A letter from the Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan:
Catholic Education Week May 14-20, 2023
We, the Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan, are pleased to invite all to celebrate World Catholic Education Day on May 18, 2023, and to keep May 14 to May 20 as Catholic Education Week in our province. This year’s theme is “Catholic Education: We are Many, We are One” which is taken from St. Paul: “We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members, one of another.” (Rom 12:5)
The Lord Jesus surprised and challenged his contemporaries by inviting people of all races, languages, and nationalities to be his disciples. The richness and diversity of the human family has been reflected in the Church from the beginning and continues to grow through the ages.
We can be proud of our Catholic schools in Saskatchewan which strive to be respectful and encouraging places of welcome and encounter for all. Jesus Christ is the model that Catholic educators and students have before them daily, and Jesus continues to provoke hearts and minds to seek the truth together in charity. (See Eph 4:15)
The Church is called to hold the diversity of people in a loving unity in Christ. This, we believe, is a reflection and sharing in the very unity and Trinity of God. As humans dealing with our brokenness and frustration, we are tempted sometimes to divide and tear apart. We seek and trust in Jesus Christ and His Good News to find the pathway from fear to dialogue; from indifference to hope and transformative engagement; from brokenness and polarization to unity honouring diversity which builds up in love.
In this Easter season and as the school year is quickly rolling toward a much-needed summer break, it is a good moment to pause together and thank God for the gift and challenge of Catholic education. As St. Paul tells us so powerfully, our oneness with Christ is inseparable from our oneness with each other: “individually we are members, one of another.” (Rom 12:5.)
We cannot walk a path toward God alone: we need each other and are incomplete without our neighbour. But it is Christ who “fully reveals” us to ourselves, who clarifies our calling, and helps us to journey together. (See Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 22)
This always requires much love, listening, patience and forgiveness as we reflect on God’s Word and prayerfully seek answers to the questions that arise among us today. May the witness of the many Saints and holy persons who have walked Our Lord’s path with faith and courage, inspire us to walk, and even run, as we strive to have the same mind and heart of Jesus Christ in all things! (See Phil. 2:5ff)
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina
Most Rev. Lawrence Huculak, OSBM, Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Saskatoon
Most Rev. Murray Chatlain, Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas
Most Rev. Mark Hagemoen, Bishop of Saskatoon
Most Rev. Stephen Hero, Bishop of Prince Albert