The Beatitudes are among the most popular and best remembered sections of the New Testament. Many Christians commit them to memory, and they pop up frequently in the liturgy. Yet, when we say "Beatitudes," we almost invariably mean the nine included in St. Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount (5.3-11) - "Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .". The four Beatitudes and four woes in St. Luke's Sermon on the Plain (6.20-26) are rarely considered.

While video and photos of the raging inferno which destroyed much of Fort McMurray were being flashed around the world, Jason and Katharine Campbell and their two sons were expressing gratitude for all that they still have. "We've been focusing on gratitude because it's easy to relive the horror stories and relive the disappointment and the fear," Katharine said following a May 8 Mass for evacuees at Edmonton's Resurrection Church.

A smiling St. Joseph's College employee poked her head around Danica Wolitski's door and said, "We've got another family with three children" "Great," said Wolitski. The translation of that triumphant discourse means a family fleeing the firestorm ravaging Fort McMurray has found safe housing here in Edmonton. The housing comes from vacant apartments at the new women's residence (dubbed the Ilanders) at St. Joseph's College on the University of Alberta campus.

OTTAWA - Chaos will be the result of the federal government's decision to leave protection for the conscience rights of medical professionals and health care institutions to the provinces, says the president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton, Ont., said the government should clarify the rights of professionals and institutions who conscientiously object to participating in assisted suicide and not hand the issue off to provincial legislators or professional bodies.

The gang at EnviroClean Drycleaners in downtown Fort McMurray sticks together. Not only do they run the dry-cleaning business, they also provide the music ministry at the 11:30 Mass every Sunday at St. John the Baptist Church. So when disaster struck Fort McMurray, it was no surprise that they hung together through thick and thin. When Cindy Julapton, who runs the drycleaner, heard the news on the afternoon of May 3 that Fort McMurray's downtown was to be evacuated, at first her daughter didn't believe it.

LAC LA BICHE - Father Andrew Schoenberger calls himself an evacuee just like the more than 80,000 other people driven from Fort McMurray in the wildfire than emptied the city. However, unlike many others, he's not looking for a place to put up his feet until he can return to his regular job. The work of a priest never ends. "A shepherd should be with his sheep," says the young pastor of Fort McMurray's St. John the Baptist Parish.

EDMONTON - Pope Francis has added his name to the list of people offering condolences to those affected by the massive forest fire that has led to the evacuation of Fort McMurray. In a May 6 letter to St. Paul Bishop Paul Terrio, the pope said he "was saddened to learn of the destruction and distress caused by the extensive fires around Fort McMurray." The pope said he was praying "for all the displaced, especially the children, who have lost their homes and livelihoods."

EDMONTON - An email from St. Joseph's College chaplain Basilian Father Glenn McDonald offered life-saving help to John Joseph. "He asked me if I was alright," said Joseph. Joseph and his family in their Fort McMurray home were not alright. They wanted to flee the approaching fire, but had nowhere to go.

EDMONTON - Maria Donovan's face broke into a delighted smile as she called out, "It's so good to see you and that you are safe." Donovan is the Grade 9 English, religion and options teacher at Fort McMurray's Holy Trinity Catholic High School. Overjoyed to see her students, she called out to them and their parents at the reception following the May 8 afternoon Mass at Edmonton's Resurrection Church.