Layman used soccer to unite Italian city

Bl. Alberto Marvelli saved many lives

Blessed Alberto Marvelli, depicted in a stained glass window in Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Vancouver. The Italian layman organized soccer matches with communists and fascists to encourage friendly dialogue in the 1930s and '40s. Alistair Burns / The B.C. Catholic.

As World Cup fever continues, one Vancouver parish has a unique tie-in to the beautiful game: a stained glass window with a soccer ball. At Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Vancouver, Blessed Alberto Marvelli, an Italian layman, is displayed wearing a shirt and tie, with a soccer ball at his feet. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.


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Pope Francis stops car to bless young disabled woman

Pope Francis greets people as he visits Cassano allo Ionio, in Italy's Calabria region, June 21. At an outdoor Mass attended by 250,000 people in nearby Sibari, the Pope said "mafiosi" are not in communion with God and are excommunicated. The Calabria region is home of the 'Ndrangheta crime organization, known for drug trafficking. CNS photo / Paul Haring.

During his June 21 pastoral visit to the region of Calabria in southern Italy, Pope Francis stopped the car that was transporting him to see a young disabled woman and her family on the side of the road. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.

Northern Gateway Pipeline debate raises numerous questions

Brian Dijkema, work and economics program director of Cardus. Deborah Gyapong / CCN.

When the Harper Conservative government approved the Northern Gateway pipeline June 17, it launched a debate likely to figure prominently in the 2015 election. For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.