FEATURE
Highlights
CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
AGM GUEST SPEAKERS
To celebrate the unique identity and role of Catholic teachers and our Association, this year’s AGM kicked off with a celebration of the Eucharist.
Guest speakers are always among the highlights of the Annual General Meeting, and this year did not disappoint. With the Association celebrating our 75th anniversary, and so much turmoil rocking the education and labour sectors, delegates had the opportunity to hear from a range of interesting and engaging invited guests.
Father Michael Lehman led the service and delivered a touching message about our past, present, and future. Saying that Catholic teachers have chosen to be the “voice, mind, and heart of God,” Fr. Lehman encouraged us to look backward and give thanks, while looking forward to our “renewed circumstances for the future.” He said that while OECTA tends to the task of promoting Catholic education on behalf of members and the students entrusted to our care, all of us should be encouraged to “say yes to the whole of life.”
Father Michael Lehamn led the celebration of the Eucharist
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
The Association was honoured to have Prime Minister Justin Trudeau help us kick off the meeting on Saturday morning. He remarked upon OECTA’s 75-year history, and talked about his experience and perspectives as a former teacher, before joining President Liz Stuart for an armchair discussion. Catholic teachers posed some difficult questions for the Prime Minister on a range of issues, and he provided a few interesting answers. For example, when asked about the creation of a national pharmacare program, he acknowledged that the existing patchwork system does not meet all Canadians’ health care needs, but stopped short of promising an ambitious national program. On what the government will do to protect workers’ rights in light of the back-to-work legislation passed by federal and provincial governments over the past few years, he reminded delegates that the government has also repealed anti-union legislation passed by their Conservative predecessors, and said that unlike Premier Doug Ford’s government in Ontario, the federal government does its best to make tough decisions “with the lightest possible touch.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joining President Liz Stuart for an armchair discussion
12 CATHOLIC TEACHER | MAY 2019