Too often we regard chastity as a virtue that is mainly for the young. For it is in young people that sexual desires burn the hottest. As well, it is in unmarried girls and women that unchastity has the potential consequence of a pregnancy that leads many to either abortion or a life of poverty.

A recently launched campaign, War on Illegal Pornography, is maintaining that divorce, violence against women, increased sex trafficking and porn addiction are just some of the unhealthy results of pornography.

In fact, the evidence of the harmful effects of pornography is so strong that it is now difficult to get permission to do research on the subject because it is clear that those who take part in the research will be harmed by watching pornography.

LEDUC — The longtime chairman of Development and Peace in Alberta has stepped down from his position saying that the organization has lost its original vision.

In an emotional presentation at the archdiocesan CCODP annual meeting Sept. 17 at St. Michael’s Church, Rodrigo Loyola said in his opinion, the organization is now going in a new direction, one that does not necessarily reflect the experience and relationships formed during the 10 years he was the chair.

WINNIPEG — It’s not Jerusalem or Rome, but a walk to Winnipeg’s social service agencies is a pilgrimage to holy ground all the same, says Sister Johanna Jonker.

Beginning in mid-September and continuing throughout the fall and winter, Jonker is leading groups on walking pilgrimages to seven sacred sites, many of them in the inner city.

Even he himself wonders how he did it. Father Mike McCaffery, a lifelong advocate of married priests and the ordination of women, is marking 50 years of priesthood.

“I saw a lady the other day who said, ‘Oh, you are celebrating 50 years of priesthood. I thought you’d be dead by now or married.’

RED DEER — Over the past 30 years, the Alberta Knights of Columbus Charitable Foundation has established itself as a reliable source of extra funds for many charities across the province.

The foundation is a major contributor to about 75 charities every year, from the Sign of Hope campaign to the Strathcona Christmas Bureau.

LEDUC — The devastating effects of climate change are already a daily reality for many people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. The industrialization of agriculture bears a large share of the responsibility for the disruption of the climate.

Therefore, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace proposes that small-scale agriculture is the best solution for the future.

Many of us find taking a weekend or a week away for a retreat is not an option, for time, money or family reasons.

Some take “stay-cations,” turning a weekend or week at home into a retreat by unplugging the phone and the computer to set aside quiet time for prayer, reading and meditation.

EDMONTON — While others around her believed she would make a good sister, it took Christina Wong a long time to realize it herself.

As a high school student in Hong Kong, she was asked by the sisters who ran the school whether she had considered becoming a nun.

EDMONTON — By most standards, Loreto Andrea Leo Soto was like any other girl growing up in Santiago, Chile.

Becoming a sister never occurred to her. She had a normal upbringing with close friends and a boyfriend.