Thomas Merton was born in 1915 of Protestant parents. His childhood was filled with turmoil. After his mother died when he was only 6 years old, Merton had difficulty in his relationship with his father. He died when Thomas was just 16. Merton moved frequently, living and attending schools in England, France, and finally the United States where he entered Columbia University in 1934. There, Merton earned a Masters Degree in English and struggled with what he would do with his life. Merton felt a call to become a Catholic and even to religious life but fought against it. He had a very active social life and was reluctant to give this up. However, Merton was also a man of reflection and prayer. So in 1939 he entered the Trappist Monastery of Our Lady of Gethsemani and became a monk who dedicated his life to prayer, silence and contemplation. Thomas Merton, while in the monastery, continued communication with the outside world, writing more than 40 books, including poetry. He also actively corresponded with government officials. Through the 1950's and 1960's, Thomas Merton was a man ahead of his time. He wrote of his vision of world peace when many preached war. He condemned nuclear weapons before such protests were popular. He wrote of God's love and love of neighbour while he attacked social prejudice and injustice. He sought to build bridges between Catholics and the people other religions by communicating with leaders of other faiths - and he did this before ecumenicism was the accepted thing. In his writing Merton challenges us to discover what he calls our "True Self"' to recognize our precious dignity, is human persons created in God's image. He calls LIS to be people who bring Jesus' peace, love and truth to those we meet each day. Thomas Merton is a very worthy person to inspire and challenge us to become loving, caring people who are concerned about all our brothers and sister.

 

  Francis Anthony Marrocco was born, one of the ten children of Rocco Marrocco and Grazia La Penna, on June 20, 1913 in Peterborough, Ontario. Francis Marrocco, after completing high school at the age of 14, went to work to help support the family. Throughout his long working hours and assisting his parents at night, Francis became concerned about the heavy burden his parents and co-workers bore in raising their families. This concern was to manifest itself later on in his clerical career as he developed his concept of Catholic Social Action. Francis attended St. Augustine's Seminary and was ordained at St. Peter's Cathedral in Peterborough on June 12, 1938. He then served in areas throughout the province such as Huntsville, Parry Sound, Kinmount and St. Peter's Cathedral. In 1948, Francis Marrocco was appointed to the Canadian Catholic Conference, where he was instrumental in establishing its Social Action Department. On December 7, 1955, Pope Pius XII announced the appointment of Francis Anthony Marrocco as the Auxiliary Bishop to James Cardinal McGuigan in Toronto. He was consecrated on February 22, 1956 in St. Peter's Cathedral and appointed to St. Edward's parish in Toronto, where he served as pastor for 12 years. During his stay in Toronto, Bishop Marrocco continued to be active in his concerns regarding social action and assistance to families. He created the Institute For Social Action at St. Pat's College in Ottawa and was also the Ecumenical Vicar for the Italian community in Toronto. During, this period, he served as a member of the Archdiocesan High School Commission in Toronto and was chairperson of the Ecumenical Committee on Housing. In his role as Housing Chairperson, Bishop Marrocco brought both the assistance and support of the Church to the large number of immigrant families who arrived in Canada in the mid-fifties and sixties. On June 12, 1968, Bishop Marrocco was appointed Bishop of Peterborough, the city in which he was baptized, confirmed, ordained and consecrated. While there, he continued his lifelong work in social action until his sudden death on July 18, 1975.