Ken Sampson's Blog

Superintendent of Holy Spirit Catholic School Division

Month: November 2020

Catholic Central High School Receives a Blackfoot Name: Taatsikioyis – Centre Tipi

November 11, 2020 / / 0 Comments


Wednesday, October 28, 2020, marked a very special day for Holy Spirit Catholic School Division as Catholic Central High School received a Blackfoot name at a small and personal gathering in the school’s Eggplant Theatre.  Led by Kainai Elder Tom Little Bear, the very touching ceremony involved a smudge, face painting and the Blackfoot naming of the building.

From time to time, we learn of when First Nations communities honour individuals with a Blackfoot name, but it is particularly distinctive and rare that such entities as buildings are honoured in the same manner.  As a former student in our Catholic school system, Elder Little Bear shared his experience growing up in a very traditional First Nations family on the Kainai Reserve with grandparents who were spiritual leaders in their community.  Together with the influence of those within the Lethbridge Catholic School District at the time, Little Bear’s experience was particularly inspiring.

Only the fourth building in the City of Lethbridge to receive a Blackfoot name, Catholic Central was beautifully named, “Taatsikioyis – Centre Tipi”.   As I have come to understand the significance of this name, I realize that, to have received it in one of our schools, is of the highest honour.  In their culture,  Blackfoot people gather annually in the summers on the Kainai Reserve for Aakokaatsin – Circle Camp.  Their traditions, relationships with each other and their Creator would be renewed.  At Aakokaatsin – Circle Camp, the central tipi is viewed as a very special place of sacredness, learning and relationship.  With this special honour now placed upon Catholic Central High School, this institution of learning becomes a beacon – a place where our Blackfoot students can connect with each other and with the entire school community  – a place where learning and prayer are interwoven.

I felt so privileged to have been a part of and to witness this powerful and beautiful cultural ceremony; listening to Elder Little Bear’s wisdom about the interconnectedness of our faith and the cultural beliefs and the ways of being and knowing of our Blackfoot people.  As a Catholic school division, we continue to be truly blessed by the presence and leadership of the First Nations people in our greater communities.  We are indeed grateful for this very special distinction.

A recording of the livestreaming of the event can be found here at this link.

Catholic Education Sunday – November 2020

November 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

https://youtu.be/c7ZOo6FQxjQ

Serving Holy Spirit Catholic School Division as Superintendent of Schools, we are a regional division that serves students in Bow Island, Coaldale, Lethbridge, Picture Butte, Pincher Creek, Taber, and surrounding communities.  

Catholic Education Sunday, traditionally acknowledged in early November, is an annual event that celebrates the importance of the truly remarkable gift of publicly funded Catholic Education.  Alberta is only one of three remaining provinces in Canada which offers a Catholic education that is publicly funded.  Our Catholic schools provide engaging educational learning opportunities for our students with a curriculum that is permeated by our Catholic faith.  Each year, more than 180,000 students are blessed with the opportunity to be educated in our Catholic schools, where our faith is passed on to our students.

This year’s theme is grounded in scripture – Isaiah 40:31 where we learn that, “Those who hope in the LORD shall renew their strength.”  Hope is a very impactful virtue. In the Alberta Bishops’ Pastoral Statement of the Impact of COVID-19 and the Call to Christian Renewal, this time is described as a “time for bold creativity and life-giving transformation for all.”  In the context of our current pandemic, Catholic philosophies and practices offer students and staff hope, comfort and safety.  There has never been a greater need to evangelize than now and Catholic education does that very thing.  

Currently, Holy Spirit Catholic Schools has moved into year two of our Three Year Faith Plan – Making our Mark – the Journey of an Intentional Disciple.  This year’s theme, Transformed by the Journey, draws our attention to our calls to action of being grateful and being gracious.  While on this journey, our faith focus is to use the many gifts that God has bestowed upon us and to see the face of Christ in everyone.  In the very context of our current reality, we have so much for which to be grateful and more so than ever before, we must be gracious towards each other.  This creates and sustains the hope we each have.

Jesus is the author of our hope and He writes it in humility, kindness, poverty, forgiveness and compassion.  He writes it in His Way, in the example He sets for us to follow.  We grow in hopefulness when we follow Him, through discipleship.  What the world needs now is hope.  It is impossible not to have hope when you view the world from the Catholic perspective.  Catholic Education is more relevant today than ever before because it offers the hope with which we need to be strengthened, as well as to live to sustain and improve our world.  As noted by Pope Benedict in his encyclical in 2007, people who live in hope live differently.

On this Catholic Education Sunday, I ask for your continued prayers so that our students are energized with hope and become stronger intentional disciples of Jesus.  Thanks to your prayers and support, millions of people learn about and appreciate the value of Catholic education, which is an evangelizer of the teaching of the one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  Thank you for being part of our family.  Happy Catholic Education Sunday and may God continue to bless each and every one of you.

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