Mark Mallett, Canada’s top Catholic singer, was passing through Northern Ontario this past Friday. So as part of my final break before the election campaign begins, I brought my wife and oldest daughter to his concert.
Mark is a great guy and a wonderfully talented musician, as you can see from his official website. He and his wife has seven children — the seventh of which is still in the womb. Mark was kind and gentle, however, he doesn’t mince words. We met up before the show so that I could interview him for the Wanderer and the Interim (excerpts of which I hope to blog later on this month) and talk a little shop. We both agree with our fellow Canuck Michael O’Brien that Canada is now undergoing a “velvet” persecution of the Christian faithful.
Mark gave a solid interview. He is obviously a man of deep prayer. Being half-slav he also does a wonderful impression of Pope John Paul II whenever he quotes the late Holy Father. As Mark notes in the interview, Pope John Paul II was a very powerful inspiration to his wife and him. In fact his CD “Song for Karol” is devoted to the late Holy Father and the audience really responded when Mark sang the title song from this CD.
Near the end of the concert, Mark had a couple of draws for his new CD. His wife invited my five-year old to come up and pull two winning ticket from the basket. She was quite good with my daughter and a fun time was had by all.
Author: Pete Vere
Canon Law Course and Break From Blogging
Even our prime minister has admitted that Canada’s government will likely fall within the next month, if not weeks. I’ve been asked to take on some pretty heavy local responsibilities in this election. This comes as I am putting the final polish on lectures for a distance education course on canon law that Catholic Distance University invited me to write (and for those who are interested, teach this January — there are still some open spaces if you sign up before December 1st). Therefore, I would ask you to please spare any prayers you can send Canada’s way. Additionally, this also means a leave from blogging as well as day-to-day private emails over the next couple of months. Thanks for your understanding.
Is Gerry Matatics a Sedevacantist?
Admittedly, I find myself respectfully disagreeing with a rather formidable lineup. After all, it is not everyday that Karl Keating, Bob Sungenis, Tom Woods, John Pacheco, Jimmy Akin, and the Dimond Brothers find themselves in agreement on something. Yet like everything else when it comes to Gerry, I don’t feel the answer is as clear as it first appears. This is why, over at Lidless-Eye Inquisition, I’ve been offering my own perspective on the whole Matatics affair. One thing I will agree with, however, is that Keating has now been vindicated.
Surprised by EWTN!
For all those who wonder just how geeky I really am (name one other northerner who would set up his indoor firing range next to his computer so that he can target practice while writing articles about canon law), please check out EWTN Bookmark this week. Doug Keck and and I will be discussing Surprised by Canon Law.
Canada Continues to Mistreat its Vets
This makes me sick. Our government invites vets (many of eighty years old) to the capital for Remembrance Day, then warehouses them in substandard (reportedly condemned) decrepit housing.