Inspirational Day with Archbishop Richard Smith

 Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent 

 Students at St. Martin’s Catholic School and St. Mary’s Catholic High School had a profound experience on February 14 when Archbishop Richard Smith visited them.

Both of these schools held a joint mass together where they celebrated the Eucharist.

This was part of the archbishop’s plan to get to the Catholic schools, churches, and social services in his archdiocese within three years.

Principal of St. Martin’s, Darby Murphy mentioned that the students presented the archbishop with a prayer bouquet made out of construction paper and flowers in preparation for his visit. It contained special prayers that they had promised to say on his behalf, written on the construction flowers. Archbishop Smith was very touched by this sentiment. He visited every class, where he had a brief moment to speak with the students and encourage them in their faith. He thanked them for their prayers and said he would pray for them as well.

Murphy said the visit was fabulous! The students were greatly encouraged by His Grace. “It was neat to see the little kids ask him what an archbishop does. He said he was the shepherd that oversees all that we do as a Catholic school; he was there to make sure the Catholic Church was represented well and that we are doing an amazing job with these kids. It was encouraging for our staff to be told that we are having an eternal impact on our students. In that way, it was spiritually touching.

A student from St. Martin’s Agustus Binoj, said he liked giving the special presentation of the prayer bonquet to the archbishop. “His visit made me happy because it felt heartwarming. He inspired me to do something with my life. Going to church makes me feel like I am really with God.”

Victoria Achtymichuk expressed appreciation for how he spoke to them in church and explained how we can always find love in Jesus. “This helped my life a lot. It is beautiful to know this, as it reinforces what I already believed and helped me to believe it more.”

Assistant Principal Melanie Sorochan admitted that his visit was heartwarming as she witnessed the students participate and take pride in their school. “It was heartwarming to hear him, spend time with him, and see his love for his job, his love of God, and his love for the schools.  He told them that when times are hard, they should always turn to God, where they will find their faith and find hope.

He even visited some of the classrooms and was moved to see the Grade Two Class say the Apostles’ Creed. Seeing that we are living our faith here and having him so proud of us was very affirming and showed that we are doing something good for God,” Sorochan said.

His Grace Visits St. Mary’s Catholic School

 Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent

 Principal Jim Salsbury emphasized that they were truly blessed to welcome special guests, Archbishop Richard Smith, Father Robert Lee, and Superintendent Paul Corrigan, to their school, where they began the day of February 14 celebrating the Holy Mass in the morning. Their spiritual leaders then engaged in meaningful conversations with their students in the afternoon. This memorable visit was an inspiring and faith-filled experience for the entire school community.

“We are grateful for Archbishop Smith’s leadership, wisdom, and the time that he took to connect with our students, encouraging them in their faith journey. His presence was a reminder of the strength and beauty of our Catholic community,” Salsbury stated.

Assistant Principal Mrs. Kelli Giebelhaus gave her testimony and said His Grace was inspiring and supportive as he encouraged students to reflect on their own faith journeys. In one of our theatre presentations, he reminded them: "The Lord is the one who accomplishes things; we are the instruments. We accomplish what the Lord calls us to do."

Student Cameron Dixson stated that it was a pleasure and an honour to be a part of the select people to meet with Archbishop Richard Smith. “He was friendly and down-to-earth with us all, asking us about ourselves and how we see the Catholic faith represented in the school and community. He was enthusiastic about our responses and what he saw inside the school with how faith is incorporated. Archbishop Smith also shared some insight into his life as well as some stories with Father Robert, it was interesting hearing about his upbringing and gave us an appreciation for having the opportunity to be in a Catholic school."