Each year, keynote speakers approach the podium at the annual CCSTA AGM and Conference, and they provide inspirational talks that lead to discussions long past the weekend activities.

And this year’s AGM is no exception. Coming to the 2017 CCSTA AGM and Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario is His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto.

Cardinal Collins will speak at the conference where he’ll be emphasizing the role of leadership in Catholic education as a way of showing Christian discipleship.

“Catholic education helps us to see the purpose of life and to deal with the deep questions which challenge us during our life in this world which is so often filled with violence and a lack of love,” he says.

Cardinal Collins says the CCSTA Conference is a good way to connect.

“It is always important for Catholic educators and trustees to come together so that they may draw closer to the meaning of the Gospel, which is the foundation for Catholic education, and to share with one another their insights into the sacred mission of leadership in Catholic education,” he says.

Biography

Cardinal Collins’ biography outlines his commitment to the Church and for serving others.

He was born and raised in Guelph, Ontario, and is the only son and the youngest of three siblings.

In 1969 he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (in English) from St. Jerome College in Waterloo. In 1973 he obtained two degrees, a Master of Arts (in English) from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Theology from St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario. That same year he was ordained to the priesthood on May 5, 1973 in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Hamilton, by the Most Reverend Paul Reding.

While studying in Rome, specializing in Sacred Scripture with special focus on the Book of Revelation, he received his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Bible Institute in 1978 and a Doctorate in Theology from the Gregorian University in 1986.

After holding various academic appointments, he was named Coadjutor Bishop of Saint- Paul, Alberta in 1997, and became Bishop of Saint-Paul three months later. Two years later, on February 18, 1999, he was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton, and installed as Archbishop of Edmonton in September, 1999. In 2001, he was named Apostolic Administrator of Saint-Paul, and served as Archbishop of Edmonton and Apostolic Administrator of Saint-Paul until he was named Archbishop of Toronto in December, 2006. He was installed as Archbishop of Toronto on January 30, 2007.

In January 2012, Pope Benedict XVI announced that Archbishop Collins would be elevated to the College of Cardinals. He was created Cardinal on February 18, 2012 during the Consistory in Rome. Thomas Cardinal Collins is the fourth Cardinal in the history of the Archdiocese of Toronto and the 16th in the history of Canada.

Cardinal Collins has been a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) since being ordained Bishop on May 14, 1997. As Archbishop of Toronto he is an ex officio member of the CCCB Permanent Council, Chancellor of the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, and Chancellor of the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, also in Toronto. He is the Chair of the Board of Governors of St. Augustine’s Seminary, and Chair of the Board of Directors of Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary, both of which are also in Toronto. In 2008, he was elected President of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario.

Cardinal Collins has served as a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, as well as being named by the Holy Father as a member of the 2010 Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. He has assisted the Holy Father as an Apostolic Visitor in Ireland and is the Delegate of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith for Anglicanorum Coetibus. He also serves on a committee of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy that assists in preparing English-language translations of liturgical texts.

Register for the AGM

Cardinal Collins is one of four keynote speakers set for this year’s AGM. We'll also be welcoming Msgr. Paul-André Durocher, Rev. J Mulligan, CSC, and Sister Marie-Paul Ross.

Registration for the CCSTA AGM closes on May 31, and so there’s still a chance to be a part of this exciting event. To learn more about the conference and to register, visit the CCSTA AGM and Conference webpage.

How does your school or parish plan to celebrate Catholic Education Week?

The 2017 CEW theme and its five sub-themes are drawn from three contemporary Catholic documents that address the need for reconciliation and renewal – in our lives, with our families, in our relationships with others and in our relationship with our environment and our common global future.

With that, we know that you've got some memorable plans to honour Catholic Education and we want to hear from you! Please include the #CCSTA hashtag when you post your good news pieces to Twitter. We'd love to share the inspirational ways you're celebrating this week.

Read more: How will you Celebrate Catholic Education Week?

As we approach the end of the school year, we know that principals, teachers, trustees, parents and clergy are already turning their attention to the upcoming year’s school calendar.

For instance, most of you have already hosted your kindergarten orientation sessions!

As you look at your 2017-2018 school calendar, please keep the Toonies for Tuition initiative in your plans to help raise money and awareness for a good cause.

Toonies for Tuition raises money for families who want their children to attend Catholic schools in provinces with partial to no funding. As a result, students are responsible to pay tuition fees. Families who could use the financial support in order to make it happen can apply for funding support through the CCSTA Endowment Fund.

Each year, the Endowment Fund applications are reviewed by a committee and money is then allotted to the successful applicants.

Since 2006, CCSTA has contributed more than $315,000 so that children and youth can access Catholic education in their hometown.

And the demand remains high.

“It’s wonderful that we’re able to provide that much funding to students from across Canada, but the need for support continues to grow,” says CCSTA Executive Director Julian Hanlon, adding that just last year, more than $130,000 was requested through the Endowment Fund applications and CCSTA was able to allot $45,000. “The selection committee has to make some tough choices about who receives the available funding each year. We’d love to – someday – be able to fund every dollar requested.”

That’s where Toonies for Tuition comes into the play.

Read more: Put a Toonies for Tuition fundraiser in your 2017-18 School Year Calendar