We remind and recommit ourselves of the Felician core values of Justice and Peace, Solidarity with the Poor, Compassion, Respect for Human Dignity and Transformation by participating in school-wide prayer, reflective activities and a service campaign.

The theme of Mission Heritage Week this year was “Telling Our Stories” and we hosted events for not one, but two weeks, beginning on October 4th, and concluding on October 15th with our Thanksgiving Liturgy and Commissioning Ceremony. The core values echoed through our halls and classrooms each morning through daily prayer on the morning announcements. On October 6th, Sr. Judy Blizzard, a Felician sister from Pennsylvania shared her story virtually. It was a pleasure to e-meet Sr. Judy, whose joy and love for people was felt through the screen. Following Sr. Judy’s talk, our students and staff reflected on how the core values are embedded into their own lives on cut-out leaves. Our Felician Heritage Tree now proudly “stands” outside of the Blue Boutique, as a reminder that all of us, by nature of being a part of the HNMCS community, are ‘rooted’ in the Felician core values.

Inspired by these values, students and staff embraced the same heart of service as Blessed Mary Angela by participating in the ‘Dress Down Donation Campaign for St. Felix Centre.’ St. Felix Centre is a Felician-sponsored ministry like HNMCS, whose focus is providing support and resources for those experiencing homelessness in Toronto. As a school, we raised $492.35 and donated 15 extra large garbage bags full of clothes for St. Felix Centre! We would like to express our gratitude for everyone in our school community for your support.

Gratitude is a quality that can grow by consistently returning to God. As Mission Heritage Week came to a close, we gathered as a community in prayer to thank God for the grace to be together in person, in some form, as a school. Fr. Andrew Leung, CSB, reminded us in his homily that God is calling us to be our authentic selves, and that if we say “yes” to the way that God is calling us to, we will be happy. The annual Commissioning Ceremony allows for all students and staff of our school community to “say yes” to following God’s will in every aspect of school life, and to show our respect for, and to encourage our graduating students to be leaders and spread the light of Christ to others. It was a joy to witness our grade twelves receiving their Class of 2022 kilt pins. It was a fruitful Mission Heritage Week: stories were shared and God’s presence was felt through it all.