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Even though we live in a society where artificial intelligence and smartphones seem to provide the answer to every question, taking away from man the "effort of thinking" (Wittgenstein), the one who is still capable of stopping and marveling at the Kantian starry sky above him and the moral law within him, realizes to be part of a creation, an ordered uni-verse (unum-versus, towards the One), and thus is driven to seek the ultimate meaning, the foundation of existence: to seek Sophia. In a 7-stage journey of Art of Accompaniment: "Search for Wisdom" series at St. Martha's Parish (in-person and online), Father Tim Boyle has shed light on the abyss of the human heart: how, since his appearance on earth, man has become aware of his unique, special position of being-at-the-limit, at the limit between finite and infinite, and therefore has tried to find his identity by opening himself to the Beyond, following in the footsteps of Sophia, the Greek word for wisdom: first with a collective conscience, then with an individual self-consciousness, passing through the philosophical logos (Socrates, Aristotle, the great medieval Schools...) and the scientific one (Big Bang, evolutionary theories, etc.). Father Tim accompanied us in our search for Sophia with the Revealed Word, showing how the Bible recognizes the mysteriousness of man, who discovers his identity over and over again, opening himself to the very mystery of God. Christian theology thinks of God to think of man, and thinks of man to think of God, because after the incarnation, God and man are intersignifying realities: not only do we know God only through Jesus Christ, but we know ourselves only through Jesus Christ. Yet, despite the emergence of a global consciousness, and probably because of the unprecedented amount of information available, modern man is losing touch with reality. In the current "meaning crisis" where data knowledge does not always translate into mindfulness, Sophia can only be the antidote to the self-deception of separation, division, and disconnection. In conclusion, in the light of the Word stating "God is all in all" and the concept of "person" developed by Christian anthropology of the twentieth century, Father Tim emphasized how the Eucharist is central to the experience of Christians as a new consciousness. "Those who believe in Christ are living in this one reality, in this one body, in this one consciousness; we receive the oneness that we are to become. We receive in order to become Eucharist for the world. Jesus himself is the divine wisdom, is Sophia come into the world. Sophia -as the Word incarnate- has situated herself as a sun at the centre of the universe and at the center of every human person, and she will gradually draw everything, every person, into orbit around herself until Christ becomes all in all. The process will never stop until it is finished." Those who gathered at St. Martha’s or joined online were blessed to encounter a wise guide who introduced them to Sophia. Thank you, Fr. Tim, and all who helped bring the Search for Wisdom series to life at St. Martha’s.
Written by Cristiana Crestani, St. Martha's, Letbhridge. Photos courtesy of St. Martha's Parish.
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 Franciscan’s Catechetical Institute is continuing their FREE and excellent webinar series in 2025 to support catechists, teachers, and parish/ministry leaders worldwide! Find the list of courses here for Summer 2025:
July 2025
 Sr. Nuala Kenny. Photo by Michael Swan. At St. Mary’s University we are proud of our Catholic identity. Thanks to the generosity of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL), we are honoured to host a leading Catholic speaker for our CWL Annual Lecture in Catholic Studies. On Friday, October 2 (5:30 – 7:30 pm MST), Sister Nuala Kenny, MD will offer this year’s virtual keynote address on “Healing the Church: Diagnosing and Treating the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis”. Due to COVID-19, our lecture will be held online.
Sexual abuse by Catholic clergy is the greatest scandal of the modern Church. It has caused devastating, life-long harm to victim-survivors and their families and communities. It has resulted in the loss of trust in the Church as a place of holiness, care and justice, and has eroded the credibility of its leaders as disciples of a loving and merciful Jesus. For some, it has precipitated a crisis of faith in God as it has wounded bodies and minds and crushed souls. The Catholic Church is wounded and in need of healing. As a pediatrician who is also a Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University, Dr. Kenny is very familiar with the devastating harms of the physical and sexual abuse of children and youth. Among her many accolades, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1999 for her contributions to child health and medical education and she has received a Queen’s Jubilee Medal. As a Sister of Charity – Halifax for over 50 years, Sister Nuala is deeply committed to helping the Catholic Church heal from this crisis. She has been involved in this work since her 1989 participation in the St. John’s, Newfoundland, Archdiocesan Commission on Clergy and Clergy Sexual Abuse. She has authored two books on this topic, Healing the Church (2012) and Still Unhealed: Treating the Pathology in the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis (2019). Sister Nuala also served as an advisor to the CCCB Ad Hoc Committee on Protection of Minors (2014-2018) which produced “Protecting Minors from Sexual Abuse: A Call to the Catholic Faithful in Canada for Healing, Reconciliation and Transformation”. On Friday evening, October 2nd, Sister Nuala Kenny’s virtual keynote address is titled “Dynamics and Diagnosis: A Call for Personal and Ecclesial Reform”. Using her medical background, Sister Nuala will help us properly diagnose the deeper systemic issues that are at the root of this crisis. With this understanding, she will then draw upon the words and actions of Jesus, the Healer, to provide a holistic prescription for healing the Church. To register for this free online lecture, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-cwl-annual-lecture-in-catholic-studies-by-sister-nuala-kenny-md-tickets-121260769225 For those who wish to continue this important conversation, on Saturday, October 3rd, Sister Nuala Kenny is facilitating a virtual workshop: “Lessons from Being Church in the Pandemic: Prophetic Possibilities for Pastoral Conversion”. The morning session (10:30 am - 12:00 noon MST) is on “Lessons About Secrecy, Dialogue and Morality”. The afternoon session (1:00 pm - 2:30 pm MST) is on “Lessons About Relationships, Mission and Challenges”. This workshop is a critically constructive reflection on how we, as disciples of Christ, might make sense of what has happened in this crisis and respond both individually and communally. It aims to provide support for laity and clergy who desire repentance and continual conversion to disciples of a loving and merciful God. This workshop is rooted in the “mind of Christ” and in trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to make all things new. The cost of this workshop is $25.00 for both sessions. To register, visit: https://www.stmu.ca/event/cwl-virtual-workshop/ Written by Dr. Peter Baltutis CWL Chair for Catholic Studies, St. Mary's University. |
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July 2025
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