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{mosimage}TORONTO - As millions converged on Washington to see Barack Obama swear the oath of office and begin a new chapter in black history Jan. 20, schools and parishes in Toronto were preparing for a month of celebrations to commemorate African-Canadian contributions to Canada and the world.

Even if Black History Month or African Heritage Month are annual events with a history stretching back to the 1920s in the United States, the inauguration of the first black president of the United States makes this year special.

{mosimage}TORONTO - An Ontario court judge has dismissed an obstruction charge against long-time pro-life activist Linda Gibbons.

Gibbons, 60, had been held in custody at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, Ont., since Oct. 8 when she was arrested for picketing outside the Scott abortion clinic in downtown Toronto. She was released from prison on Jan. 12. Her original charge had been for obstructing a peace officer.

{mosimage}TORONTO - Catholic Family öÏÓãÊÓƵapp of Durham will soon launch a counselling centre to ease the pain that the economic downturn is having on families.

Mary Wells, executive director of Catholic Family öÏÓãÊÓƵapp of Durham, says that with job losses and the auto sector in decline in Oshawa, Ont., its new $90,000 centre which launches in March comes at a critical time.

{mosimage}TORONTO - As January comes to a close, five Iraqi children and their father continue to marvel over GodöÏÓãÊÓƵapp providence for them after a month of living at the ’ newly opened Brottier refugee house in Toronto.

Forced to leave Iraq because of death threats from Shia Muslims more than two years ago, the family separated, leaving the passport-less mother and three youngest children, now aged six, eight and 12, with a brother in another town, while the father and his two teenage sons, now 15 and 17, took refuge in Syria to secure an apartment with financial assistance from the United Nations. Meanwhile, the father continued trying to get the other half of his family passports so they could cross the border.

{mosimage}TORONTO - While the bitter politics of confrontation between mainly Jewish supporters of Israel and mainly Palestinian supporters of Hamas continued to play out in demonstrations in Toronto, Christians, Jews and Muslims came together at the to pray for peace Jan. 9.

Rabbis and imams were on the same page praying for the children, the innocent and even the fighters, as well as for a speedy and just solution to the Gaza conflict which erupted just after Christmas and has claimed about 1,000 lives, mostly Palestinians.

{mosimage}TORONTO - Living in apartheid South Africa, Sr. Ursula Mdadane says she grew up with a negative self-image.

But seeing herself through the eyes of faith and an adult development program called PRH — translated from French as personality and human relations — helped her discover her worth as a person.

{mosimage}TORONTO - ItöÏÓãÊÓƵapp been 30 years since co-founder Fr. John Harvey, OSFS, began his work counselling priests and lay people with same-sex attractions.

But Harvey, now 90, says itöÏÓãÊÓƵapp still a challenge to get some priests to support his program which promotes chastity and discourages a homosexual lifestyle.

{mosimage}TORONTO - ItöÏÓãÊÓƵapp been three years since Lynne Fisher moved out of a shelter and into her own apartment.

The 49-year-old marital abuse survivor was on the brink of homelessness and credits the Independent Living Account program for helping her regain her independence.

, or SEDI, started the $146,000 financial literacy program in 2005. It currently teaches shelter residents how to save money, pay bills and prepare to move out on their own. The program also offers a matched saving incentive of $3 for every $1 deposited into a savings account with TD Bank Financial Group. TD and the National Club of Toronto are donating the matched funds for the 61 residents in the program, each of whom can save a maximum of $400 and have those savings matched up to $1,200.

{mosimage}TORONTO - Missionary work seldom evokes the thought of spiritual direction at a seminary, yet that is exactly what Fr. Locky Flanagan is preparing to do in Malawi in the new year.

The Spiritan priest from Ireland has served two stints as a missionary in the southern African country, both in the early 1980s and then again in 2000 — a total of 10 years. When he wasn’t serving in Malawi, Flanagan was based here in Toronto. But his recent decision to spend at least the next six months again in Malawi to spiritually guide the seminarians has also extended to a desire to help out financially.

{mosimage}TORONTO - He may not be the Christmas angel but St. Michael has spent many Christmases with patients’ loved ones during the holidays at St. MichaelöÏÓãÊÓƵapp Hospital in downtown Toronto.

The full-sized marble statue of the angel has been sitting in the hospitalöÏÓãÊÓƵapp Victoria Street entrance since 1997. Before that it quietly guarded the older Bond Street entrance after its rescue from a second-hand store on Queen Street some time in the late 1890s by members of the hospitalöÏÓãÊÓƵapp founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph.