Discover how Alberta’s fully publicly funded Catholic schools shape students academically and spiritually, placing Christ’s Eucharistic presence at the center of learning. As we embrace Jubilee 2025, we are reminded that Catholic education is a beacon of hope in a divided world—forming disciples, strengthening communities, and fostering a future built on faith, truth, and service. Learn how you can support and protect Catholic education today.

Catholic education is a gift worth celebrating! As part of the GrACE Champions initiative, each school division has a designated month to highlight the incredible faith, learning, and community within their schools. This is an opportunity to showcase stories of faith in action, student achievements, and the dedicated work of educators who make Catholic education thrive.

Find your school division's assigned month on the GrACE Champions Submissions Calendar, and be sure to submit your spotlight feature by the 3rd of the month. Let’s work together to inspire, invigorate, and embolden Catholic education across Alberta, NWT, and Yukon!

Dear GrACE Apostles,

As Catholics, we are united in a sacred mission—a legacy deeply rooted in faith, hope, and love. Our shared journey is not just a responsibility but a divine calling to plant seeds of God’s kingdom. Through Catholic education, we prepare future generations to live out their faith, ensuring that the light of Christ continues to shine brightly in the world.

"The Kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, yet he does not know how." (Mark 4:26-27)

This parable reminds us that our daily acts—teaching, advocating, serving, or simply being present in faith—hold unseen power to shape lives and communities. Each of us is called to courageously plant seeds of faith, hope, and love, trusting God to bring forth a bountiful harvest. Together, these small yet profound acts build a legacy that strengthens Catholic education and transforms the world.

Blessings and much love.

'Jesus, I trust in You'!

Kate

Executive Director | GrACE

Catholic education is more than just teaching—it is a living expression of faith in action. It calls us to inspire, serve, and transform communities by shaping hearts, minds, and souls in the light of the Gospel. Through faith-centered learning, we prepare students not only for academic success but for a life rooted in virtue, service, and discipleship.

Our mission is to:

• Form disciples of Christ who live out their faith with conviction
• Create communities of belonging where love and support thrive
• Proclaim the Gospel boldly in a world that needs hope and truth
• Serve as beacons of light by living out compassion, justice, and charity

With Christ as our guide, we commit to ensuring that faith is not just taught—but lived, shared, and embodied in all we do.

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1:22)

The sacred mission of Catholic education is not static; it evolves to meet the needs of each generation while remaining firmly anchored in the eternal truth of Christ. It is a transformative force that shapes individuals and strengthens communities, ensuring that the values of faith, hope, and love endure for generations to come.

As stewards of this sacred mission, we are called to be bold, creative, and faithful, trusting in God’s guidance to illuminate the path forward. Together, we can safeguard Catholic education as a cornerstone of spiritual and societal renewal, ensuring it remains a vibrant and transformative force in our world.

Imagine a world where Catholic education fades into history, where faith is no longer central to learning. Across Canada, Catholic schools have faced increasing secular pressures, with enrollment challenges and shifting cultural priorities. If we do not act now, we risk losing a system that has shaped generations in faith, leadership, and service. This is not an abstract concern—it is a reality that we must prevent.*

The call has been made. Now, the responsibility rests with us all. Catholic education’s future is determined not by words alone, but by the faithful actions of those who believe in its mission.

Catholic education must not only withstand the challenges of the present but must also illuminate the path for future generations. Our mission is to cultivate faith-filled leaders, instill Gospel values in every student, and build a resilient Catholic school system where Christ remains at the centre.

• Reevaluating Priorities: Replace outdated practices with approaches that actively proclaim the Gospel.
• Focusing on Formation: Align efforts with diocesan goals of worship, witness, and service.
• Embracing Renewal: Foster a culture of missionary discipleship within schools.

As Archbishop Smith emphasizes, "Jesus cannot be too small. Mary cannot be too small. Our prayer cannot be too small." This vision calls us to expand our horizons and let Christ lead the mission of Catholic education.

Prayer underpins renewal, unlocking God’s infinite possibilities:

• Marian Devotion: Promote consecration to Mary as a pathway to Jesus.
• Bold Prayers: Lead transformative prayers for the renewal of Catholic education.
• Modeling Faith: Show how faith overcomes challenges and inspires action.

There are so many positive stories about Catholic schools and education throughout Alberta and beyond.

Catholic education refers to educational institutions, Catholic schools, colleges, and universities; programs rooted in the Catholic faith; and the work of all who are known for their commitment to delivering academic excellence while emphasizing the values and teachings of the Catholic Church.

We warmly invite you to use the GrACE Champions Template and 2025 Calendar as valuable tools to share messages of gratitude, hope, and faith throughout the year. By embracing these resources, we can move beyond maintenance to a true mission—ensuring that Catholic education continues to inspire, transform lives, and strengthen communities with its enduring legacy of faith and excellence.

Thank you for your dedication and unwavering support.

Join the movement by following GrACE on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Share your pictures, tag us, and let’s celebrate the incredible impact of Catholic education together! Your posts inspire others and amplify the message of gratitude and support for publicly funded Catholic schools.

Thank you for being a proud and grateful advocate for Catholic education!

Stay Connected:
🌐 Website: www.gracealberta.org
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/GrACE4cathed
✉️ Email: gracedirector7@gmail.com
🐦 X (formerly Twitter): @GrACE4cathed
📸 Instagram: @grace4catholiceducation

Let’s grow the GrACE community together! 💙

• Sign up to receive GrACE’s monthly newsletter.
• Share GrACE’s monthly newsletter.
• Celebrate Catholic schools and Catholic education.
• Provide information to share in GrACE’s monthly newsletter.
• Tell your positive stories and benefits from your Catholic school(s) and Catholic education.
• Subscribe to GrACE’s Facebook; Twitter (X), and other social media pages.
• Encourage parents to become more actively involved in GrACE.
• Support the local GrACE group in your parish.
• Send updated contact information to GrACE to keep its database current.
• Encourage a sense of collective responsibility in upholding the mission and values of Catholic education in our shared society.
• Make a stand for Catholic schools and Catholic education in Alberta and beyond.
• Assert your choice in favor of Catholic education and its values.
• Champion the benefits of Catholic education and its broader implications for the spiritual, intellectual, and social development of individuals and society as a whole.
• Be active in the GrACE movement.
• Post your pictures and tag us so we can share them and celebrate too.

Student volunteers are warmly invited to represent their School in GrACE’s

social media campaign, new outreach, and database development.

How we can we better utilize technology platforms to ensure timely and effective communication within the wider Catholic education family and beyond? Your ideas will be gratefully received.

Please email gracedirector7@gmail.com to express interest and suggestions.

• 'Instruction of the Congregation for Catholic Education, ‘The identity of the Catholic school for a culture of dialogue, from the Vatican, 2022
• Growing in Faith Symposium — 5 Marks of Catholic Education
• CCSSA Catholic Leadership Quality Standards
• 5 Marks of an Excellent Catholic Leader
• The Excellent Catholic Teacher
• Calgary Catholic Schools
• Redeemer Revelations

Upfront with the Archbishop is a weekly podcast with Archbishop Richard Smith that seeks to bridge the gap between the hierarchy and the faithful by discussing the beauty, truth, and challenges of our Catholic faith.

Calgary, AB – Join choirs from across the Diocese of Calgary for an evening of sacred music culminating in the unveiling of a newly commissioned “Litany of St. Joseph in Song.” This monumental concert will take place at the Jack Singer Concert Hall and promises to be an unforgettable experience.