If you would like to learn about how to incorporate Benedictine Spirituality into everyday life, please join us on Saturday June 10, 2023, from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm at St. Albert the Great Parish with speaker Fr. John Paul Le, a Benedictine Monk from Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon. Mass will follow at 5 pm. No registration is required and there is no cost to attend. For more info, contact Patricia at (403) 630-1312.

Laura Locke is an educator, journalist, and editor of a free online eMagazine called Kolbe Times: Faith, Arts & Justice (kolbetimes.com). She is also the author of A Lamp on the Hill: St. Joseph’s Parish 1912-2012 (Calgary Public Library). Laura is married to Bill, who is publisher of Kolbe Times, and they have three amazing adult children and one beautiful grandchild. Laura and Bill enjoy biking, cooking, and volunteering together. They received the Sacrament of Confirmation and were welcomed into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil in 2007. In 2014 they became members of the Order of Secular Franciscans.

Photos courtesy of Laura & Bill Locke.

It’s more than a conference

“As women we often put the needs of others first, often to the point of burn out. But we cannot freely give of ourselves without first allowing ourselves to be and receive before our loving Father.”

Beloved Daughter’s ministry yearns for all women to have the opportunity to learn more about who they are as a beloved daughter of God. “To develop an understanding of our identity is essential to laying a solid foundation for all that we do.” said Jessica.

Attendees at this event can look forward to engaging speakers with experience in hosting women's conferences and healing retreats. They will also enjoy fellowship and community with women from Calgary and surrounding areas. Expect to worship the Lord in Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, praise and worship, as well as to receive the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

Moreover, local Catholic vendors will have items available for sale, adding to the overall enriching experience. 

Students heard stories from an elder, learned about traditional instruments from music scholars and cheered on a pair of youthful jiggers who stamped and spun with time honoured dance steps. Students also ate a typical Métis meal including bannock and pemmican plus learned a few words of Michif, a Métis language. To end the event, students participated in a skit depicting a kitchen party. They were encouraged to use their newly learned Michif words and finally to join in the dancing and general celebration.
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Commenting on the event, principal Meghan Calder said, “We have very diverse student population so they’re always open to new ways of doing and learning. Couple that with physical activity, great music and great guests and it’s easy for them to get involved.” Calder went on to say she was pleased her coworker had agreed to share his cultural heritage. She first learned about it when she and Gaudet taught at the same school years earlier. She encouraged him then, and since, to teach others about his culture. “This is really Jorin’s day,” Calder said. For his part, Gaudet said the event was almost like going home!       

The Moochigan held at OLA School involved several of Jorin Gaudet’s personal friends and fellow Métis. They spoke about their experiences and shared interesting information on traditional tools, dances, music, food preparation, cultural symbols and much more. Gaudet himself explained to students that the dark coloured sash he wore was a memorial to a sad time in Métis history after the Riel Rebellion. Elder Roderick McLeod shared his sadness too saying that he was reluctant to openly identify as Métis throughout much of his youth because of the discrimination Métis peoples endured. He welcomed the current openness to learning about First Nations, Metis, and Inuit cultures.

​On the other end of the age spectrum, Dustin Gamble is not Métis but has learned the intricate footwork of traditional dances from his friend Christobel Piche who has been dancing since she was eleven. Wearing beaded buckskin accessories, the pair enthralled students with their energetic performances. They told their audience that Métis was “a very beautiful, very inclusive culture”. Gamble said, “Whether you’re Métis of not, you can still be a part of the picture, you can still have fun and jig”. The students and staff of OLA School took this message to heart as they joyfully danced the Moochigan to a close.

Let us celebrate Catholic Education Week (May 14-19) this month with the provincial theme "As for us, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.” (Micah 4:5). Catholic Education Week also provides a special opportunity to thank each one of you for your extraordinary service on behalf of Catholic education!
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• Suggested Activities for Catholic Education Week and links to prerecorded reflections of Alberta Bishops - Download PDF
• 2023 Catholic Education Week Letter from the Bishops of Alberta (English/French)

Last week I attended the 2023 GrACE Summit – Walking Together in Catholic Education which was held in Edmonton. Grateful Advocates for Catholic Education (GrACE) was formed in 2018 as collaborative initiative of the Catholic school trustees and superintendents with the Alberta bishops. Its mission is “to inspire, invigorate and embolden the spirit of Catholic education in order to unite, engage, educate and communicate with one voice on its behalf”. This week we celebrate Catholic Education Week in the province of Alberta. The theme “Walking Together” was taken from the scripture passage “As for us, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.” (Micah 4:5). In the Alberta Bishop’s letter, we stated that this week “affords us the welcome opportunity to reflect on the crucial role Catholic schools play in educating our children and young people, by creating formative communities of love and care that witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.

What makes a Catholic school distinct and relevant in our current society? These schools are communities of faith and learning. They can be diverse in their configuration i.e., public, private or charter, yet focused on coming to know the truth, the goal of all learning through the use of reason which is animated by a faith and belief in God. In fact, Catholic schools are not intended to be exclusively for Catholics. They are school communities for all families, imbued with a Catholic world view, a Christian anthropology of the human person as being created in the image of God, a faith infused curriculum of learning, the Gospel witness of prayer and service which promotes a focus on community through a spirituality of communion.  

Catholic schools are not institutions of propaganda as some would argue nor are they to be controlled by ideologies, or educational trends of a government agenda. The Catholic educational tradition offers experiences of learning that allow for both evangelization and the catechetical support of young people in their faith through celebrating encounters that are centered in Christ. However, the task of education is broader. It is to promote a wholistic experience of learning that forms and completes the person, preparing them for life, to appreciate the value of their life and that of others by offering to society values and goods that they willingly share for the benefit of others through service. This is the distinctly Catholic approach to education which enhances the human formation and mature development of the next generation of young people as they grow in knowledge and wisdom.  

In recent years there has been a growing “educational emergency” in public education. It is marked by the increasing difficulty of transmitting the basic values of life, what is truth, what is good, what is beauty, to our young people. At the core of this “emergency” is the misconception that truth is relative, that what I subjectively believe to be true for myself is the “truth” and that it must be accepted by others. Pope Francis identified this tension and challenge for Catholic educators – “Dialogue, in fact, educates when a person relates with respect, esteem, sincerity of listening and expresses themselves with authenticity, without obfuscating or mitigating one’s identity. We cannot create a culture of dialogue if we do not have identity.” The Catholic identity of our schools, the witness of our Catholic school teachers who engage in this dialogue through their teaching can transform a society and culture which is becoming more relativistic and secular. 

The Catholic school curriculum of learning needs to address this important dialogue while balancing the relationship between religious enquiry and catechesis in the Catholic faith. This initiative of dialogue is distinctly Catholic in identity which we offer to society. Catholic schools have a core curriculum of learning where religious faith can permeate all subjects. For Catholic students, this might also serve as a pathway of catechesis which must always respect a wider and more meaningful integration within their family and the life of the Church. It is a curriculum which is primarily “knowledge-based” for those students who are not part of the Catholic tradition. It invites them to be reflective, to grow in religious literacy and knowledge while being open to a human formation that reflects the Christian understanding of the human person, their inherent dignity and destiny. 

Catholic schools both public and private have the potential to contribute to the cultural enrichment of society. Despite the hostility and indifference towards religion these schools serve as a witness to the importance of religious belief as a critical voice of dialogue in civic society. Therefor Catholic schools have a unique opportunity to teach about the value of religion, belief in God and through Christ to know how we are to transform the values of a wider society.

​The key to the future mission and identity of our Catholic schools is the commitment of the parents and teachers to see Catholic education as an enrichment of our culture. Education by its nature invites an openness to other cultures, without the loss of one’s fundamental identity. This is the rich tradition of Catholic education in Alberta and the mission of our schools to inspire, invigorate and embolden this Catholic identity for future generations. This week let us speak with one voice in walking together for Catholic Education.   

Resources:

• Suggested Activities for 2023 Catholic Education Week and links to prerecorded reflections of Alberta Bishops - Download PDF
• 2023 Catholic Education Week Letter from the Bishops of Alberta (English/French)

Consider this...
“But all things should be done decently and in order.” 1 Corinthian 14:40
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When we are able to maintain order in little things, we are present to the moment.

Invited by Bishop McGrattan, I am taking this opportunity to write about my fellow pastor, Rev. Ephrem Kardouh, BSO. He belongs to the Basilian Salvatorian religious order in Lebanon and I believe many of you had been blessed by his fruitful ministry and presence in Calgary before his current pastoral assignment.  Currently, Father Ephrem works along with me in the Melkite parish of Lincoln, Rhode Island, USA.

The life of a priest is filled with unpredictability and unique tasks each day, from baptisms to anointings of the sick. A priest is called to be all things to all people, following St. Paul's teaching, "To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some" (1 Cor 9:22b). With a deep commitment to serve and glorify God, a priest works tirelessly to fulfill the spiritual needs of the people.

​Fr. Ephrem was ordained in 2013 by Eparchial Bishop of Newton for Melkites in the United States, Bishop Nicholas Samra. He was sent to Calgary at the time when the Canadian government announced it would open its door to 25,000 Syrian refugees. Fr. Ephrem played a crucial role in creating a welcoming home for Syrian refugees in Canada, working alongside the Calgary Catholic Immigration Services. In 2015, he started the community of St. Basil's Melkite Catholic Church in Calgary, while also serving as a healthcare minister for the Diocese of Calgary, providing pastoral ministry and sacraments to those in need in Calgary hospitals. Fr. Ephrem has fond memories of the kindness, generosity, faith, and love he experienced while serving in Calgary. In 2019, he accepted a pastoral move to St. Basil the Great Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Lincoln, Rhode Island, to assist his predecessor, Fr. Joe, who had been ill.

Father Ephrem arrived during a difficult time, with a rocky path to pastoral life due to COVID and a pending church roof problem that had persisted for four years. Nevertheless, he accepted the challenge, organized the Finance and Parish Advisory Councils, and dove deep into the issue. Now, two and a half years later, everything is thriving. Recently, we celebrated his 50th birthday on February 18th, with hopes and prayers for an incredible year ahead. May the next 50 years be even better than the first - he is now 18,262 days old!

To backtrack, Father Ephrem considered himself a pastor in training during his first ten months with us, which was a difficult transition from one church to another. He quickly discovered that there is so much about local church ministry that cannot be taught in the classroom, reminding us to keep it humble and have a mentor.

Despite changes being necessary in any profession, Father Ephrem approached his role with respect, competency, integrity, vision, and love for God. He followed the one-year rule, taking time to learn, listen, build relationships, and gain trust during his first year with us. After that, he took charge and continued to serve with his whole heart. 

He organized the most successful two-day festival on the church grounds in July 2021, as well as a Food Fair in October 2021 to generate more funds for the major maintenance expenditures. 

Father Ephrem has an incredible talent for capturing 100% of the parishioners with his inspiring homilies. His computer science skills are equally impressive - we are now known for having one of the best parish websites and electronic bulletins in the Eparchy. His weekly electronic bulletin, consisting of around twenty pages, is eagerly anticipated by parishioners as well as others.

One of his dreams also came true. He was able to receive an overwhelming response to begin Bible Study. These sessions are held every other Wednesday in person, and on Thursday, via zoom respectively. Total participants including many young people, as well as immigrants, number about 50. 
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Creating a meaningful space for the community is important to Father Ephrem. He enhanced the Baptism Room by combining it with St. Elias Church, which was forced to close in December 2015 due to lack of attendance and later sold. The new space, now called St. Elias Chapel, is used for Divine Liturgy, Baptisms, and other small liturgical services throughout the week. This union of the two churches has brought the congregation together as a single corporate body once again.

Written by Rt. Rev. Exarch Joseph S. Haggar, Pastor-Emeritus, for Faithfully. 

Father Joe celebrated his 57 years of Ordination on March 13, 2023, and is truly called in the Eparchy, the “living history of our diocese." Did you know? On February 13, 2003, Fr. Joe received a personal phone call from St. Pope John Paul II, appointing him as Eparch of the Melkite Eparchy of St. Sauveur of Montreal and all of Canada, following the recommendation of His Beatitude Patriarch Gregory III and his Holy Synod.  However, due to his health condition, Father Joe respectfully declined the offer in person with His Holiness. May God bless Fr. Joe with health and happiness in his ministry. 
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​Photos courtesy of St. Basil Parish, Rhode Island, USA