Dear GrACE Apostles,
As we begin the new academic year, we are filled with hope and gratitude for the opportunity to educate and nurture the young minds and spirits entrusted to our care.
This year’s theme, "Testify! Share the Reason for Your Hope," inspired by 1 Peter 3:15, calls us to:
- Live Our Faith: Encourage parents, students, teachers, and the entire school community to embody their faith in everyday actions and decisions. By living out our beliefs, we demonstrate the presence of God in our lives and inspire others to do the same.
- Share Our Faith: Create opportunities for individuals to share their personal faith journeys. These stories foster a deeper connection with God and strengthen the communal bonds within the school.
- Storytelling: Integrate personal testimonies and faith stories into lessons, school events, and activities. These narratives reveal how faith shapes our lives, offering powerful examples of how God's love works through us.
- Community Engagement: Use platforms like school newsletters, social media, and parish bulletins to share these stories. Highlighting the experiences and impacts of Catholic education helps build a stronger, more connected community.
- Foster Unity: Cultivate an environment where all members of the school community feel welcomed, valued, and supported in their faith journey. A sense of belonging is key to nurturing a strong, faith-filled community.
- Band Together: Strengthen partnerships with parents, parishes, and the broader Catholic community. These collaborations reinforce our mission of providing holistic, faith-based education and ensure that we are united in our efforts to support and uplift one another.
May God bless and guide each of you as we embark on this significant time in our Catholic education calendar. Together, let us testify to our faith, share our stories, and build a community grounded in hope and love.
Blessings and much love.
'Jesus, I trust in You'!
Kate
Executive Director | GrACE
In the weeks and months ahead, I’m excited to share some key resources and updates to support your ongoing advocacy and commitment to Catholic education:
1. Advocacy Resources
- 10 Advocacy Tips for GrACE: These tips offer practical guidance to promote and defend Catholic education. They provide actionable ideas that can be implemented within your school, parish, or community.
- Report from GrACE's May 2024 Summit: This report, full of insights and strategies from the recent summit, is perfect for refreshing our Catholic education movement. You can read the full report at https://secure.smore.com/n/046dk
- Prayer Intentions for Catholic Education 2024-2025: These unify our community in prayer. Please share them widely within your schools, parishes, and districts.
2. Upcoming Events
- Combined Catholic Education Sunday and Week (October 19–25, 2024). Mark your calendars for this significant week of celebration. To prepare spiritually, pray the novena in advance of Catholic Education Sunday.
- Communication and Partnership: All GrACE contacts have been included in the GrACE Newsletter mailing to enhance communication across school districts. I encourage you to utilize this network for sharing guidance, support, and information.
3. GrACE Newsletter
- Monthly Distribution: The GrACE Newsletter is now distributed monthly via Smore. The submission deadline is the 10th of every month. GrACE is eager to feature your school’s activities and GrACE initiatives, so please send in your contributions promptly.
4. Distribution and Social Media Engagement Questions
- Newsletter Distribution: I’m interested in learning how you’re distributing the GrACE newsletter within your communities. Are all staff, parents, and parish members receiving it? Are you utilizing social media to amplify its reach? Let’s ensure this valuable information reaches all stakeholders.
- Social Media: Social media is a crucial tool for building a strong Catholic education community. I encourage every school to follow GrACE on Facebook and Twitter (X). Please tag GrACE on your posts so we can celebrate your successes and share your message with a broader audience.
5. Website Development
- Launch Timeline: The new GrACE website will be completed by December 2024 and will serve as a central hub for information, resources, and community engagement.
6. Moving Forward Together
These initiatives and resources are designed to help you stay connected, inspired, and effective in your advocacy for Catholic education. Let’s continue to work together to ensure that our collective voice remains strong and our impact continues to grow.
Catholic Education Sunday and Week, October 19-25, 2024
Catholic Education Week holds deep significance for the Catholic community, especially in today’s increasingly secular world. This week stands as a beacon of hope and commitment.
A Time for Unity and Reflection
Catholic Education Week offers a dedicated time for prayer, reflection, and unity within the Catholic community. It celebrates the profound role that Catholic schools play in the formation of young people.
Celebrating the Value of Catholic Education
This week provides an important opportunity to reaffirm the value of Catholic education. Our publicly funded Catholic schools form students to become compassionate, morally grounded individuals who contribute to our society.
A Collective Purpose
Catholic Education Week unites the community to recognize the importance of Catholic education, pray for our students, and seek blessings for the future. It is a time to express gratitude for the opportunities that Catholic education provides and recommit to upholding the values and teachings of the Catholic faith.
"Testify! Share the Reason for Your Hope"
The theme “Testify! Share the Reason for Your Hope” offers a powerful reminder of the responsibility that comes with the privilege of publicly funded Catholic education. It calls for courage to ensure that schools remain true to Church teaching while providing academic excellence.
- '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
GrACE Board Member and Deacon candidate Grant Gay embraces his mission!
I am grateful and proud to work alongside Grant Gay, a member of GrACE, who has just begun his third year of formation in the Diocese of Calgary’s Permanent Diaconate Formation Program.
This year marks an important step for Grant, as he was recently instituted as a Lector, a key milestone in his journey of discerning God’s call to serve as a deacon within the Church. Grant has embraced the responsibility of bringing the living Word to the community in a profound and meaningful way.
As Grant deepens his engagement with the Word of God through the Rite of Institution of Lector, this moment is a significant milestone on his path to ordination. With his wife, Kelsey, by his side, Grant continues on this sacred journey.
Let us keep both Grant and Kelsey in our prayers as they walk together in faith and service.
On September 26, 2024, Father Mark McGee, Pastor of St. Thomas More Parish in Edmonton, celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
Father Mark is not only my priest and my work colleague, he is also my friend.
As my Padre, Father Mark truly guides my spiritual journey, and I am so grateful to God for the blessing of his priesthood, which he speaks of as an incredible gift to the entire Church, given to us through the one priesthood of Jesus Christ himself.
On a professional level, he accompanies me in the cause of Catholic education.
On a personal level, he makes me laugh and reminds me how lucky I am to have my faith and his friendship.
Father Mark’s 25 years of service in the Catholic priesthood are a testament to his faith and dedication, and the journey continues. As Saint Paul exhorted Saint Timothy,
Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2).
Let us celebrate this milestone and continue to support Father Mark and all of our parish priests in their ministry as they faithfully carry out their mission.
