November 2016

Merely to Wish We cannot merely pray to You O God to end war:

For we know that You have made the world in such a way That we must find our own path to peace

Within ourselves and with our neighbours. We cannot merely pray to You O God to end starvation; For

You have already given us the resources With which to feed the entire world

If we use them wisely. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end disease,

For you have already given us great minds with which To search out cures and healing

If we would only use them constructively. We pray to You instead O God:

For strength, determination, and will power, To do instead of just to pray,

To become instruments of peace Instead of merely praying for peace.

Table of Contents Administrators’ Message ..........................................................................................................................................3

Newsletter Contest ...................................................................................................................................................4

Remembrance Day Service .......................................................................................................................................4

Chapters Indigo Adopt-A-School ..............................................................................................................................5

Student Drop Off/Pick Up Zone ................................................................................................................................5

Progress Report and Parent Teacher Conferences ..................................................................................................5

Books Fair Information .............................................................................................................................................6

Scholastic Book Fair ..............................................................................................................................................6

Spanish Book Fair- Castilla Books .........................................................................................................................6

Cold Weather School Bus Cancellation Notice .........................................................................................................6

Appropriate Winter Wear ........................................................................................................................................7

Keeping Up-To-Date .................................................................................................................................................7

WE Day Update .........................................................................................................................................................7

Fantastic Leadership Group ......................................................................................................................................8

Edmonton Food Bank ...............................................................................................................................................8

Fruits of the Holy Spirit - Goodness ..........................................................................................................................8

FLG Volleyball Teams ................................................................................................................................................9

ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH NEWS ...........................................................................................................................9

First Communion ..................................................................................................................................................9

Pre-registration for Confirmation .........................................................................................................................9

School Advisory Council (SAC) Information ........................................................................................................... 10

Casino Fundraiser - HELP NEEDED!! .................................................................................................................. 10

FLG Family Market Tradeshow - Thursday, November 24 ................................................................................ 11

Christmas Art Cards ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Hot Lunch........................................................................................................................................................... 11

Mr. Bones’ Bash Halloween Family Dance and Silent Auction .......................................................................... 12

FLG Thank You Card Contest! ............................................................................................................................ 14

Boston Pizza Operation Education .................................................................................................................... 14

SAC Classroom Representatives ........................................................................................................................ 14

Next SAC Meeting .............................................................................................................................................. 14

School District News .............................................................................................................................................. 14

Administrators’ Message The month of October was certainly a busy one with Read-In Week, Thanksgiving celebration, WE Day, and, of course, the festivities surrounding the celebration of Hallowe’en. A sincere thank you to our SAC for organizing a truly wonderful Hallowe’en Family Dance. The dance was extremely well attended and the care that went into every aspect of the event (decorations, music, silent auction, pictures, and concession) was very much appreciated. Sincere thanks to our Grade 6 students and many parent volunteers who helped out.

Now that students are established in their school routines, it becomes time for us to acknowledge the important role that parents play in their child’s learning and development. Checking agenda books nightly and providing a structured time and place for children to work will help kids to develop positive work habits and attitudes. We also suggest that parents play an active role in supporting their children’s involvement in the Home Reading Program by: listening to them read, talking about what they read, encouraging and supporting reading goals, and encouraging them to read daily. Thank you for your continued support. It does make a difference! The first school term will soon be coming to a close and report cards will be available on PowerSchool at the end of the day on Friday, November 18th. If you do not have a PowerSchool account, you will need to create one and, once this account is created, you will need to add your students to it using the access information which will be sent home with your child. If you already have a PowerSchool account, you are ready to go for online report cards. If you require assistance, please use the links on the main PowerSchool page. Teachers have been carefully assessing their students in order to provide parents with a detailed picture of each child’s progress. When you receive your child’s report card (for students in Grades 1 – 6), please take time to read through the entire report card. The key learner outcomes and teacher comments are very important in understanding your child’s progress this term. Our staff looks forward to meeting and discussing with you your child’s accomplishments during Parent Teacher Interviews on Thursday, November 24th. There are many other reasons to use the PowerSchool parent portal. Online payments can be made to the school using PowerSchool. When students enter Junior High and High School, PowerSchool is the main form of communication between parents and school. It has been a fantastic start to the school year and we look forward to seeing many of you in the weeks to come.

D. Hatch (Principal) A. Scarpelli-Mannarino (Asst. Principal)

Newsletter Contest Last month, we hid an image in the newsletter and it was found by many students. The winner of a new book is Breyton D. in KB. Congratulations Breyton! This month, we have hidden this image in the newsletter. If you find it, please print that page and bring it to the office.

Remembrance Day Service On November 8th at 1:00pm, students and staff at Father Leo Green will gather in the gym for our Remembrance Day Service. We would like to extend the invitation to you, the parents, to join us for this special service. This year, Father Leo Green has a special request: if your child is a boy scout, girl scout, or cadet, they are encouraged to wear their uniform to the service. If you are a member of the armed forces, please consider joining us dressed in your uniform. Class 3A and KD will be leading the prayers on this day.

Chapters Indigo Adopt-A-School We are happy to announce that we surpassed our goal of one book for each of our 407 students. This year, with the support of many people in our community, we were able to raise enough money to buy 489 books for our school and classroom libraries through this wonderful program. We would like to graciously thank the Coles stores in Southgate, Londonderry, and Kingsway malls for their sponsorship. We would also like to thank members of our community who shared stories and donated funds on-line and in the stores.

Student Drop Off/Pick Up Zone The area in front of the school (along 144 Avenue) is marked as a Loading (5-minute max) Zone. It is intended to be used for student drop-off and pick-up. Please do not leave your vehicle in this area for more than 5 minutes. This is also a “no idle” zone so please do not leave your car running. We have new billboard signs to remind everyone that this is a 5 min loading zone area.

Also, the parking lot at Father Leo Green is only for Edmonton Catholic School District staff.

Please be respectful and courteous to all of our FLG family members and share the parking that we do have.

Thanks you to Visual Communications Professionals for helping us with the new signage. This is a company that is operated by an FLG family.

Phone: 587-524-1234

Web: www.vcpros.ca

Progress Report and Parent Teacher Conferences As mentioned in the Administrators’ message (above), report cards will be available on PowerSchool on November 18th at 3pm. Conferences for grades 1 – 6 for parents, teachers and students will be held on: Thursday, November 24, 2016 1:00pm – 4:00pm and 5:00pm – 8:00pm Again this year, we will be using an on-line tool called Conference Manager to allow parents to book their own conference times with their children’s teacher. You will receive detailed information about Conference Manager in an email from your child’s teacher. In the meantime, here is the link to FLG Conference Manager which will become active on November 18th.

École/Escuela Father Leo Green staff members very much value the positive working relationship we have with our parent community. We strongly encourage parents who have concerns about their child’s learning, be it academic, social, or emotional, to contact the teacher immediately. Please do not wait until November 24th to advise the teacher of your concerns. Please note: Kindergarten conferences will be scheduled by the Kindergarten teachers. Please watch for information coming home with your child.

Books Fair Information

Scholastic Book Fair We are happy to announce that FLG’s annual Fall Scholastic Book Fair will be held in our school library between Tuesday November 22nd and Thursday November 24th.

Did you know that Scholastic Book Fair returns up to 60% in product profits back to our school? This library fundraiser helps our school purchase new books and resources for our library and classrooms.

Students will have an opportunity to visit the book fair during their regular library times, and are able to purchase books or items on those days. The book fair will be open Tuesday and Wednesday from 9am to 3pm, Thursday 9am to NOON, and during the Parent/ Teacher interviews which are from 1pm-4pm and 5pm-8pm.

We encourage you to stop by and take a look. We accept cash, cheque, VISA, Master Card, AND Debit.

We would not be able to hold the Scholastic Book Fair without parent help. If you interested in volunteering this year, please contact Mme. Sofia at 780-476-0606, or email her at sofia.fontoura-moscardelli@ecsd.net

We thank you in advance for your time.

Spanish Book Fair- Castilla Books

We are happy to announce that Father Leo Green will also be hosting a Spanish Book Fair in the library, on Thursday November 24th. The Spanish Book fair will be open from 9:00 am to NOON, and during Parent/ Teacher interviews. We look forward to seeing you.

Cold Weather School Bus Cancellation Notice Please be advised that the following Radio and TV Stations will carry announcements with respect to transportation cancellations due to inclement weather conditions.

RADIO STATIONS

630 CHED AM 930 The Light CJCA CBC CISN FM 103.9 SHINE 105.9 FM CHFA (CBC Fr.) FRESH FM 92.5 TSN 1260 CFCW 840 INEWS 880 AM 95.7 CRUZ FM CAPITAL FM 96.3 The Bounce FM 91.7 The Bear 100.3 FM K97 97.3 UP! 99.3 FM SONIC 102.9 FM 102.3 NOW! Radio HOT 107 FM 104.9 VIRGIN Radio FM

TV STATIONS

CITYTV CTV Edmonton GLOBAL Edmonton CBC TV Every effort will be made to have messages broadcast commencing no later than 6:30 a.m.

Appropriate Winter Wear Winter will soon be here and with it, the expected cold weather. Please ensure your children are dressed appropriately for the weather. Please label all new winter wear with your child’s name so that it can be returned easily if lost. Students who are ill should remain at home until they feel well enough to participate in all school activities, recess included.

Keeping Up-To-Date In addition to these newsletters, we will be sharing information using a number of digital tools.

Our newsletters will be published electronically and posted on our school website at the beginning of each month. You will be able to read about all the news and activities that are happening at the school and also have a calendar of events to go to in order to check on up-coming events. Our school website is: www.fatherleogreen.ecsd.net If you do not have access to a computer, please let us know.

WE Day Update Eighteen Grade 6 students, Mme Suzanne and Senor Cristian had an amazing experience on Wednesday, October 26th. The ride to Calgary was enjoyable and the speakers and presenters were truly inspiring. The students felt that this day had a very positive impact on their motivation and dedication to social justice. The Grade 6 students have chosen the country of Nicaragua and the pillar of Opportunity as their social justice focus this year. Brian and Nicholas, two students who attended We Day, spoke very enthusiastically about Chris Hadfield, one of the We Day presenters. "As a little boy, instead of having rock star or athlete posters in his room, Chris Hadfield had a poster of a moon which motivated and inspired him to become an astronaut. That statement really touched us to think about our inspiration for the future" - Brian and Nick, Class 6A

Fantastic Leadership Group A HUGE thank you to all the Leadership Club students that were able to volunteer their time to help out at the SAC Family Dance! There will be many more opportunities to volunteer throughout the year and your enthusiasm, positivity and helpfulness is greatly appreciated.

Edmonton Food Bank A huge thank you to all the students and families who were able to contribute to our two Food Bank drives - during Thanksgiving week, our brown bin was just overflowing with non-perishable items. For Halloween, the Grade 6 students created a Haunted House and asked students to help "Scare Away Hunger" by bringing a food bank donation. Once again, our big brown bin was just overflowing with donations. We are so grateful for the generosity and are so happy to donate all these items to families in need.

Fruits of the Holy Spirit - Goodness At each Assembly, we will be focusing on a different Fruit of the Holy Spirit. In October, we were out looking for students who were caught spreading goodness and being true role models. These students were celebrated at our Assembly on November 1st. We are so happy to have teamed up with Mr. O'Keefe from Kiwanis who presented these students with a Terrific Kid certificate, treat and pencil. Congratulations to the following students for truly demonstrating Goodness!

KB: Breyton D. and Kalysta C.

KC: Alesandra A. and Adrian A.

KD: Owen A. and Elisha B.

1A: Kali D. , Noelia H. , Jean-Maël K., Karina H.

1C: Taylor H. , Hellen ., Cristiano L.

1D: Jeremy P., Keira Q., Anais A.

2A: Makayla C., Emiliano C., Cora K.

2C : Alessandro H., Catalina S., Brianna E.

2D: Sydney S., Hugo R. , Mia H.

2/3B: Alice P., Madysen L.

3A: Zoe S., Noelle H., Darlene M., Kora M.

3C: Isabelle M., Sienna C., Katherine M.

4A: Zakkiyya S. , Bohdi M. ,Rehema R.

4C: Rylie Q.

5A: Naja A., Ayveree S., Sean L., Rose P., Jason X.

5C: Noemi V., Makaiya R., Liam C.

6A: Brian S., Nicholas L., Chloe W., Tristan H.

6C: Madeleine J., Riley K.

During the month of November – the fruit of the Holy Spirit is Peace.

FLG Volleyball Teams

We are so happy to present our boys and girls volleyball teams this year! They have been practicing hard after school and are getting ready for their first tournament on Thursday, November 17th at St. Cecilia's. We are hoping that these students learn some new skills, make some new friends and have a ton of fun while representing our school with pride!

Boys Team: Nicholas, Tyson, Aidan, Brian, Carter, Owen, Onyx, Sean, Renato

Girls Team: Camila, Aspen, Serina, Kennedy, Kirah, Sierra, Annalysa, Micheala, Chloe

ST. DOMINIC SAVIO PARISH NEWS First Communion class 1 of the preparation takes place on either Tuesday, Nov. 15 or Wednesday, Nov. 16 @ 6:00 pm in the parish hall (depending on which evening you signed up for). Pre-registration for Confirmation (grade 6 or older) is now taking place. If you attend St. Dominic Savio Parish OR live within our church boundaries (Manning Drive west to 82 St. and 137 Ave. north to city limits) and you would like your child to receive Confirmation at our parish in the Spring of 2017, please call Ann at 780-473-4259 ext. 2 to pre-register. Forms and letters will then be dropped off to the school in early January addressed to your child.

School Advisory Council (SAC) Information

Casino Fundraiser - HELP NEEDED!!

o We need 6 more positions filled! This Casino could generate up to $80 000 for our kids.

o Sunday, November 20 & Monday, November 21, 2016 at Century Casino (13103 Fort Road)

o This is our school’s largest fundraising event for the next two years! o IMPORTANT - The following shifts MUST be filled:

Nov 20 • evening shift (approx. 6:45 pm – 3:30 am) x 2 (spares*)

Nov 21 • day shift (9:30 am – 7:00 pm) x 1 (spare*) • evening shift (approx. 6:45 pm – 3:30 am) x 3 (spares*)

*Spare means that you will be on-call to work in the event of a last minute cancellation.

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for a shift or two! o No experience is necessary. o If you (the parent) cannot help at the designated times - perhaps your child’s grandma,

grandpa, aunt, uncle, adult sibling, etc might be willing to help out our school. o Casino funds will be used for subsidizing field trips for the next two years; purchasing

musical instruments, purchasing new library books, purchasing more math 'manipulatives' for each grade & other items that will enhance students educational experiences.

o For more information and job descriptions, refer to the Casino tab under School Information on the school website or click here.

o Please contact Trina Jewison at flgsac@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer or would like more information.

o If you have already signed up for a shift, you will receive an email from the Casino Organizer (Trina Jewison) by Thursday, November 10th. Please confirm that you can still do the shift you signed up for by replying to that email. You will also receive a text later that week. Remember to bring Photo ID with you to the casino.

FLG Family Market Tradeshow - Thursday, November 24

FLG SAC is hosting a Family Market of home based businesses and/or hobbies where we can support and learn about the families in our school. It will be held during the Demonstration of Learning on November 24 from noon until 7:00 pm. There will be lots of things to look at and purchase in the gym between class visits. Please come out and support our school families! Thank you all for the interest and excitement about the Family Market since the last newsletter!! It is very encouraging and we are excited to see this event succeed! We have a great group of vendors so far - but still have room for more. If anyone is thinking about reserving a table please fill out the registration form (sent to you by your Classroom Rep) as soon as possible and send it to school or email it to flgsac@gmail.com. An idea we are also trying out is a Book Donation and Swap. We will be accepting new and gently used books that your kids are finished with. We will give the school first chance to build up our own school library with English, and especially Spanish and French books. All the rest will be available at the Market for families to take. Please bring your books to the school any time before November 23 and put them on the cart in the library that is marked BOOK DONATION. If you have any questions about the Market please contact Barb or Jen at flgsac@gmail.com. Thank you for your support and see you at the Market!!

Christmas Art Cards Order forms were sent home with each student this week. Just a reminder that to receive your Christmas cards made from your child's artwork by December 1 (to allow time for mailing), order forms must be handed in by Friday, November 18th. When handing in the forms please return it in its entirety – the order form with payment. Please do not send post-dated cheques and change cannot be provided. Orders will be printed in the order they are received. Deadline for ordering will be December 9th. If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Thornton at flgsac@gmail.com.

Hot Lunch

o Upcoming lunch date Tuesday, November 29 from Edo Japan ORDER DEADLINE - Thursday, November 24 @ 10 pm Silly Theme & Homeroom Challenge: Dress as Cowboys/Cowgirls!

o If you would like to volunteer at 11:00 am to help deliver the hot lunch, please email Trina Jewison at flgsac@gmail.com. Trina will confirm with all volunteers directly via email two days prior to the hot lunch date.

o Use HealthyHunger.ca to order. o Payment must be made with Interac, Visa or MasterCard. o Items come as listed only. o If you have not done so already, you will need to set up an account

at HealthyHunger.ca following the instructions on the website – but don’t fear, it’s super easy.

o If you have an account already set up from last year, you’ll need to login in and then re-add your child, including his/her new class information.

o PLEASE CHOOSE THE CORRECT CLASSROOM/TEACHER. French is at the top of the list, Spanish at the bottom.

o Please note that it's one account for each family. Each child will have their own tab so you can add multiple lunches to the cart and when every child's food is selected, checkout just once.

Mr. Bones’ Bash Halloween Family Dance and Silent Auction The Annual Family Dance and Silent Auction on October 28th was yet again an incredible success with another sell out! It was a packed house with 138 families that attended. We apologize to those families that were unable to purchase tickets because we were sold to capacity with advance sales alone. Thank you to our many parent volunteers, who did everything from decorating the gym during the day to working a shift before, during and/or after the dance; plus, our marvelous grade 5 & 6 students who were busy helping at the front door, running the store, working in the concession, helping with the photo booth and filling many other important roles. FLG families certainly came to “monster mash and join the bash!” And indeed brought their “cash to check out all the Halloween stash”. We raised just over $4,000 with the dance and silent auction this year. A sincere thank you to all of the businesses and individuals who graciously supported the dance and silent auction by donating silent auction items and the pumpkins that the grade 5 students carved: Art Gallery of Alberta Axe Music Bamford's Garage Black Gold River Tours Boxbra Brenneis Vegetable Gardens Comic Strip Daum Family Deadmonton Haunted House Disney Store (Kingsway), Claudia Vega Dominelli Music School Double Diamond DQ Grill and Chill (Pilot Sound) Earls (Clareview) Edmonton Symphony Edo Japan (Namao)

Education Station Escape City Famoso (Christy's Corner) Fruits of Sherbrooke Stephane Gagnon & Caroline Bouchard Gonzalez de la Vega Family H&W Produce (Clareview) HeadQuarters Salon (Sherwood Park) Julio's Barrio (Whyte Ave) Jubilations Dinner Theatre Kokoo Photography Krav Maga Solutions Kreller Family L'Unitheatre & Cafe Bicyclette Laser Tag City Centre

MacDonald Family (Tim Hortons) Michelle Belanger (Tellez family) Mme. Moscardelli Mountain Park Lodges Nancy’s Nails, Nancy Brenneman Nellies Cleaning Peart Family PinkLime Salon Purdy's Chocolates Rabbit Hill Rapid Fire Theatre Red Robin Resonate Music Studio Royal Tyrell Museum Simply Supper

Snow Valley Sticker Beaver Shoppers Drug Mart (Ebenezer Asare) Sundance Balloon Sunridge Telus World of Science The Italian Centre The Theatre Network ThrillScape: Escape Rooms Edmonton Trina Jewison, Sunset Gourmet Truck Outfitters Twin Willows Urbano Pizza Co., Mena Family Whistlers Inn Jasper Yuk Yuk's

FLG Thank You Card Contest! o Thank you to all the students that submitted artwork for our thank you card

contest. o SAC will be using the winners’ artwork to thank our community members and

companies who generously sponsor our school. o Winners (one winner from grades K-3 and one winner from grades 4-6) will be

selected at the next SAC meeting and then notified.

Boston Pizza Operation Education Please keep sending in your original, itemized receipts!

SAC Classroom Representatives Thank you to all the parents that have volunteered to be Classroom Reps. They will represent their child’s class at the SAC meetings; as well as send out emails to the class parents informing them of SAC news. Please watch for these emails so that your child doesn’t miss out on upcoming SAC events.

Next SAC Meeting As always, all parents are welcome to attend the SAC meetings. The next meeting will be Tuesday, November 8th at 6:30 pm in the library.

School District News

November 2016

Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” ~Luke 10:5~

This scripture comes from a passage known as The Mission of the Seventy. Jesus is giving instructions to his

disciples, whom he is sending forth in pairs to all of the nations to prepare the way for him. Imagine the importance of establishing peaceful intentions as they were venturing out into unknown and perhaps hostile environments, making new acquaintances and establishing relationships. This message is just as imperative for our world today. The month of November, which focuses our attentions on the impact of war and oppression as we commemorate Remembrance Day and Holodomor, reminds us that a culture of peace starts at the level of the individual. Each of us has the ability and calling to be a peacemaker. These two events also draw our eyes to the global forum and help us to understand the impact that any abuse of political power has on the world.

Our Board of Trustees held their organizational meeting on October 18. Trustee Laura Thibert from Ward 77 was elected as Chair and Trustee Marilyn Bergstra from Ward 76 was elected as Vice-Chair. Visit our website at https://www.ecsd.net/BoardofTrustees/Pages/default.aspx to learn more about our Board and its governance.

Catholic education is very vibrant in the province of Alberta. On November 6, parishes across the province will celebrate the richness of experiences that our students receive through Catholic education. The Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories have written a letter for us. It can be found at https://www.ecsd.net/AboutUs/catholic-identity/what-is-catholic-education/catholic-education-sunday/Pages/default.aspx . As stakeholders in Catholic education, it is extremely important that your voice be heard by the Government of Alberta as they move forward with a massive overhaul of the K-12 Curriculum in all grades across the subject areas of Language Arts (English, Français, French), Math, Social Studies, Sciences, Arts and Wellness education. Parents, students, teachers, school staff members, education system leaders and community members are all invited to offer meaningful input into the curriculum development process through online survey responses.

Part A of the survey, which takes about seven minutes to complete, gives the opportunity to share thoughts about the Government’s general direction for the development of all new curriculum. Once Part A is completed, there is the option to move to Part B, to indicate what you see as the strengths and gaps in subject areas of interest in our current curriculum, which may take upwards of 15 minutes depending on the number of subjects and grade-specific questions you choose to answer. The online survey will run from October 18 – November 18. Make sure that your voice is heard by completing the survey at http://curriculumsurvey.alberta.ca. The survey results will be used by Expert Working Groups made up of teachers and post-secondary educators in concert with Alberta Education staff as information to help develop new provincial curriculum over the next six years. . . . 2

We are continually looking at different measures of our success to refine our practice as we move forward. This

ensures that our students have the best possible educational experiences. This data analysis happens at both the District and school level. Two of those measures from Alberta Education, the Accountability Pillar and Provincial Achievement and Diploma Exam results, were released in October. You can find those results and other important reports on our public website at https://www.ecsd.net/AboutUs/annual_reports/Pages/default.aspx.

Another measure that we use to assess our performance in many areas and to set targets for growth is our own District Satisfaction Survey. This vital survey gathers opinions from students, parents, and staff on individual schools and on district operations. Every student from grade 4-12 will complete the survey, as will all staff. Every household will receive one parent survey per child enrolled in an Edmonton Catholic School. Please respond to each survey separately from the point of view of each child's educational experience. It is so important that you let your voice be heard. You can either return your parent survey directly to your child’s school or use the postage paid envelope and use Canada Post. The District Satisfaction Survey will run from November 1-18. Thank you in advance for your participation.

I would like to leave you with a Tweet from Pope Francis. “Dialogue with others, prayers for all: these are our means to give rise to love where there is hatred, forgiveness where there is offence.” These are the first steps on a pathway to peace.

Sincerely, Joan Carr Superintendent

What I Learned from the Jubilee Year of Mercy

Pope Francis’ Jubilee Year of Mercy, which started on December 8, 2015, is drawing to a close on November 20, 2016.

In convoking this Extraordinary Jubilee, the pope wanted to direct our attention “on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father’s actions in our lives . . . a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective.”

Well, a year later, I have to ask myself what have I done during the Year of Mercy? Will it have come and gone like another New Year’s resolution gone bad? Or has it really changed by life for the better?

To answer that question I come back to Moses and the Burning Bush.

According to the Book of Exodus, God speaks to Moses through a burning bush on Mount Horeb. At the encounter, God appoints Moses to lead the Israelites out of captivity, out of Egypt and into Canaan.

“As Moses looked on he was surprised to see that the bush though on fire, was not consumed. So Moses decided: I must go over to look at this remarkable sight, and see why this bush is not burned” (Exodus 3: 2-3).

The burning bush attracts Moses as something mysterious. It becomes the earthly symbol of the Mystery of God.

I love what happens next!

“When the Lord saw that Moses had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’”

Paying attention. Notice it’s only when Moses does a double take and pays attention that only then does God speak to Moses. Maybe the burning bush was always there. But Moses failed to notice.

God always speaks. My problem is that I tend to do most of the talking and oftentimes fail to pay attention to what God is saying. I busy my life and miss the burning bush opportunities when God so wishes to speak to me.

Back to the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

I so need mercy in my life.

And when I was really trying hard to listen to the voice of God, I was blessed with not one, not two, but three graced moments of mercy in the same week! Talk about paying attention to the burning bush.

One. I had met some new friends and we were trying for months to get together for a meal. They were born in Ukraine but had lived in Canada for years. I was curious about their story. Finally, I ran into them unexpectedly and asked them if they were free for supper the next evening. They surprised me by asking if I was free right now; get in the car, we’re going out for supper! And so we did. Over supper, I learned that both were of Jewish heritage and had escaped the Holocaust, eventually finding refuge in Canada. Both were very young when their families were killed by the Germans, and they feared that they would be next. There stories were heart-wrenching.

I had never met Holocaust survivors up front and centre. I knew their tragic story from school and what I learned later as an adult, but I have never had the experience of listening first hand to the

horror that this then young teenage girl and boy endured. And yet where I expected to find lingering pain and unforgiveness, I heard only gratitude and love for life and freedom. Mercy in action. I can’t explain it any other way.

Two. That same week, I had the pleasure to attend this year’s Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Toronto. Canada hosted, a rare opportunity. I arrived in Toronto on the Monday and had arranged to have supper with one of my best friends, a bishop from the United States. When he didn’t show, I called learned that he had experienced some last minute health issues and had to cancel (he’s ok now!). I called another friend, but he was already out on the town with friends for supper. I called another friend; he had just flown in from Krakow and World Youth Day and was going to bed. I gave up (I only have two friends!) and went to the hotel restaurant. I sat next to a couple from Vietnam. They were wearing Knights of Columbus nametags and we struck up a conversation.

As we were enjoying our supper and talking, I had this uncanny feeling that I had met the wife before. Sure enough, she had spoken at the 2008 International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City (Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, was also a speaker!). She spoke about her brother, Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, who died in 2002. (Rather coincidentally, I attended his funeral in Rome while at “Baby Bishop’s School”). Under the communist government the Cardinal was imprisoned in a re-education camp for 13 years, nine in solitary confinement. His crime? He was a Catholic. In 2007, when Pope Benedict XVI began the beatification process for the Cardinal, he wrote:

“During thirteen years in jail, in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that [the Cardinal] could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope – to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude.”

Mercy in action.

Three. At the same Knights of Columbus Convention, I ran into a friend, Father Brian Kolodiejchuk. Father Brian is a Ukrainian Catholic priest from Winnipeg. Where it gets interesting is that in 1997 he met Mother Teresa of Calcutta and was associated with her until her death in 1997. He became a member of the Missionaries of Charity Fathers and his claim to fame is that he served as postulator of the cause of canonization of Mother Teresa. At the canonization this past September, Father Brian stood next to Pope Francis during the ceremony and presented her cause to the Holy Father who declared her to be Saint Teresa.

Over a meal, Father Brian and I spoke about Pope Francis’ desire to canonize Mother Teresa during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Father Brian sees this as fitting, since Saint Teresa is seen both inside and outside the Church as an icon of God’s mercy to those in need. Mercy in action.

Well, as you can see, I was blessed just in one week to have encountered three privileged moments of mercy. And that’s only because, like Moses, I was paying attention. And how many more did I miss when I wasn’t?

In any event, this has been for me a most beautiful Jubilee Year of Mercy. Thank you Pope Francis for your gift.

And you, how is God’s mercy and compassion changing your life?

God bless! Bishop David

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Amoris Laetitia Chapter 2:

The Experiences and Challenges of Families

We all have our favorite television family. Whether it be the Waltons or the Simpsons, the Bradys or the Griffins, the depiction of family life and family love on television does not always reveal a lived reality. Reality television has given us many families’ stories yet, again and again, we do not necessarily witness a true depiction of familial love and life. Often it is the case that the intended humour or seriousness of a given scenario comes at the expense of someone’s dignity or humility. In any event however, the family unit, whether nuclear or extended, and the existing challenges that families face, remain a point of focus, if not fascination, for today’s society. Pope Frances shares his views of the many challenges facing the modern family in this chapter.

Pope Francis begins by emphasizing that “the welfare of the family is decisive for the future of the world and that of the Church.” (31). Among the greatest challenges to the integrity of the family is the “growing danger represented by an extreme individualism which weakens family bonds as an isolated unit, leading in some cases to the idea that one’s personality is shaped by his or her desires, which are considered absolute.” (33). Intolerance and hostility in families are the result of such focus on the individual. The fast-paced and stressful nature of modern living requires that personal freedom be purposed towards ‘noble goals’ that seek to edify the individual towards directing energy and making positive, life giving choices else, if misdirected, “can foster attitudes of constant suspicion, fear of commitment, self-centeredness and arrogance.” (33). The point is made that increasingly, in many countries where marriage is on the decline, more and more people are “choosing to live alone or simply spend time together without cohabitating.” (33). Loneliness, feelings of isolation contrasted with “the fear of entrapment in a relationship that could hamper one’s individual goals” (34) reveal the complexity of issues surrounding why people are or are not entering into marriage.

As Christians, we are reminded that we cannot “stop advocating for marriage simply to avoid countering contemporary sensibilities, or out of a desire to be fashionable” (35). To the contrary, we require “a more responsible and generous effort to present the reasons and motivations for choosing marriage and the family” as a “way to help men and women better respond to the grace that God offers them.” (35). Pope Francis expresses the need to have a ‘healthy dose of self-criticism’ when it comes to our modern understanding of marriage. He says: “at times we have also proposed a far too abstract and almost artificial theology ideal of marriage, far removed from the concrete situations and practical possibilities of real families.” (36). Throughout this chapter we hear the call to engage in deeper and more meaningful discourse on the need to “form consciences, not to replace them” (37) when it comes to developing a healthy understanding of marriage; especially in light of complex situations.

Pope Francis asks us to have a generous and grateful disposition towards valuing ‘family relationships that are marked by mutual respect.’(38). When speaking of families, particularly those impacted by secularism, Pope Francis reminds us of the power of the sacramental life,

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especially Eucharist and Reconciliation, which provide “grace that helps (us) face the challenges of marriage and the family. We are challenged to consider the need to “inspire a positive and welcoming pastoral approach capable of helping couples to grow in appreciation of the demands of the Gospel.” (38). Further to this, he expresses his concern that “we have often been on the defensive, wasting pastoral energy on denouncing a decadent world without being proactive in proposing ways to find true happiness.” (38). This speaks to the incongruent messages that many people have heard over the years and which they must contemplate in developing their understanding of marriage and family life. In many cases “people feel that the Church’s message on marriage and family does not clearly reflect the preaching and attitudes of Jesus, who set forth a demanding ideal yet never failed to show compassion and closeness to the frailty of individuals” e.g. The Samaritan woman. (38.).

This chapter progresses with the articulation of further issues and challenges that are paramount to our comprehension of how family life and marriage are impacted today. The key topics include how the demands of work leave parents tired with less time for positive or quality interaction with their children. From this we see the rise of television / gaming addictions (50). Next is discourse on drug addiction, alcohol, and gambling and how “ we see the serious effects of this breakdown in families torn apart, the young uprooted and the elderly abandoned, children who are orphans of living parents, adolescents and young adults confused and unsupported.” (51). Pope Francis also provides commentary on how “many countries are witnessing a legal deconstruction of the family, tending to adopt models based almost exclusively on the autonomy of the individual will.” (53). Apathy, narcissism, divisiveness, violence and hatred are the bi-products of our times. Pope Francis assures us however, that the strength of the family “lies in its capacity to love and to teach how to love. For all a family’s problems, it can always grow, beginning with love.” (53).

It is important that we be mindful of the very real challenges that face families today. Pope Francis reminds us that “we are called to protect our humanity, and this means, in the first place, accepting it and respecting it as it was created.”(56). Once more, we live in a world where the notion of family and marriage are often diluted or distorted by how they are depicted on television and main stream media. We often pay far more attention to those fictional or virtual families than our own ‘real’ family. “The Synod’s reflections (particularly in this chapter) show us that there is no stereotype of the ideal family, but rather a challenging mosaic made up of different realities, with all their joys, hopes and problems.”(57) Pope Francis concludes this chapter with a most hopeful perspective on the value he places on family and marriage: “the Church is conscious of the need to offer a word of truth and hope…the great values of marriage and the Christian family correspond to a yearning that is part and parcel of human existence.” (57). Pope Francis concludes this chapter with thanksgiving: “I thank God that the many families, which are far from considering themselves perfect, live in love, fulfil their calling and keep moving forward, even if they fall many times along the way.” (57).

Whatever your favourite TV family show may happen to be, whether from a classic or modern reality based show, we must never lose sight that the most important family, is the one we break bread with, the family we were blessed into, with all its inherent challenges and joys.