for leading the way and doing what's best to put our education system on a sustainable financial footing while protecting the gains we've made in education together. I look forward to other boards across Ontario doing what is right for the students, parents and communities they serve."

While the Toronto deal raises hope for labour peace when the school year begins in September, a number of Catholic boards have said they are intent on making their own deal with the teachers. The London and Windsor-Essex Catholic boards have rejected the agreement and filed for conciliation as they try to hammer out a deal with the teachers. (A Ministry of Labour conciliator will determine if there is enough common ground for a settlement. If not, then teachers could go on strike or could be locked out by the board.) The boards argue the government deal strips them of important hiring and managerial rights.

There are reports that another 10 school boards have or will file for conciliation.

Premier Dalton McGuinty is pressuring other school boards and unions to use the OECTA deal as a template for negotiations. He has said if agreements aren't reached, his government is prepared to use legislation to avoid any disruption to the school year.

TORONTO - Every child deserves a chance to attend a summer camp, including the 80 special needs students Pat Reilly is head counsellor to this summer. 

"These kids are the same as everybody else even though they cannot maybe do the same things as everybody else," said Reilly, who's overseen the Powerful Summer day-camp program since it began five years ago. "In everyday activities they are the same. They laugh the same, they cry the same and they try their best."

Hosted at Michael Power/St. Joseph's Secondary School, Powerful Summer offers special-needs students, Grade 8 and above, from Toronto's Catholic schools west of Yonge Street a daily mixture of academic programs and physical activities while teaching basic life skills. Almost entirely funded by the Toronto Catholic District School Board's (TCDSB) continuing education department, the camp operated Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during July. Parents pay $85 to cover a weekly field trip and barbecue.

"The biggest thing is it gives parents something for their kids to do," said Reilly, Michael Power's head of special education for the past 25 years. "It's just a really good experience for everybody."

Powerful Summer veteran camper Jennifer Rocha, 20, can testify to that point.

"I like to come to camp because it's really fun and I get to enjoy it with all my friends. I don't have anything to do at home, I don't have friends (there)," said Rocha. "Mr. Reilly has been really great. He's actually organized this camp really well for all of the students."

Diagnosed with mild intellectual disabilities, Rocha, or "Rock Star" as Reilly's nicknamed her, has been attending Powerful Summer since it's inaugural year in 2007. Next summer Rocha will not be eligible to enroll at Powerful Summer but said she plans to take what she's learned over the past five years and apply it by getting involved in similar community programs.

But it isn't just special needs students reaping the benefits, both short and long-term. Connor McGuckin, second-year York University kinesiology student, has been advancing his future career by working at the camp for the past two years. Several TCDSB students, mostly from Michael Power, volunteer at the camp earning their compulsory 40 hours of community service.

"A camp like this is just a great experience to work at in the summer," said McGuckin, 18. "It gives me a chance to work with kids with special needs. I have an amazing time and I don't think that I'm coming into work everyday."

A graduate of Michael Power, which has the largest special needs student population in the TCDSB, McGuckin felt he had very little exposure to caring for those with special needs prior to working at Powerful Summer.

"At first I was really nervous about the scenario, what I'd be doing," he said. "But once all the kids were together everyone got along and it was a great thing."

As one of 14 educational assistant students working alongside 16 full-time educational assistants and nine special-needs qualified teachers, McGuckin said he's learning as much as the campers.

That's something Reilly's heard before, including from his own two children who've been involved with the camp over the years.

"The nice thing about (Powerful Summer) is that it's given a number of kids over the years that are interested in becoming teachers some really good hands-on experience working with kids with special needs," said Reilly. "It gives them the realization that not everyone in this world has the same needs and the same abilities."

Those attending the camp this summer range from high-needs autistic youth requiring constant one-on-one supervision to those with mild developmental delays like Rocha who frequently assists councillors in caring for the physically challenged campers.

"All our students take a little bit of ownership," said Reilly. "Teachers did this for me as a kid and they let me get involved. Every kid should have something to do after school, even our special needs group of kids."