Dear Students, Parents and Staff,

As we approach the end of another fruitful academic year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the journey we have undertaken together. In the halls of our beloved schola, we have witnessed moments of growth, achievement, and profound grace that are a testament to the dedication and resilience of our entire community.

To our graduating seniors, as you prepare to embark on the next chapter of your lives, know that you carry with you the values instilled in you during your time here. May you continue to strive for excellence, guided by faith and integrity, as you pursue your dreams and make your mark on the world.

To our returning students, as you bid farewell to another year filled with learning and discovery, I encourage you to cherish the memories made and the knowledge gained. Let them serve as a foundation for your continued academic and spiritual journey.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our devoted staff, who have tirelessly nurtured the minds and souls of our students with love, compassion, and unwavering dedication. Your commitment to excellence and your passion for education inspire us all.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to our parents and guardians for entrusting us with supporting the education and spiritual formation of your children. Your partnership and support are invaluable, and together, we are shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

As we part ways for the summer, let us carry forward the spirit of community, compassion, and service that defines us. May God’s grace continue to guide and bless each and every one of us in the days ahead.

Wishing you all a safe and restful summer break filled with joy, laughter, and cherished moments with loved ones.

Yours in Christ,

​Connie Meckelborg

And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.          ~Act 4: 33

HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA!

Happy Easter to all our beautiful families. Hopefully you all had a chance to catch your breath following the Triduum and managed to celebrate the Resurrection.

Once again, Tenebrae was breathtaking. What an incredible way to start Holy Week! At once beautiful but solemn, reverent and prayer-filled. I am so grateful for all those who contributed, including the clergy who continue to support the schola in such a profound way.

How wonderful to finally be enjoying longer days and warmer temps. The academic year is racing along, with grad festivities just around the corner and plans well underway for the year-end concert. Students are working diligently to complete course work and seniors are studying for diploma exams.

We're all a bit wiped but it's still a vibrant time of year.  Many of our grade 10-12 students just completed a 4-session Ignatian Discernment series, helping them prayerfully make decisions. Many thanks go out to the spiritual directors who generously gave of their time to help our students. 

The month of May will see us making our annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rockies in Canmore. Our students will share their choral gifts at our last First Friday of the year. Please join us if you are able - it promises to be a joy-filled day!

As we begin to wind down this 11th year of programming, we are grateful to all the volunteers who assist us in our mission. This especially includes our gifted board of directors who dedicate countless hours in service of the schola. Our special thanks go to Eric Milner who has stepped down as president. May God bless him and his family richly!

As we begin week 10, we are called to both GRATITUDE and REMEMBRANCE.

On the heels of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for our many blessings, including the amazing start to our academic year and the incredible weather we experienced (until Oct 23rd that is!). We rejoice in the accomplishments of our students and the joy that resonates in classrooms throughout the schola. Anyone who has heard our adhoc Barbershop Ninetet (as they call themselves) singing in the hallways cannot help but smile!!

One of the immense blessings for me this past month was the celebration of Mass at Evanston Summit Retirement Community.  As part of the Dying To Meet You project in our diocese, this community was selected to represent the vulnerable in our midst who often do not have access to a full Sunday Mass experience. Our senior choir was chosen to participate because of our focus on beauty. The goal was to elevate the Mass to the best it can be. Mr Edwards led a small contingent of the senior choir (due to space limitations) and the result was incredibly beautiful. What a gift our young people are!

My early morning drives to the schola are usually filled with thoughts of the day ahead - meetings to prepare for, calls to make, people to talk to - an array of the important and the less important. The start of the academic year, while exciting and filled with promise, also brings added responsibility with myriad details to attend to.

A few weeks ago, I was startled from my driving reverie by an incredible sight in my rearview mirror: a gorgeous September sunrise. Calgary skies often treat us to beautiful colour palettes both morning and evening, but this was particularly spectacular and it took my breath away. I was instantly pulled from the mundane toward the divine.

That sense of awe and wonder, and inevitable gratitude, forms part of what keeps me here at SJCS. Our mission is to cultivate Wisdom and Virtue through the understanding of all that is true, good and beautiful. We strive to present Truth and Goodness to our students in a beautiful way, pulling each of us toward the divine. Beauty is found not only in God's works of nature but also the works of man that reflect His infinite beauty. We endeavour to share some of these most beautiful works, in the form of classic literature, art and music.

Pope Benedict once wrote, the via pulchritudinis, the way of beauty, is a privileged and fascinating path on which to approach the Mystery of God. What is the beauty that writers, poets, musicians, and artists contemplate and express in their language other than the reflection of the splendour of the eternal Word made flesh?

Our staff, new and returning, are so pleased to welcome our students to what promises to be a great year ahead. Tutors, entrusted with the task of cultivating wisdom in our students and helping them grow in virtue, are excited to share their knowledge and passion for excellence.