A message from the Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan for Catholic Education Week 2026: PDF

Catholic Education Week will be observed May 10-17 in the eight Catholic school divisions in Saskatchewan, and includes the celebration of World Catholic Education Day which is marked on Ascension Thursday, May 14, 2026.

During this week, students and staff of Catholic schools will enjoy many opportunities to recognize and reflect on Catholic Education and this year’s theme “Pilgrims of Hope On the Path of Holiness.” Daily prayer, scripture sharing, and calls to action will invite all to journey together, recognizing life as a path shaped by faith, community, and a deepening relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Find resources and information on the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools website at www.gscs.ca/catholic-education-week or contact your local Catholic school to learn more about their special activities that week.

Message from the Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan

Message for Catholic Education Week May 10-17, 2026 – PDF

In great appreciation for the legacy of mission of Catholic Education, we the Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan invite you to join us in recognizing the gift and the impact of Catholic education as we celebrate Catholic Education Week in our province from May 10 to May 17.

This year’s theme is “Catholic Education: Pilgrims of Hope: On the Path to Holiness.” Building on last year’s “Jubilee of Hope,” this year we focus on the call to personal holiness that is achieved through ordinary, faithful daily life. This year’s reflections are also inspired by the canonization of St. Carlo Acutis, and the 2022 Pastoral Letter to Young People by the Catholic Bishops of Canada.

Pilgrims of Hope is a theme taken from the Jubilee Year of Hope that we observed in 2025. It invites us to celebrate how Catholic Education is at the service of hope in so many ways. As the late Pope Francis stated, hope is a gift from God and a task for all Christians. It is a “…light in the night” as the world struggles with seeking truth, understanding, mutual respect, and true peace.

Five key themes will be explored in our schools this week to help us to understand how we can be pilgrims of hope through Catholic education.

Peace Be With You

On Monday, May 11, we celebrate the theme Peace Be With You. St. Carlos Acutis’s famous statement: “To always be united with Jesus, this is my life plan” reminds us about our need to be united with Christ in all things. In this way Jesus Christ brings us true peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27)

Pope Leo XIV reminds us that peace is all encompassing, and not the mere absence of hostility and conflict, leaving tensions between peoples unaddressed. Rather, “…Peace is first and foremost an active and demanding gift. It engages and challenges each of us, regardless of our cultural background or religious affiliation, demanding, first of all, that we work on ourselves … [to] eliminate pride and vindictiveness.” Peace seeks “the purification of the heart necessary for building peaceful relationships.” [Pope Leo XIV, Address to the Diplomatic Corps of the Holy See, Friday May 16, 2025]

God loves you

            On Tuesday, May 12, we reflect on the theme: God loves you. This may sound like a simple and obvious theme. Yet, we continue to experience so many ways in which people fail to see and receive God’s tremendous love.

During Pope Leo’s recent trip to Africa, while visiting Bata Prison in Equatorial Guinea, the Holy Father reminds us about this underlying theme of our faith. As he states: “No one is excluded from God’s love… [despite] pasts, mistakes, and sufferings …[every person remains] precious.” Jesus shows us, “…the power of love to change even the hardest of hearts.” [Pope Leo XIV, “Visit to Bata Prison, Apostolic Journey to Algeria, Cameroon, Angola & Equatorial Guinea”, April 22, 2026.]

Catholic educators are inspired and sustained by this most essential feature of God – His love is manifest in His Mercy. During his pontificate, Pope Francis stressed that mercy is not simply one of God’s many attributes, it is the feature through which we understand everything about God.

God Saves You

            On Wednesday, May 13 we explore celebrate the theme God saves you! This theme builds on the previous day’ s theme, emphasizing the life and ministry of Jesus Christ – God’s intervention in our lives in time and history, which has brought needed conversion, healing, and new life to all peoples of our world.

Pope Francis stated that “God saves us, then by making Himself little, near and real …Those who accept His offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness.”[Pope Leo XIV, Mass at Jasna Gora Shrine on the 1,050th anniversary of the baptism of Poland, Krakow, Poland, July 28, 2016]

In this sense, Catholic education seeks excellence inspired by the close connection, the modelling, and the relationships of teachers with students. This mentoring for excellence involves learning, healing, and growth in such a way that all impediments to human flourishing are overcome.

Excellence also inspires young people to bring to bear all their God-given gifts, talents, and abilities. As our students grow as disciples of the Lord, they are inspired and equipped to humbly serve God’s work to make the world a better place and seek our ultimate destiny.

The Holy Spirit lives in you

            On Thursday May 14 we focus on the theme The Holy Spirit lives in you. The Holy Spirit – proceeding from the Father and the Son – brings us into a living loving communion with the Triune God, empowering a life of unity, love and solidarity with others.

Pope Francis frequently emphasized the importance of living in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, and most particularly with the poor and marginalized. Solidarity is more than individual acts of kindness. It is a way of thinking and living that prioritizes the needs of the community over individual desires. Solidarity is a matter of charity that seeks compassion and justice. It often requires a shift in our own perspective. [Message of Pope Francis re: “Globalize solidarity and not indifference,” March 4, 2023 and  Pope Francis, Message for World Day of the Poor, June 14, 2022] 

Catholic schools teach and celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit to value each human person as precious to God and having inherent dignity. A key biblical passage that affirms this theme is in John’s Gospel, where Jesus teaches: “Love one another as I have love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life… I give you these commands so that you may love one another.” (see John 15:12; 17)

Together on the Journey

            Finally, on Friday May 15 we reflect on Together on the Journey. As we celebrate this year’s theme “Pilgrims of Hope: On The Path to Holiness”, we emphasize that for people of faith, the virtue of Hope is not a passive issue. It is supported and enriched as we are strengthened by one another in community. To be a pilgrim of hope is to seek, encourage and foster a virtue that calls forth a vision and response – by Catholic educators, by members of the Church, by families, and the larger community – a vision that trusts in the redemption of all in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Such a call also reflects how the ministry of Jesus Christ emphasizes the problem and reality of poverty in our world, and the importance of compassion, care, and support for those in need. Jesus’ teachings and actions highlight the Kingdom of God as a place where all will be blessed – especially the poor: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” (see Luke 6:20).

Encouraging reflection on the Church’s social doctrine, Pope Leo XIV emphasizes, “Give voice to the poor, … (as we) participate actively and creatively – together with the People of God, in this time of great social upheaval, through attentive listening and open dialogue to all.”[Pope Leo XIV, Message to members of the “Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice” Foundation, May 17, 2025]

            The journey of Jesus Christ– through His life and ministry of teaching and service, through His passion and death on the cross, and through His resurrection to new life which overcomes any obstacle between God and His people – provides the pattern for hope for Catholic education and formation.

We join together in giving thanks to God for the gift of Catholic education and its unique contribution in our province and our communities. We pray in thanksgiving for the continuing existence and protection of publicly-funded Catholic education in Saskatchewan, and for hope and perseverance for educators, students and families.

            May Catholic education continue to model Christ: “… the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:16) May it help all to develop the head and the heart so that we may “prepare [our] minds for action; discipline [ourselves]; set all [our] hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring to [us] when he is revealed.” (see 1 Peter 1:13) 

            Sincerely Yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Donald Bolen, Archbishop of Regina

Most Rev. Susai Jesu, Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas

Most Rev. Mark Hagemoen, Bishop of Saskatoon

Most Rev. Michael Smolinski, CSsR, Eparch of Saskatoon

Very Rev. Maurice Fiolleau, Administrator of Prince Albert

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Catholic Saskatoon News is supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon: dscf.ca/baa

Reverence for Life Sunday will be marked on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon.

“Day of Prayer for Reverence for Life” – Message from Bishop Mark Hagemoen PDF

Bishop Mark Hagemoen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon each year declares the last Sunday of January as a day of prayer for Reverence for Life, coinciding with the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Morgentaler decision which removed all legal limits to abortion in Canada. Bishop Hagemoen will celebrate Mass on Reverence for Life Sunday, Jan. 25 at 9 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, 123 Nelson Road, Saskatoon, available via live-stream at https://saskatoonmass.com

Message from Bishop Hagemoen for Reverence for Life Sunday:

Dear Clergy, Religious, & Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Saskatoon:

The day of prayer for Reverence for Life will be celebrated in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon on Sunday, January 25, 2026, providing our faith communities with an opportunity for prayers, reflection and discussion about the value of the precious gift of human life. I send this message on the Sunday when we also celebrate Sunday of the Word of God. Indeed, the Word of God has so much to say on this topic. In this brief letter I share with you two of my favorite scripture passages.

The first is from the Prophet Jeremiah (1:5) “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” This has always inspired me about the preciousness of each human person – right from the beginning of our existence in our mother’s womb. This passage is also an affirmation of God’s special plan for each of us as we are called to life.

The second passage is from John’s Gospel (10:10): “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” This is part of the “Jesus the Good Shepherd” narrative. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. The Lord is the ‘foolish shepherd’ who leaves the 99 sheep who are safe and seeks out the 1 who is lost. He does this because the sheep are not merely a task or a source of an economic living, but are those with whom the shepherd has a deep relationship with.

As we look at the current circumstances of our times, we see so many contradictions to the value of the dignity of the human person and community. We continue to experience terrible conflicts in many parts of the world. We also continue to experience shallow and narrow attitudes to human dignity and flourishing. In these times of reflecting on the prayer of St. Francis, “Lord, make me a channel of your peace,” we continue to hear this prayer in terms of bringing shalom and care of the vulnerable, and especially with regards to the protection and care for the unborn, our elders, and critically ill in our communities.

AN INSENSITVE & UTILITARIAN CULTURE Contributes to SINS AGAINST HUMAN LIFE

Each year I point out in this letter that Canada continues to deal with the tragic repercussions of the removal of abortion from the Criminal Code. We now mark the 38th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Morgentaler case on January 28, 1988, which removed all remaining restrictions on abortion in Canada. Unfortunately applauded by many in our society, this moment in our nation’s history holds within it the tragic reality of millions of lost lives. Victims of abortion include the unborn children who are killed, but also the mothers, fathers and families left wounded after an abortion. The community – indeed our nation – are also weakened and damaged as the weakest and most vulnerable among us are not valued and protected.

Pope Leo ushered in this New Year 2026 with a renewed appeal for all of God’s people to make a firm commitment to respect and protect human life, in each and every person and circumstance we find the other. In his Jan. 1, 2025 homily last year, the late Pope Francis also called for a renewed commitment and a new hope:

“I ask for a firm commitment to respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, so that each person may cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to the future…”  (see +Pope Francis’ Homily on Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Jan. 1 2025)

Let us continue to remember Pope Francis’s words, as we face in Canada voices seeking the expansion of access to doctor assisted suicide, also known as “Medical Assistance in Dying” or “MAiD”:

“The victims of this [throwaway] culture are precisely the weakest and most fragile human beings – the unborn, the poorest, the sick and elderly, the seriously handicapped, etc. – who are in danger of being ‘thrown away’, expelled from a system that must be efficient at all costs.” (See: +Francis’ Address to a Delegation from the Dignitatus Humanae Institute, Dec. 7, 2013)

Perhaps the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Hope can inspire the world to not only beg forgiveness for grave sins against our brothers and sisters of the world, but can also be a time of a renewed commitment to hope as we make concrete steps to repair the great damage of our uncaring.

The CARE FOR CREATION stands alongside of God’s most precious creation of Human Life: LIFE IN THE WOMB & CARING FOR OUR ELDERS

Pope Francis continually highlighted that respect for creation and for human dignity are issues that are only realized together. As he states in his 2023 Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum:

“Everything is connected …no one is saved alone” (#19)  “To recognize… that human life is incomprehensible and unsustainable without other creatures. As part of the universe… all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect.” (#67)  [See: Laudato Deum, October 4, 2023] 

The Gospel’s moral and social teaching calls on all people of good will to bring to bear intellectual, social, and political consciousness on the blatant inconsistency that is affecting the well-being and flourishing of human cultures through our world. This effort is at the service of every person on the planet! If we do not engage in calling each other to a greater and fuller humanity, we should then not be surprised at the larger deterioration of a culture of human care and respect – which affects all creation.

The Recovery of the HUMAN HEART in our WORLD

In his message on the World Day of Prayer for Peace of January 1, 2026, Pope Leo extolls the world to work hard for peace by “…preferring listening and, where possible, engaging with others…” This is hard work and calls for steady, disciplined, and unwavering commitment to life! Pope Leo calls the world to deal with present-day conflicts by avoiding the temptation to “fight fire with fire.” The crucial gospel alternative is to work towards a disarming peace.  This is a peace the world cannot give, a peace that only God gives (see John 14:27). This teaching is an important guide in our pro-life work. As he states,

“Goodness is disarming. Perhaps this is why God became a child. The mystery of the Incarnation, which reaches its deepest descent even to the realm of the dead, begins in the womb of a young mother and is revealed in the manger in Bethlehem. …Nothing has the power to change us as much as a child. Perhaps it is precisely the thought of our children and of others who are equally fragile, that cuts to the heart (cf. Acts 2:37).”

Quoting Pope Francis, Pope Leo in his message on the World Day of Prayer for Peace (Jan. 1, 2026) reflected on human fragility as a means by which God brings conversion, healing, and new insight.

“…human fragility has the power to make us more lucid about what endures and what passes, what brings life and what kills. Perhaps for this reason, we so often tend to deny our limitations and avoid fragile and wounded people: they have the power to question the direction we have chosen, both as individuals and as a community.”  (See Pope Leo XIV Message for 59th World Day of Peace Jan. 1, 2026)

The biblical teaching of the Church’s preferential option for the poor, the needy, and the stranger – extolls all people of good will to see human fragility not as a weakness or defect – but rather a human quality and circumstance that calls us to greater care, compassion, and …duty!

Failing to recognize that right to life of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable has left our country damaged – not only in the missing and lost lives of millions of unborn children – but also in removing ‘the heart’ from our society. Many people today experience the loss of heart when they lose the sense of their own humanity when they no longer feel “useful” because of ill-health or aging. Persons who are older or are dealing with disabilities increasingly feel that they are a “problem” to their families and those on whom we rely for care.

The “loss of heart” is the root cause of so many other evils in our world today. On this day let us pray and commit to stop this erosion of heart – and be renewed in the restoration of heart by holding steady to the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: the Sacred Heart for our world. As the late Pope Francis concluded in his New Year’s Day 2025 homily:

“May we learn to care for every child born of a woman, above all by protecting, like Mary, the precious gift of life: life in the womb, the lives of children, the lives of the suffering, the poor, the elderly, the lonely and the dying…All of us are invited to take   up the summons that flows from the maternal heart of Mary: we are called to cherish life, to care for wounded lives — so many wounded lives, so many — to restore dignity to the lives of everyone” because it is the basis for building a culture of peace…” (See +Pope Francis’ Homily on Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Jan. 1 2025)

Sisters and Brothers, we continue to pray that as a people and nation we may re-discover our heart!

Yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Mark A Hagemoen, Bishop of Saskatoon

 

Reverence for Life Prayer:

Almighty God, giver of all that is good, we thank you for the precious gift of human life: For life in the womb, coming from your creative power, For the life of children, making us glad with their freshness and promise, For the life of young people, hoping for a better world, For the life of people who are disabled, teaching us that every life has value, For the life of the elderly, witnessing to the ageless values of patience and wisdom. Like Blessed Mary, may we always say “yes” to Your gift. Help us to realize the sacredness of human life and to respect and cherish it from conception to its natural end. And bring us at last, O Father, to the fullness of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

Prière

Dieu Tout-Puissant, donateur de tout ce qui est bon, nous te remercions pour le don précieux de la vie humaine:Pour la vie dans le sein maternel, provenant de ton pouvoir créatif, Pour la vie des enfants, nous rendant heureux de leur fraîcheur et de leur promesse, Pour la vie des jeunes, espérant pour un monde formidable, Pour la vie des personnes qui sont handicapées, nous apprenant que toute vie a de la valeur, Pour la vie des personnes âgées, témoignant des valeurs intemporelles de patience et de sagesse. Comme la bienheureuse Marie, puissions-nous toujours dire “oui” à Ton don. Aide-nous à réaliser le caractère sacré de la vie humaine, à la respecter et à la chérir de la conception à sa fin naturelle. Et amène-nous enfin, ô Père, à la plénitude de la vie éternelle en Jésus-Christ notre Seigneur. AMEN

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“The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity not only reminds us that Jesus Christ is the One Saviour of all peoples and nations, but also that there is great blessing and new life when those of many families of faith come together in wonder, praise, and commitment to follow the One true Lord and Saviour.” – Bishop Mark Hagemoen, message for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026

 Bishop Mark Hagemoen Message for WPCU 2026 – PDF   

Events during WPCU – LINK   

To Clergy, Religious, & Lay Faithful of the Diocese of Saskatoon:

During the week of January 18 to 25, our diocese joins with Christians around the world to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year’s theme is based on the biblical passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:4) Having just concluded the Jubilee Year of Hope, we are reminded that our shared goal and expectation for all Christians is life with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a promise that unites all Christians to a common purpose and destiny.

This “one hope” is a not an optional or partial feature, but is a spiritual reality already established by God’s revelation and action in our world. St. Paul will go on in Ephesians 4 to call all striving to follow and imitate Christ to strive for such unity through humility, gentleness, patience, and love; making an effort to preserve the bond of peace created by the Holy Spirit. All are called to build unity and peace, and to avoid causing divisions.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 offers an invitation to draw on this shared heritage and to enter more deeply into the faith that unites all Christians. In the words of Pope Leo, “By receiving the Lord’s peace, and accepting His call – which includes being open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit – all the followers of Jesus can immerse themselves in the radical newness of Christian faith and life.”[1]

Our striving for unity among our Christian brothers and sisters is both a personal journey of deepening conversion, and a witness to a world of much brokenness, division, and strife.

As we prepare to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we are asked to reflect on the following questions:

1. How does Jesus Christ – who is the resurrection and the life – inspire and call each of us to be channels of His hope, peace, and charity for the world?
2. How can we live our unity as Christians so as to confront the evils and injustices of our time?
3. How can we engage in dialogue – for the sake of increased awareness and insight about one another’s experiences of the journey from brokenness to forgiveness, healing, and new life?

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity not only reminds us that Jesus Christ is the One Saviour of all peoples and nations, but also that there is great blessing and new life when those of many families of faith come together in wonder, praise, and commitment to follow the One true Lord and Saviour.

For further information and resources, please see the attached resource jointly prepared and published by the Pontifical Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches. For this and other material, you can also go to:

https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/settimana-di-preghiera-per-l-unita/semaine-de-priere-pour-l-unite-des-chretiens-20241/anglais.html

https://www.weekofprayer.ca/

In the words adapted from the resources available for this week, let us pray:

Let us glorify Almighty God, who has shined his light upon his creatures. Now, may he once more shine his abundant mercy upon those who glorify his name… Loving Lord, accept the prayers of all your faithful children throughout the world, who call out to you with one mind, one voice, and one heart. Through your beloved disciple John, you promised that if we walk in your light, then we will have communion with one another, and your precious blood will cleanse us of all sin. Bring us that blessed communion, O Saviour!

Grant us peace, O Loving Lord, and remove the scourge of civil unrest and violence from the face of the earth. Change the hearts of all who make war and touch the wounds of all who are afflicted by war. Comfort all prisoners of war and speedily bring them home. Let the light of your love shine in all the dark places of our world and hasten the day when all peoples may dwell in peace with justice.

…Strengthen our hearts in expectation and hope as we work for unity and together seek the harmony of all people and creation. Let us be burning lamps, until the day of the coming of your Son in glory, with all his saints in the everlasting kingdom. Blessed are you, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. AMEN

As we begin this New Year 2026 and look to live the fruits of that past Jubilee Year of Hope, let us renew our commitment to the goal and work of ecumenism.

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[1] Address, “To the Participants in the Commemoration of 500 years of the Anabaptist Movement” May 23, 2025.