Written by Sr. Dianne Turner, OSE, Office of Vocations

On April 25, the Diocese of Calgary hosted a Young Women’s Nun Run, inviting participants to step into the lived reality of Religious life across the city and into Airdrie. Many arrived with questions: What is life as a Sister really like? Are all communities the same? Where is God calling me?
​
These and many other questions were answered on Saturday, April 25 during the Young Women’s Nun Run across Calgary and north to Airdrie. Seven convents in one day made for an ambitious and memorable pilgrimage, as 21 women and seven Sisters travelled together by bus from start to finish. No running shoes were needed.

We began at the Providence Sisters’ convent in southeast Calgary. Convent chapels tend to be smaller than churches, but we managed to squeeze everyone in for Mass celebrated by Fr. Julian Studden. In his homily, he spoke about being open to what the Lord is calling us to be. After Mass, we filled the Sisters’ dining room for a substantial breakfast and heard from some of the young Sisters of Providence as they shared about their charism and mission.

Then, onto the bus. Tony, our driver, stayed with us the whole day and heard us praying the Rosary between each convent stop.

Our second stop was the Daughters of Mary, Mother of the Church, where we were treated to an interesting talk about their missionary work and given snacks to take along on our journey. Happily, the three Sisters joined us for the rest of the pilgrimage, bringing our number of Sisters to seven.

After navigating the monastery’s challenging driveway, we arrived at the Dominican Sisters in northwest Calgary. The Sisters took us through their daycare for young children and then over to the parish church, where they shared about the central place of the Eucharist in the life of consecrated women.
​
As one participant later shared, “I liked that I learned not just about the seven convents, but also what they do. The Dominicans run a daycare?!”

A short trip into Bowness brought us to the Adoration chapel of the Sisters of Divine Mercy. We were blessed with time to pray with the Sisters, including the Divine Mercy Chaplet and a period of quiet adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

We then left the city of Calgary and made our way to the country home of the Seeds of the Word community. There, we were welcomed with more snacks and a dynamic talk on Lectio Divina. A special gift for each participant was a copy of their 2026 Lectio Divina Compendium.

We left the Seeds of the Word Sisters there and continued on to Airdrie, to the newly acquired convent of the Gilbertine Sisters. The Sisters, who belong to the Personal Ordinariate and are in the process of establishing their community, shared about their life and charism. Before we departed to return to the Providence Sisters’ convent, they graciously provided us with a delicious take-home pasta supper.

• The conclusion of the three-year Faith Plan, Proclaim! Pilgrims of Hope, with 91% of staff reporting it supported and inspired their personal faith growth.
• Strong student affirmation of Catholic identity, with 93% of elementary students and 92% of junior/senior high students stating their schools helped them understand the Catholic faith.
• A first-ever divisional leadership day with Bishop McGrattan, bringing together clergy, trustees, and administrators to strengthen collaboration and inform future assurance work.
• Successful participation in the Diocese of Calgary/CCSSA Pilot RCIA program for catechized non-Catholic staff, resulting in four new members entering the Catholic Church.
• Continued advancement in embedding Catholic Social Teachings more intentionally across school operations and practices.

​​Overall, the 2024–2025 school year reflects Holy Spirit Catholic School Division’s continued commitment to faith formation, collaboration, and fostering welcoming Catholic communities.

“I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20) Christ’s words at the time of his Ascension serve as this year’s theme for National Family and Life Week 2026, which begins on Sunday, May 10, and concludes on Sunday, May 17.

Families, parishes and parish groups, ecclesial movements and associations, as well as Catholic schools, are encouraged to take time this week to celebrate their own families, express gratitude, offer forgiveness, or share meaningful moments with loved ones across generations. This week is an opportunity to uphold the value of life and to live out our calling to love one another within our homes, communities, and the world.

May Christ’s enduring presence bring us consolation, hope and renewal, as we journey with him in prayer and through the Sacraments, in the knowledge that we are never truly alone. God is with us always “to the end of the age.”

• Download, print, and share the #NFLW2026 Pastoral Resource Toolkit!
  ​

In light of recent public commentary surrounding the Holy Father’s appeals for peace, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (CCCB) Communications Service wishes to reiterate several principles of Catholic teaching that remain especially relevant in times of war and international tension. 
​

• Pope Leo’s witness in such moments is moral and pastoral, not partisan. His words remind the world that peace is never advanced by contempt, that leadership requires restraint, and that the suffering of innocent people should always be avoided as much as possible. 

​

• Catholic teaching holds that war is subject to strict conditions of moral legitimacy. The use of force cannot be presumed to be just a priori; it must satisfy grave and demanding criteria, and may be considered only as a last resort. Even where force is judged permissible, the protection of civilians remains a fundamental obligation. The destruction of essential civilian infrastructure and the resulting suffering of non-combatants are to be avoided. 

• ​​It is also important to recall that imagery or rhetoric presenting political leaders in terms that belong uniquely to Christ and His saving work is wholly unfitting. In addition to being disrespectful, such representations blur the proper distinction between faith and political power, distorting the meaning of both. 

As a Catholic institution with a national mandate, the CCCB does not intervene in the internal political affairs of other countries. At the same time, recent events make it opportune to underscore the moral principles that should inform public life everywhere, including truthfulness, humility, reverence, and concern for the innocent. 

The faithful in Canada are encouraged to continue praying for the Holy Father, for peace among nations, and for all who suffer because of war. 

Source: Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

At his first Easter Urbi et Orbi, Pope Leo XIV pleaded: "Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue! Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them!" - Read more
​

• On April 11, he led a worldwide Prayer Vigil for Peace from St. Peter's Basilica, reminding the faithful that "prayer is not a refuge in which to hide from our responsibilities, nor an anesthetic to numb the pain provoked by so much injustice. Rather, it is the most selfless, universal and transformative response to death: we are a people who are already risen!" Read: Prayer Vigil for Peace, 11 April 2026. His ongoing appeal has been simple and direct: "Pray for peace, work for peace, less hatred." (Vatican News, 4 March 2026)
  ​​
• Read: Catechism of the Catholic Church: Safeguarding Peace
  ​

We invite all the faithful to heed the Holy Father's call and to pray for an end to war, for the protection of innocent life, and for the conversion of hearts.

The vote on Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act is approaching, expected in late May or early June, and your voice still matters.

Bill C-218 would amend the Criminal Code to prevent Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) from being offered to individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. If this bill does not pass, that door opens on March 17, 2027. As Catholics, we believe those suffering from mental illness deserve care, hope, and accompaniment - not death.

Bishop Scott McCaig, CC imparted key foundational principles and practical advice about sparking evangelistic revitalization through his keynote speeches at the Diocese of Calgary’s first-ever renewal conference on April 17 and 18 at St. Michael’s church in Calgary.

The 60-year-old shepherd of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of Canada delivered four presentations to more than 700 Catholics from Calgary and surrounding southern Alberta communities over the two-day summit.
​
He declared in his opening talk that believers must not forget how the Almighty God is also “madly in love with us,” emphasizing that “genuine evangelization is a response to the love of God.” Any outreach not deriving from love “devolves into corporate strategy.”

Tapping into his love for history and his military ties, McCaig shared a story about how the Canadian troops, widely acknowledged as formidable, suffered a disastrous defeat during the 1942 Dieppe Raid in northern France because they were using tactics better suited for the First World War. They had not yet adapted their battle plans to the new Second World War terrain, a mistake remedied in time for the 1944 D-Day landing at Juno Beach.

A key adaptation Catholics and Christians must make, said McCaig, is that “Christendom is long gone.” Economic, political and social life are no longer inspired by Gospel values, and “we are now in a new apostolic age.”

The former General Superior of the Companions of the Cross advocated responding to the new landscape by giving primacy to the kerygma, a Greek term for the core apostolic proclamation of Jesus Christ’s death, resurrection and salvific love for each of His children. A Church operating “in a kerygmatic key,” he said, stresses relationship with God.

“Our understanding of the sacraments, catechesis and community is all rooted in the kerygma, a relationship to the living God, who is reaching into our lives and speaking to us, empowering us, loving us and reconciling us,” said McCaig.

​Advancing the New Evangelization is not solely the province of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. McCaig delved into the laity’s essential role in this unfolding mission. He stressed the need for each Catholic in attendance to discover the gifts the Holy Spirit indwelled in each of them — also known as charisms — and use them to build up the Church and serve others.  

“If you were made to fulfill certain good works in this world, and as the charisms allow you to do it, don’t you think it’s kind of important to find out what they are? This would seem to be pretty fundamental,” said McCaig.

He added that “Charisms manifest the creativity of the Holy Spirit,” and, in truth, “it’s the Holy Spirit who is the principal agent of evangelization.”

Statistically, McCaig said, the most effective way to evangelize is relational, the people in your life with whom you should have a foundation of trust — family, friends, neighbours and co-workers — but you must be with them beyond their initial moment of spiritual curiosity and conversion.

“You have to walk with them,” said McCaig. “You evangelize somebody, you’re taking on the responsibility to walk with them and pastorally accompany them. You invite somebody to an Alpha course, go with them and sit with them. When they are ready, invite them to Mass and ask them to sit with your family.”

Regarding Alpha, the popular 11-week course that introduces people to the basics of the Christian faith in a non-judgmental environment, the national director of Alpha in a Catholic Context, Ed Zadeiks, appeared at the conference. He shared stories about people who became Christians, or returned to Christianity, through the program. The Vancouver Catholic also touted the program’s success rate.

“Fifty per cent of people who come through Alpha have a transformative experience and want to go deeper and enter RCIA or go deeper in the Catholic faith,” said Zadeiks.
​
Dan and Mary Olberg, a Calgary-based couple who serve as Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) missionaries, demonstrated how to evangelize the spiritually curious through the CCO booklet “The Ultimate Relationship.” McCaig later mentioned how he often bestows this resource on people he encounters during his travels.

Ryan Schmidt, the Diocese of Calgary’s director of pastoral renewal, declared during the conference that since the diocese began its renewal on Oct. 4, 2023, 48 member parishes have now established fully-fledged pastoral renewal teams and a grand total of 1,000 renewal action items have been proposed.
​
The three pillars of the diocesan renewal are forming missionary disciples in Christ, being a Church of encounter, and witness and strengthening family life.

Written by Quinton Amundson/The Catholic Register. Photography: Victor Panlilio/Diocese of Calgary.

Following the success of last year’s event, the newly formed Friends of Elizabeth House Foundation has taken on Blooms & Blossoms. The goal this year is to double the impact. Funds raised will go toward adding much-needed closet organization to each bedroom. As residents can stay for up to two years, their needs grow alongside their child, and these improvements will support them for years to come.

“Elizabeth House is such an amazing cause. In creating Blooms and Blossoms, we are committing to the goal of the House, changing lives, two generations at a time,” said Sandau.

Founded in 2013, FrancoSud serves French-speaking Catholic and public students across Calgary, Okotoks, Brooks, Lethbridge, and southern Alberta. The district focuses on faith, learning, and service through school-wide initiatives that connect classroom learning with community action. Their 2024-2025 School Year highlights include:

• Continued the “Growing in Love – Grandir dans l’amour pour les autres” initiative for a second year.
• Began the year with staff professional learning on the Social Teachings of the Church.
• Students and staff completed service projects focused on helping others and taking action.
• Grade 6 students supported people experiencing homelessness in downtown Calgary parks with care packages and kind messages.
• Staff volunteered after Faith Day at local organizations supporting food security and basic needs.
• Focused on prayer, inspired by Pope Leo XIV, exploring different forms of prayer across schools.
• Students created a prayer booklet and used AI to visually represent their prayers.
• Developed a Truth and Reconciliation space, “Lieu de recueillement,” for prayer, learning, and cultural understanding with Treaty 7 Elders.

FrancoSud continues to build a culture of faith in action, where students and staff learn, serve, and grow through meaningful community engagement.

This year, as we mark the Year of St. Francis and celebrate National Volunteer Week, we are drawn again to a simple and challenging call: serve one another humbly in love (Galatians 5:13). St. Francis showed us that renewal in the Church begins not with grand plans, but with small, faithful acts of love lived each day.
​
In our parishes, this is already happening. In quiet acts of service, in faithful presence, and in generosity often unseen, our volunteers help make Christ known. Through their willingness to serve where needed, they foster a spirit of welcome, reverence, and care that shapes the life of our communities.

To our volunteers and parish ministers: Thank you for your steady and faithful witness. In a time when the Church is called to renewal and mission, your service becomes a concrete expression of the Gospel. You show us that the call of every baptized person is not distant or abstract, but lived here and now, in love freely given.

Please keep our volunteers and parish ministers in your prayers this week. You are invited to take a moment to share a note of thanks with those who serve in your parish, affirming their vital role in parish life and renewal. 

When Multiply the Hope launched across the Diocese of Calgary in December, it was more than a fundraising initiative. Inspired by the Jubilee Year of Hope, it became a shared invitation to strengthen our parish communities and invest in their future.

Just a few months in, the response has been strong. Through the generosity of parishioners and the support of the Diocese, more than $7 million has been raised in qualified matching funds, reaching over 58% of the overall campaign goal. Already, 56 parishes are participating, with many others discerning how they may take part.

At the heart of this initiative is something simple but powerful. Every dollar given to a parish’s Building Fund or Repairs and Maintenance Fund is matched by the Diocese, up to each parish’s goal. Each gift goes twice as far.

Our parishes are more than buildings. They are spiritual homes for individuals and families, for newcomers, seniors, and those returning after time away. They are where the Eucharist is celebrated, where people encounter Christ, and where communities grow in faith and service.

Yet many parishes carry financial pressures, whether through existing debt or the ongoing costs of maintaining their facilities. Multiply the Hope offers a way forward by easing these burdens and helping parishes plan with greater confidence. ​

Looking ahead together

Participation across the Diocese continues to grow. Most participating parishes are already working toward or have completed their matching goals, reflecting both strong engagement and growing confidence in the initiative.

Parishes are moving forward with long-awaited projects, strengthening spaces for worship and community life, and preparing responsibly for the future. For many, the matching component has made the difference, turning what once felt out of reach into something possible.