06/08/2026
A heartfelt appeal to the parents of all the children in Canso
Good morning to you all!
I write to you with a heavy but hopeful heart. This past week, our church, Star of the Sea, was treated in a way that has saddened many in our parish. Some of our young people came into Star of the Sea Church, lit all of our votive candles, and used the melted wax to write across the altar. And then drank and left pop cans on the pews.
I do not share this in anger. I share it because I believe deeply in the goodness of this community and because Canso has never been a town known for this kind of behaviour. We are better than this, and our children can be too.
A church is a sacred place. Whether or not you believe, it is where grieving families light a candle for the ones they have lost, where the elderly come to find a little peace, where this community has gathered in its happiest and its hardest moments for generations. And most importantly, the Altar is the most sacred part of all.
So, I gently ask and plead with parents and guardians: please speak with your children. Help them understand that respecting a Sacred Place costs nothing and that honouring what others hold Holy, even when we do not share the belief, is one of the truest marks of a good person and what Canadians are known for.
Our doors still remain open. And all are welcome here, always.
With love and trust in you,
Fr. Jonathan Obinna Nnajiofor, SMMM
Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Canso
PS: Help to share so that this message gets to all who need to hear it.
