September 4, 2019
My dear friends,
Be assured of my ongoing prayers for you as well as my gratitude for your contributions to strengthening our faith community.
I wish to share with you news regarding important initiatives underway in preparation for the October 21, 2019 federal election.
On Thursday, October 3, 2019, starting at 7:30 p.m., the Archdiocese of Toronto will host a debate with representatives from the major political parties in front of an audience of 1,000 people. As part of this unique event, candidates will discuss public policy issues introduced from a Catholic perspective. In keeping with one of our pastoral plan’s five core directions (Evangelization of Society), this opportunity to engage in respectful dialogue in the public square is an important occasion for us to both discern our vote and to demonstrate to Canada’s political parties the significant engagement of the Catholic community.
The debate will take place inside the John Bassett Theatre at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and will be moderated by Don Newman, one of Canada’s most respected political journalists. I will be there to lead us in prayer and to offer some brief reflections at the beginning and end of the evening.
The debate will be a free ticketed event. You can secure your ticket by visiting www.archtoronto.org/election. Given the significant interest, there is a limit of four tickets per person – I strongly encourage you to consider ordering your ticket today to avoid disappointment.
On the website noted above, you will also find a series of non-partisan resources (short videos, one page background material, etc.) to help you reflect on key policy issues before you vote.
Please take some time to review the material between now and election day.
I hope you will join me at the debate on October 3, 2019 and make use of our election resources to help ensure we reflect on important issues through the lens of our faith as we discern who can best provide leadership for our community and our country.
Saint Thomas More, patron saint of politicians, pray for us. Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Thomas Cardinal Collins Archbishop of Toronto