Last month, 40 teachers from Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board attended the annual “When Faith Meets Pedagogy” conference to strengthen their vocational call to Catholic education.
Joining 800 other Catholic teachers from across the province, this year’s theme “Awake, Arise, Announce,” reminded all who participated that God is always within and among them.
“We are all a moment in God’s precious time,” said Father R. Tony Ricard. Ricard, from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, who kicked off the day with a keynote address. As a lasting thought, Ricard challenged all educators to “see the face of God in each and every student.”
Building off his words, Devin A. Boucree, a youth minister and Catholic school teacher from New Orleans, used music to enforce the message that everyone is a child of God.
As part of the conference, educators were invited to choose from over 50 faith-based workshops, which included presentations from Tim Theriault, Adult Faith Animator, Kennishia Boahene, System Equity Officer and Carmelina Biundo, Elementary Religion and Family Life Consultant.
“Educators from across the province left the conference with joy in their hearts, a deepened sense of their personal faith and a stronger connection to their vocational call,” said Biundo.
At the student level, the conference included a Catholic Leadership Youth Forum hosted by the Catholic Curriculum Corporation.
Both Ricard and Boucree engaged the students through song and an interactive retelling of the Creation Story from Genesis, culminating with the message that “we are beloved children of God, made in his image and likeness and called to be people of joy and hope.”
“The impact of this day will forever leave a beautiful mark on all those who participated,” said Biundo.
“The Glory of the Lord is the presence of God, but more than just a presence, it is power. The kind of power that resurrects and transforms us. God calls us to awaken, arise and announce the goodness and glory of our God.”
