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Lenten Message 2025

Bishop Message

OAPCE 2025 Lenten message from the Liaison Bishop ✠ Yvan Mathieu, SM Dear Parents of the Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education (OAPCE), On Wednesday March 5th, we start the Lenten Season. During the forty days that precede the great feast of the Resurrection of Christ, we are invited to follow and imitate Jesus who, after his baptism by John, “Full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was put to the test by the devil.” (Luke 4:1-2) This year, the beginning of the Lenten Season coincides with the March break. Strange time to start a season of penance and fasting! But this is also a good reason to rediscover the spiritual meaning of Lent. In our childhood memories, Lent is synonymous with privation of good things: no dessert, no chocolate, no meat on Fridays. But Lent is fundamentally a time to return to God in order to love him with all our hearth, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength (see Mark 12:30). This can be done even when we enjoy the March break. On Ash Wednesday, Jesus invites all his disciples to do three things: to give alms, to pray and to fast (see Matthew 6:1-6,16-18). These three practices touch fundamental relationships in our life: our relation to our brothers and sisters (almsgiving), our relation to God (prayer) and our relation to creation (fasting). In these three fundamental areas, we are invited to accomplish the will of God our Father. The idea is not to be praised or be seen by others. It is rather to center our life on the Gospel. The purpose is to be seen and praised by God: “your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mt 6:4,6,18) As Catholic parents, we could use the time we have during the March break and during Lent to be closer to our children and to show them how closely we follow Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel. The idea is not so much to start preaching to them about charity, prayer and fasting. The most important way of teaching our kids about the Gospel is not so much what we say but how we act on a daily basis.  “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Together with our children who received the light of Christ on the day of Baptism, let us take the time to rekindle the light of faith in our family life. A family could decide to put aside some money during Lent, and to share it with those who are in need. Another family will decide to invest some time in the food bank of its parish. This could be a dynamic way to give alms! What if each family of OAPCE was to take one brief moment, 15 minutes a week maybe, to pray together and to share the Sunday Gospel? Our prayer life would certainly improve! And since ecology is such an important issue for our kids, what if we were to do our best to recycle rather than waste the products we consume? What a fast that would be! Have a great Lenten Season ✠ Yvan Mathieu, SM

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Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops!

Partners Resources

Journey through Advent the series is a collaborative initiative of the Office for Evangelization and Catechesis, the National Liturgy Office, and the Office national de liturgie. This year’s reflections will be led by the Most Reverend Frank Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto, and the Most Reverend René Guay, Bishop of Chicoutimi. The videos will guide viewers through the Advent season by offering reflections, enriched by spiritual and pastoral insights, on the Gospel readings proclaimed during each of the four Sundays of Advent. As we prepare for the Nativity of Our Lord, it is hoped that this year’s Journey through Advent videos will be a source of spiritual comfort, peace, and meaningful preparation for all who watch them. The videos will be uploaded one at a time on a weekly basis throughout Advent and will be available on the CCCB website each Monday in advance of the upcoming Sunday Eucharistic Celebration (25 November, 2 December, 9 December and 16 December). There are several ways to stay informed of these weekly updates: Bookmark the home page of the CCCB website https://www.cccb.ca/ Subscribe to the CCCB’s e-mail news service https://www.cccb.ca/news/subscribe/; Subscribe to the CCCB’s YouTube channel CCCB_CECC – YouTube Follow the CCCB on Twitter @CCCB_CECC. CCCB (@CCCB_CECC) / X (twitter.com) Subscribe to the newsletter of the CCCB Office for Evangelization and Catechesis. ‘Encounter’, by visiting https://www.cccb.ca/oec/encounter/

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Save The Date

News & Events

Join us for an inspiring day of learning, connection, and faith at the OAPCE Conference 2025! 📅 Date: May 24, 2025📍 Location: St. Michael’s Catholic High School, Niagara Falls, ON🤝 In Partnership With: NCDSB This is an incredible opportunity for parents, educators, and community members to come together, gain insights, and strengthen our Catholic education system. 🌟 Stay tuned for more details – exciting speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities await! 📌 Mark your calendars and share with your community!

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Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) Webinar Series

Faith Activities

  In October 2024, the CCCB in Preparation for the Jubilee 2025 hosted the second part of a four session webinar series titled, “A Great Symphony of Prayer, Mary, the Saints and Scripture”, enabling the faithful a meaningful way to participate in the Year of Prayer which was announced by Pope Francis on 21 January 2024. The Jubilee Office in Rome prepared a series of booklets on prayer, the themes of which were taken up during the webinar series. The webinar series was presented by Dr. Josephine Lombardi of St. Augustine Seminary please take a look at these wonderful webinars: Learn More

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OCSGE’s: Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations

Blog, News & Events

written by Elizabeth Wylie, Hamilton, Communications Director OCSGE’s: What do parents need to know about the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations? It is important for us as parents to be aware of the aspects of the Ontario Catholic Education system that make it unique. Catholic schools in Ontario have a dual mandate: First, to fulfil the educational needs of students in abidance with the Ministry of Education curriculum standards Secondly, to fulfil the mission of the Roman Catholic church and nurture the spiritual development of the children and youth within its care. In 1995, the Ontario Royal Commission on Education recommended a set of “graduate outcomes” be outlined that were to be “subject and skill-oriented”.   At the time, the Institute of Catholic Education (ICE), an organization initially established in 1986 by the Bishops of Ontario, worked with the Ontario Catholic education community to establish these graduate guidelines through a uniquely Catholic Lens. The resulting Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations were released initially for the 1998-1999 school year with subsequent re-releases containing new resources in 2011 and 2019. Today these expectations are classified as follows by the Institute of Catholic Education (ICE): A Discerning Believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God’s presence through work, sacrement, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living. An Effective Communicator who speaks, writes and listens honestly and sensitively responding critically in light of gospel values. A Reflective, Creative and Holistic Thinker who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good. A Self-Directed, Responsible, Lifelong Learner who develops and demonstrates their God-given potential. A Collaborative Contributor who finds meaning, dignity and vocation in the rights of all and contributes to the common good. A Caring Family Member who attends to family, school, parish and wider community. A Responsible Citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life. These expectations form “a critical navigational instrument” for Catholic Education for what our graduates should be aspiring to in their adult lives.  They are the cornerstone for interpretation and discernment of policies and curriculum by trustees, educators and administrators.  How can we, as parents, support our students to meet these expectations? Read and become familiar with each of the expectations and how they help foster strong family, work and community relationships. Model these expectations for our children in our daily lives. These are expectations we adults can all aspire to as good citizens and members of the Catholic community.  Recognize when your students are exhibiting behaviours in accordance with the expectations. They need to know when they are on the right track! Talk about how the expectations fit into modern society.  These expectations prepare our students to fulfil their fullest potential.  Everyone’s contribution to the common good is valuable. Explain how their good choices will impact their life and the lives of their community members for their generation. Respecting others and their environment will allow them to build a compassionate, peaceful and harmonious future. For more information about the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations, please visit this document prepared by the Institute of Catholic Education (ICE): ©ICE OCSGEs Flipbook 2019

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Winter Trivia-St. Ambrose

Blog

by D. Garell-Teti, OAPCE Chair and Director, Halton While visiting the wonderful Italian city of Milan this past summer, I was delighted to learn that St. Ambrose was not only the patron saint of the city and one of the most important theological figures of the Church but that he was the patron saint of beekeepers. I have been a beekeeper since 2017, so I was fascinated by this fact. It is believed that when St. Ambrose was a baby, a swarm of bees landed on his face and left behind a drop of honey. To his father, this was a sign that Ambrose would have a “honeyed tongue” and become someone of importance with a wonderful sense for speaking.  Ambrose was educated in Rome, studying law, literature, and rhetoric. He was made Governor of Liguria and Emilia and lived in Milan, the then second capital of Italy. Ambrose went on to become Bishop of Milan, and he donated all his lands and gave his money to the poor, which he believed was just a repayment of God’s resources that were intended for everyone equally. For that, he is also considered the patron saint of beggars. St. Ambrose was a man who didn’t fear facing the authorities when it came to upholding his Catholic morals. He refused entrance to Emperor Theodosius I to a church due to the emperor’s order of a massacre of thousands of citizens at Thessalonica and convinced the emperor to do public penance for his actions. Most importantly, St. Ambrose was the author of many of the Church’s writings and hymns, one of the four original doctors of the Church, and played an influencing role in the life of St. Augustine, baptizing him. Winter for beekeepers is a time to check on the hives to ensure that the snow is cleared from the openings and that there is enough food to sustain the colony throughout the next few months. Mostly though, I will send a brief prayer to St. Ambrose for a warm and early spring, complete with dandelion and other wildflower blooms, and the familiar sounds of buzzing bees, happy to be out forging and bringing back God’s perfect nectar to make honey.    

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Salt + Light Media

Faith Activities

Salt + Light Media is an agile multimedia platform, accessible to Catholics from all backgrounds who seek truth, beauty, and goodness. Our hope is to participate in the sanctification of the world by helping people to enrich their faith and enter into deeper relations with one another. Learn More

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 Indescribable

OAPCE Book Nook

  Perfect for children ages 6–10, Indescribable: 100 Devotions About God & Science examines the role of God as the creator and the greatest scientist of all!  Children who are fascinated with the world around them, nature, and the earth will deepen their faith as they explore God’s Word. Each devotion focuses on: 1) a “Be Amazed” section with fascinating scientific facts on topics ranging from space to dinosaurs and other animals to our bodies and selves, 2) a hands-on, easy-to-follow STEM activity, and 3) a closing prayer. Your kids can follow this amazing scientific journey with engaging characters friends like them that are featured in the book.

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Supporting Catholic Education

Oapce in action

  Parents: Your Role in Supporting Catholic Education in Ontario Catholic education in Ontario is a cherished tradition that provides students with an academically excellent and faith-based learning environment. As a parent, your involvement is essential in sustaining the vibrancy and future of our Catholic schools. One of the most impactful ways you can contribute is by ensuring that your property taxes are directed to the Catholic school system. Why Does Tax Designation Matter? Your property taxes play a crucial role in funding Catholic education. By designating your taxes to support Catholic schools, you help ensure that essential resources—such as faith-based programs, student support services, and classroom materials—remain available for current and future generations. This simple yet significant step strengthens our Catholic schools and helps maintain the quality of education that students receive. How to Designate Your Taxes to Catholic Schools Confirming your tax designation is a straightforward process. As a Catholic school supporter, you must ensure that your property tax status correctly reflects your choice. This designation directs your education tax dollars to the Catholic school board, reinforcing our shared commitment to faith-based learning. For step-by-step instructions on how to verify and update your tax support designation: School Support Designation We encourage all parents to share this important message within their school communities. Together, we can continue to uphold the values and excellence of Catholic education in Ontario. Thank you for your ongoing support in preserving and strengthening Catholic education for our children and future generations.

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