The President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop J. Berthelet, wrote a pastoral letter on November 22nd, 2002, urging Canadian Catholics, especially those who are married, to voice out their view on the issue of same-sex marriage. This is in response to the document issued by the Minister of Justice on November 7th, called "Marriage and Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Unions" for the purpose of polling the population.<br/><br/>

Family is a microcosm of society; it is where children are nurtured and grow.<br/><br/>

Regardless of the cultural or historical background of a society, man and woman unite in love to give life to a new generation of offspring. This is a natural and eternal truth.<br/><br/>

The Conference of Catholic Bishops urges us to be responsible citizens by voicing our concerns to our Members of Parliament (MPs) and to the Minister of Justice. The full pastoral letter and sample submission letters can be downloaded from the parish web site at www.chinesemartyrs.org.<br/><br/>

I would also like to ask all parishioners to join in prayer for the repose of the soul of Mr. Edwin Lee, who passed away on January 3rd. Since 1987, Mr. Lee contributed tirelessly to the service of this parish, up until a few months before his death. He has been an outstanding evangelizer as a RCIA instructor, a Eucharistic Minister, and an active member of the Eucharistic Society. For the past several years, he also wrote the Gospel explanations section of the Bulletin every Sunday. His children remember him as a hard-working, responsible, honest and faithful father. May he rest in peace.