May 4 to 9, 2025

Catholic Education: Pilgrims of Hope

L’éducation catholique: Pèlerins de l’espérance

Catholic Education Week 2025 begins on Sunday, May 4, 2025. The Catholic schools in our parishes will engage in a series of events to celebrate the ongoing gift of publicly funded Catholic education. You are invited to learn about the various celebrations that are happening in your children’s school, and are welcome to attend, if possible. Publicly funded Catholic education has existed in Ontario since 1841 and its graduates have served Ontario and Canada very well. The current generation of students in our publicly funded Catholic schools will serve with the same spirit and generosity as their previous generations.

This year’s Catholic Education Week theme is, “Pilgrims of Hope.”

The five sub themes for Catholic Education week explore ways to live out Pope Francis’ call for each one of us to be Pilgrims of Hope…

• by honouring human dignity / honorent la dignité humaine (Monday)
• by caring for creation / prennent soin de la création (Tuesday)
• by responding to the poverties in our world / luttent contre les pauvretés (Wednesday)
• by serving in solidarity / servent en solidarité (Thursday)
• by living as peacemakers / vivent en artisans de paix (Friday)

Prayer

Catholic Education Week Prayer

God who is love,

Love is our calling, and the goal for which you have made us.

As we celebrate Catholic Education Week,

may our love in action reveal to our world

that we are people of justice and mercy.

May our daily words and example show clearly

that we are people of faith and hope.

In the ways we reflect you daily,

may everyone recognize us as people of joy.

Help us to never forget how much you love us,

and to cherish your life within us,

which gives energy and direction to our loving.

May we hear your call to love generously and inclusively,

and may we call our world to be more loving also.

All of this we ask in the name of Jesus, our Friend and our Lord.

Amen.

Prière pour la semaine de l’éducation catholique

Dieu d’amour,

l’amour est notre vocation, ce pour quoi tu nous as créés.

En célébrant la Semaine de l’éducation catholique,

que notre amour en action révèle au monde

que nous sommes des personnes de justice et de miséricorde.

Que nos paroles et notre exemple montrent clairement

que nous sommes des personnes de foi et d’espérance.

En étant ton reflet chaque jour,

que le monde nous reconnaisse comme des personnes habitées de joie.

Aide-nous à ne jamais oublier combien tu nous aimes,

et à chérir ta vie en nous

qui donne souffle et direction à notre amour.

Puissions-nous entendre ton appel à aimer sans compter,

et à interpeller le monde à être plus aimant aussi.

Nous te demandons tout cela par Jésus, notre ami et notre Seigneur.

Amen.

Most Reverend Bishop Miehm’s Address for Catholic Education Week