 Children's resources this Advent & Christmas
Advent & Christmas Books (source: Catholic All Year)
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 Each Advent I delight in opening the Bacani Valenti Family Christmas card. Mary Rose, a wife, homeschool mother of four girls aged 13, 10, 8 and 5, and freelance Catholic broadcaster, with her devoted husband Richard, an artist and videographer for Salt + Light Television, creatively write their Christmas card, using their art, photographs and words to reflect prayerfully on how God has moved in their family life. Their desire for holiness is evident and their card is a gift that turns my thoughts toward God. I met Richard and Mary Rose 20 years ago working in the Catholic media scene together in Toronto. Though we live at a distance now, our faith continues to connect us. It’s my pleasure to announce that Mary Rose will host one of three online Advent retreat evenings for the Diocese of Calgary. We are invited to gather in our parish, 7 pm, Dec. 3-5, to view the presenters: Brett Powell ‘Forming missionary disciples in Christ’; Bishop Scott McCaig ‘Be a Church of encounter and witness’; and Mary Rose Bacani Valenti ‘Strengthening family life’. The Bacani Valenti Family mission is to be a ‘Little Nazareth’ like the Holy Family. Simplicity is a cornerstone of their spirituality. They limit outside influences in the home, recognizing their foundation comes from offering one another the gift of presence. “‘Being’ is so important for us, so we spend our time just being together,” said Mary Rose of Richmond Hill, Ont. They seek activities that connect instead of divide; currently Mary Rose and her daughters act in a community theater twice weekly. Although the couple earns their living in communications, they limit technology use in their home. “I’m more like a monk. I don’t have notifications on my phone. I’m not on Facebook. I feel really called to enter into a silence,” said Mary Rose. She is currently praying the 19th Annotation, an at-home retreat centered on St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises. Mary Rose values her morning and evening prayer, weekly spiritual direction and moments of silence throughout the day. As a family, silence sounds like afternoon quiet time and an uncluttered schedule, allowing for a slower pace. “It’s living essentially…it’s a substantial silence, not just nobody talks – whether you read a book, write in a journal or go for a walk – we value that in our day.”
As a society “we value the doing and then we can’t think for ourselves, or invent things, or we are not as in tune with God. That’s why [our family likes] to write or do art because that comes from within us,” said Mary Rose. “I find we are less creative when we are busy; there is this emptiness, I don’t feel full.” For Mary Rose, writing her annual Christmas card isn’t busy work, but a space to reflect and pray. “It’s not a big burden because I do want to reflect on God’s gifts for us every year,” said Mary Rose. “We pick one theme and it’s our preparation for the year ahead.” Mary Rose invites you to join her at your parish on Dec. 5 to create intentional space for a guided Scriptural meditation and prayerfully reflect on how to strengthen your spiritual life in order to strengthen your own family.
Children attending our educational program at the Dominican Sisters Daycare Center learn about God's creation and redemption through daily Bible stories and actively discover God's presence in our world through various activities. One of the areas where they experience the significance of creation is our garden. Vegetables and flowers planted by the Sisters are not only a sight to behold but also an opportunity for the children's active participation in the beauty, effort, and fruit of God's work. Their hands-on involvement is a source of pride and joy for everyone and an essential aspect of our educational approach.
For the Sisters and children, spring is a time for preparing the soil and planting seeds. It is also a time to learn patience, observation, and systematic care for the tiny seed hidden in the ground, trusting that God will sustain it. By observing the growth process firsthand, children develop a deeper understanding of botany, ecology, and environmental science. This knowledge enlightens them and helps them feel like participants in creation and co-creators of God's work, inspiring a sense of connection and shared purpose among parents and educators. Focusing on the children's active role in the growth process strengthens the support for the educational approach. So, where do the veggies come from? They grow up, down, and around! Summer is when we first see the results as vegetables grow. The children taste fresh cucumbers, smell carrots, and compare the size and weight of green zucchini. In autumn, during harvest, the children also learn to give thanks for God's gifts of fruits and vegetables. By collecting potatoes, beets, and carrots from the field, they learn to work together and appreciate the beautiful gifts God has given us. They also check what items from our garden made it to the lunch table and eagerly try all the veggies on their plates! There are many smiles at the Sisters' table as we share stories about the daily moments we witness during this process. For example, not everyone wants the items they collect to end up in the kitchen.
Here’s a great story from our garden lessons: As the children poured potatoes into the shared basket, Sister Zacharia noticed Antoni hiding a bucket of potatoes behind him. She approached and said, 'Antoni, you can put the collected potatoes into the basket here.' Antoni shook his head and replied, 'These are my potatoes; my mom will cook them for dinner.' There was no question of adding them to the basket—what Antoni collected was already his. He was delighted to provide dinner for his family and proudly placed the fruit of his labour in his locker!
Written by Sr. Zacharia Hryc, OP. Sister Zacharia is a Dominican Sister of Immaculate Conception Province. She is an Early Childhood educator at the Dominican Sister Daycare Centre, Calgary.
As the new school year begins, our Catholic schools and communities across the Diocese are alive with excitement, faith, and the shared hope for a year filled with growth, learning, and grace. During last week’s School District opening Mass, Bishop McGrattan reminded teachers and staff that "it is a time to focus on those you will serve, especially the students and their families who are seeking an authentically Catholic education within our Catholic schools." As we embark on this year, the bishop acknowledged the challenges that may lie ahead—whether through experiences of persecution, affliction, or suffering. He emphasized that, as St. Paul taught, these trials are opportunities to strengthen our faith.
The Bishop also highlighted that "all of your work, efforts and accomplishments will always be fulfilled by His power and grace." The growth in charity and unity within our Catholic schools is not solely the result of human effort but is deeply dependent on the grace of God. "These simple signs that can foster the growth of the Catholic faith must become evident in the teachers, staff, students, and their parents within our Catholic schools.” Our diocesan Pastoral Renewal invites us to deepen our relationship with God, recognizing that we are Called, we Matter, and we Belong. "I hope that in this coming year you will in fact experience this same spirit of Renewal within your classrooms," says Bishop McGrattan, encouraging us to rediscover our passion for the vocation of Catholic education. He referenced Dr. Brett Salkeld’s Educating for Eternity, which offers an expanded vision of teaching that integrates faith into every aspect of the curriculum—an approach that is not merely an additional task but a central element of our mission. 
Holy Spirit Catholic School Division staff had a blessed day on August 28, 2024 as they held our Opening Mass for the 2024/2025 School Year in Lethbridge. "We're excited to move forward with Year 3 of our Faith Plan with a focus on Proclaiming Our Faith. Thank you to everyone who helped make this glorious day a huge success!! We look forward to welcoming students into the classroom next Tuesday on September 3, 2024, for the first day of school!" (Photos: Holy Spirit Catholic Schools Facebook) 
 Calgary Catholic School District staff gathered at parishes across Calgary to celebrate the District Opening Mass. "It was wonderful to gather as a community and kick off the 2024-2025 school year. We are blessed!"
 Opening Mass at Ascension Catholic Parish, Calgary In this video, Monique Baker, Director General of the Conseil scolaire FrancoSud, highlighted the start of the school year in the FrancoSud School District, where around 4,000 students will return to 16 schools. Staff are ready to offer a year of learning and enjoyment, with various educational, cultural, sports, and social activities planned. Monique also thanked parents for their support and trust, wishing all families a wonderful school year. Watch video Christ the Redeemer (CTR) Catholic Schools teachers from across the division gathered in Okotoks for our opening professional development day on Aug 26, 202 marking the start of the new school year. The day began with a Mass and a blessing from Bishop McGrattan, continuing our cherished tradition. The focus of the day was our Catholic faith, with the afternoon dedicated to professional learning and teacher planning. "We pray for our teachers and staff as they prepare to welcome our most precious gift - the students of CTR - on Wednesday, August 28!" | (Photos: CTR Facebook) “Heavenly Father, as we gather together to prepare for this new academic year, we ask for Your blessing on all of us. May Your Spirit set our hearts ablaze with love of You - love that we can share with our students, their families and each other. Bless our planning and be with us each day.”
 CTR welcomed 32 new teachers to the CTR family this new school year. The teachers gathered for two days of learning, orientations and collaboration. On the final day, CTR staff extended a traditional farewell blessing to the teachers as they look ahead to welcoming students to the classroom next week (photo above). Photos: CTR Facebook
MHCBE: "Yesterday our friends at Southland Transportation hosted two “My First Ride” events for our school division. The program is intended to teach first riders or new students about school bus safety and allow them to ride the bus for the first time prior to the first day of school... Wishing our students a wonderful first ride next week!" | Photos: MHCBE Facebook.  Thirteen new teachers begin their journey as educators in MHCBE Catholic schools. "We look forward to seeing them in our classrooms and hallways this school year. Please join us in welcoming them to our MHCBE family!"  Clear Water Academy, a Catholic private school in Calgary: "As we prepared to welcome students to school this week, we began by preparing our hearts and minds. Faculty Faith Day, led by our amazing formation team, was an enriching time for faculty to worship, reflect, and build community. We look forward to the start of the 2024-25 school year!" (Photos: Clear Water Academy Facebook)
Mary's Festival: A Celebration & Consecration of St. Mary's University to Our Blessed Mother5/12/2024
 During this season of Renewal, I would like to share the story of Ysabelle Galang - a living embodiment of pastoral renewal in our parish. Ysabelle is a young woman who just received her Sacrament of Confirmation last year. As part of the preparation for Confirmation, our booklet required the confirmandi to complete a Mass book. This involved attending mass and answering specific questions related to the service, such as the opening song, the book of the Bible from which the Gospel was read, and reflections on the homily. Ysabelle demonstrated great interest in this task, often asking me to help fill in any blanks she missed during mass. I would show her the Lectionary to reference the book. Her curiosity led to engaging dialogues during these encounters. Upon reviewing the rest of the confirmation booklet, she realized that she needed to serve the church or community in some capacity. When asked for suggestions, I proposed altar serving. She embraced this role with enthusiasm, attentiveness, and excellence.
Written by Fr. James Hagel for Faithfully, pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel, Chestermere.
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