Exploring Paths to Joy – Catholic Education Week 2015

Each year, the Catholic community of Ontario engages in a week-long celebration of the unique identity and distinctive contributions of Catholic education during Catholic Education Week. This year’s celebration is entitled, ‘Catholic Education: Exploring Paths of Joy’ and will be held for the week of May 3-8. The overall scriptural theme is taken from Luke’s gospel account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32), “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road?” We are hopeful that as the body of Christ, we, too, feel our hearts burning within us as we explore the paths of joy during this week.  The five sub-themes for Catholic Education: Exploring Paths of Joy are:

• Monday Day 1: Walking Together and Sharing Our Stories
• Tuesday Day 2: Opening the Scriptures
• Wednesday Day 3: Welcoming Others to the Table
• Thursday Day 4: Recognizing Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread
• Friday Day 5: Proclaiming the Good News

To mark the beginning of Catholic Education Week, Monday, May 4 we will break ground for the new Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School in Rockwood. Minister Sandals and other local dignitaries will join us to celebrate. Sacred Heart will pride itself in 21 Century technologies and shaping hearts for learning and hearts for living.

On Wednesday, May 6 each of our secondary schools will participate locally in the province-wide Mass initiative. Building on the success of last year’s province wide mass, this day will receive a new designation, the “Ontario Catholic Student Youth Day”; a special day of unity, worship, evangelization and recognition of Catholic youth. Our youth are embracing the invitation of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops as set out in This Moment of Promise.

“You are a most significant educational influence on each other.  We invite you to become active participants in the process of Catholic education. We urge you to bring your energy, enthusiasm and generosity to the task of building a Catholic community within your school and to shaping the vision of Catholic education. Your strengths and your weaknesses, your joys and your fears, your struggles and your searchings, will be welcomed in this community. Whatever your age, you are not too young to assume responsibility with and for your fellow students. You are a most significant educational influence on each other. You can help each other become disciples of Jesus Christ or you can hinder each other from becoming everything you are called to be. How you are with one another now, will significantly influence how you will be with others as adults. The future of the church and its mission of service in the world will be yours. For this, you will need courage, self-discipline and all the love you are able to give. Take up the challenge of growing into a sense of who you are as Christians, so that you can develop the talents you have been given and bring the best of yourself to the society in which you will be living.” (Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, This Moment of Promise)

There are many exciting celebrations of student learning occurring at each of our schools. Check out your school’s website, twitter account, newsletter or call the school for more details.  We hope you are able to join us.

As we enter this week we pray for our students, that through their education they may be drawn deeper into the love of God and for parents, guardians, educators and religious, that God will bless you in your vocation and all that you do to support Catholic education.

Scatter joy!

Tamara