St. Joseph the Worker Parish recently hosted their 2018 Lenten mission: "Living a Discerning Life - The 14 Rules of St. Ignatius". This mission was led by Fr. Francis Ching, who provided practical advice about dealing with and interpreting moments of spiritual desolation and spiritual consolation.
Watch the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Lenten Mission Online:
All of Fr. Francis' talks can be viewed online by clicking the following links:
Lenten Mission 2019 - Embracing Abba Father
Lenten Mission 2018 - Living a Discerning Life
Lenten Mission 2017
Lenten Mission 2016 - Year of Mercy
About Fr. Francis Ching:
I,
Fr. Francis
Ming Chung Ching, was born in HK in 1972 into a Catholic
family. My family immigrated to Toronto in 1986. During my undergraduate
studies in Waterloo, I experienced a personal conversion to Jesus and
became very active in my faith through involvement with Waterloo Chinese
Catholic Community and an annual young adult retreat called Eastern Canada Chinese Catholic Living Camp (ECCCLC). Shortly after, people began to notice in me a possible
vocation to the priesthood and encouraged me to pursue it. A confirming
sign came in 1997 at WYD and I decided to begin seminary preparation in
1998.
Although I
had made a couple of visits and was genuinely inspired by their
brotherhood and the worship at St. Mary's, initially, I did not intend
to join the Companions of the Cross. I felt that the Lord wanted me to
minister to the Chinese communities in Toronto. I began my Philosophy
studies in Toronto and explored both the semi-monastic and the diocesan
lifestyles. However, I was not satisfied, so I reread the book "We are
Called the Companions of the Cross", obtained from a previous visit with
Fr. Bob. It was in reading this book that I realized the Lord was
calling me to the Companions: everything said in it was exactly what the
Lord had been placing on my heart over the years. I joined the
community in 1999, and was ordained in 2005. I was born with glaucoma
and was diagnosed legally blind. My eye condition was severely worsened
four years into my first assignment at St. Timothy Parish in Toronto due
to complications. The condition was stabilized after two surgeries and
losing the ability to read.