Message from the Director of Campus Ministry |
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Dear STMC Students & Parents,
Welcome to the Fall Edition of the Campus Ministry Newsletter. Below is an overview of the Faith and Servant Leadership life at St. Thomas More Collegiate. This newsletter shares some of the inspirational activities our students and school community is involved in. Our commitment has not wavered despite the need to modify our approaches in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. While our students are missing volunteering at the Door is Open, Good Shepherd Ministry and Holy Trinity Cathedral, we have found some alternatives to these activities. Our students have been creative in finding opportunities for service including writing cards for residents at care homes, raking leaves for a neighbor or putting together care packages for the needy.
Our mission at St. Thomas More is to teach young people how to learn and grow in a welcoming Catholic Community. Led by the Charism of Edmund Rice and the Gospels of Jesus Christ, living faith is a core value at St. Thomas More. Guided by the Essential Elements of a Blessed Edmund Rice education, a special focus this year is centered on the Essential Elements #3 and #5: “To Stand in Solidarity by those Marginalized by Poverty and Injustice” and “To Celebrate the Value and Dignity of Each person and nurture the development of the whole person.”
Yours in Christ,
David Mattiazzo
Director of Campus Ministry– STMC
dave.mattiazzo@stmc.bc.ca
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November
23rd: Beginning of the Clothing Drive for the Needy
24th: School-wide confessions begin
29th: The Beginning of the Advent Season
December
4th-5th: Jeans Day for All Hallows
15th: Christmas Toy Drive Rice Family of Houses
16th: Christmas Toy Drive More Family of Houses
16th: Advent Mass More Family of Houses
17th: Advent Mass Rice Family of Houses
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Tuesday December 15th and Wednesday December 16th |
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The Annual Toys for Kids Drive organized by the Blessed Edmund Rice team is back for another year. The STMC Toy Drive has been a tradition for years and a major event at the school that assists many kids in need. The Toy Drive will take place on Tuesday December 15th for students in the Rice Family of Houses and on Wednesday December 16th for students in the More Family of Houses. We are asking each student to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the front of the school beginning at 7:00am on their day. We are in need of toys from very young children to teenagers, many who are new to our country. Monetary donations will also be accepted and will go towards gift cards. Donated toys will go towards both the Salvation Army and to students from local Burnaby schools whose families are struggling at this time. Please note that students who provide a donation will receive a goody bag instead of the traditional pancake breakfast due to COVID restrictions. Furthermore, as an added incentive, toys brought in will go towards points for your son or daughters House. Thank you in advance and don't hesitate to contact Mr. Mattiazzo if you have any questions.
"We would like to thank you and the STMC students and school community for their ongoing support of children in Burnaby during the Christmas season. I have witnessed first-hand the joy and excitement that your generosity brings to children who are living in difficult situations. Some of the children who you are providing gifts and gift cards for come from homes where food is scarce, parents are without jobs and paying their rent is challenging. One of the children who is especially grateful for your kindness is a child who tragically lost both of his parent at a young age. He has a loving family caregiver, but they do not have extra money for toys and games. The gifts that you provide are the only Christmas presents he receives. Some of the other children who you help, live in single parent homes where their Mom or Dad works very hard to provide a roof over their heads and food, but video games, electronics and computers are not in the family's budget. Your generous donations allow for children like this to have a Christmas that includes a gift or two. Other children who you help include children who are new to Canada and whose families often feel overwhelmed and struggle to find employment that matches living in a very expensive city. I wish to thank you again for all that you do to help make Christmas joyous and fun for the little children as well as teenagers whose families are struggling to make ends meet."
Tanya Heal, SD41 School Counsellor.
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STMC CHAPLAIN: FATHER JOACHIM YOON |
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Over the years our STMC community has been blessed with the presence of Religious figures in our community. From the Christian Brothers who embody Servant Leadership to the many chaplains who helped to lead the faith life in our school. This year we have been fortunate to have two new chaplains assigned to our community and both have made a very positive impact. Father Mark McGuckin and Father Joachim Yoon have immediately connected with our students and have helped to make our community a better place. In this newsletter you will have an opportunity to hear a little bit of Father Joachim’s journey. We will share Father McGuckin's journey in the next newsletter.
On a typical Thursday and Friday, Father Joachim can be seen engaging with our students in many ways. Father spends his time at STMC teaching in the classroom, celebrating masses and offering confessions. Father can also be seen interacting with students in the cafeteria, joining in on a PE dance class or demonstrating how to properly benchpress for the Senior Fitness class.
How has Father’s journey led him to our STMC community?
Father Joachim was a typical teen growing up in South Korea. Father enjoyed playing soccer, basketball and volleyball. He also had a passion for music, acting and composing songs. A typical teen however he always felt that he had a calling for something more in his life and this began at the age of 8 years of age. A turning point occurred during his grade 11 year in high school. Father had an opportunity to attend a vocations retreat put on by the Franciscan Friars. The Franciscan Friars are a religious order of the Catholic Church founded by St. Francis of Assisi. Father Joachim was immediately attracted to this order as he could relate to living a life of fraternity and poverty. Growing up in a poor family he could relate to this lifestyle. Father Joachim had always felt that growing up poor taught him a lot of values and a sense of happiness. Father Joachim was also attracted to the community life that the Franciscans offered. He felt that being supported in a community meant that he could rely on the other friars and contribute in areas that were needed.
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Fast forward a few years Father was ordained and then had opportunities for servant leadership and missionary work. Missionary work was always something that father was interested and he welcomed the new challenges that were to await him. Father’s first missionary work took him to Quezon City just outside of Manila, Philippines in 2005. The purpose of this trip was to learn English and live with the Franciscans and take part in their daily work. Father thoroughly enjoyed his experience and shares his stories in Tagala with our STMC students. |
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Father's next mission sent him to Russia in 2008. Father was assigned to work with the minority Christians and there was a hope to enter into North Korea for their Missionary work. Father had another wonderful experience however his time was cut short due to a shortened visa. Following his work in Russia, Father Joachim was called to serve in Quebec. Quebec has a strong connection with Korea as the first Franciscan Missionaries were from Quebec in 1937. Father continued his ministry with stopovers in Montreal and a return to the Philippines again.
Finally in 2018, Father Joachim made his way to the West coast and was assigned to St. Joseph the Worker in Richmond. St. Joseph the Worker just happens to be the parish of 1995 STMC Alumnus Father Pierre Ducharme. In fact, Father Pierre was instrumental in helping Father Joachim join our community as he felt that his talent in youth ministry would greatly enhance our community.
When asked about living in the Lower Mainland Father Joachim feels that he is very blessed and is living in paradise. During his free-time father can be found visiting nature and gardening. Father is an avid hiker, nature walker, minimalist camper and nature YouTuber. Father creates videos and documentaries for friends and family in Korea.
Overall working at STMC fulfills Father's passion and life-long dream of working with youth. He is very thankful for the time he has spent with our students and the energy and enthusiasm he receives from our community. He wanted to share a few thoughts for our students. Give my hope and message to students to think about their faith life and vocational calling. Find your talent and live with your talents. Possessions won't make you happy in life. If you know your strength and talents, you can live happiness everyday.
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An exciting new initiative this year at STMC is our Compass Days initiated by Ms. Lauang our Director of Students Life. Compass Days provide dedicated time throughout the school year for students to engage in activities based around our Knight’s Compass. Our Knights Compass illustrates our holistic approach to growth in faith, academics, athletics, arts and advocacy/action. One of the options for the Compass Day is Faith and Advocacy. Students have an opportunity to engage in various activities from Adoration, faith discussions and service initiatives. Some of the service initiatives to date have been putting together candy bags and prayer cards for the Good Shepherd Ministry, making breakfast meals for local elementary schools, making sandwiches for Progressive housing, being involved in environmental and sustainability initiatives, sorting eyeglasses for the Third World Eyecare Society and putting together backpacks with Essential items for the needy in our community.
On one of the Compass days our STMC Grade 10 students put together Backpacks with essential items and handwritten cards to the needy in New Westminster. Below is a thank you from Holy Trinity Cathedral:
"Just wanted to acknowledge as a STMC community member how wonderful and appreciative it is to hear how STMC is reaching out to those in need. We are sincerely thankful for the generous donation of over 50 backpacks, each backpack filled with variety of items and messages of well-wishes to be distributed to the less fortunate. As he has expressed, he truly is grateful for the outreach, the act of kindness, more so, now during the pandemic for those to who are able to give.
It is a wonderful blessing to see how STMC is working to help others".
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As a Catholic Community and a member of the Blessed Edmund Rice Christian Brother network, we are called to be active in advocating for social, economic and environmental justice from the local level through to the global level. This year we will be launching a school-wide Advocacy Service Project. The intention of this project is for students finding an initiative where each student is responsible for creating an Advocacy Initiative centered on one of the Seven Catholic Social Justice Teachings. Students will document their journey through a google site and the plan is that they build upon this initiative each school year.
Terrell Jana former STMC Knight and current football player for the University of Virginia decided to remove his name from his jersey to advocate for enslaved labourers. Read more below:
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Above our STMC Chaplain Father Mark McGuckin preps our grade 9 students for confession. This year school-wide confessions will take place over the course of three weeks from November 24th to December 11th
"Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (John 20:21-23).-23).
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The Celebration of the Eucharist is a key component of the faith life at St. Thomas More Collegiate. Masses are celebrated on a regular basis from school-wide masses, weekly class level masses and masses celebrated at every grade level retreat. With the addition of two chaplains we have had the ability to increase our weekly class level masses and prayer services. Furthermore, we have had a successful transition to school virtual masses and have not cancelled any masses to date since the beginning of the Pandemic. We are currently celebrating virtual masses twice for every occasion to accommodate students in the Rice and More family of houses. |
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A special thank you to Jasmin Jouhal (Grade 11) for initiating a clothing drive to advocate for the needy in our community. Students are encouraged to donate clothing and shoes to the front foyer from November 24th-December 11th. Donations will go towards points for your house system. |
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In late October our Grade 12 students took part in their Grade 11 Retreat that they missed last Spring due to Covid. The retreat was a huge success and a special thank you to a dedicated group of Grade 12 students who helped to organize and lead a very memorable experience. We feel that our Retreat program is a very important component for the journey of each of our Knights. We will do our best to continue to run our retreats adapting accordingly. Below is a photo of last year's Grade 10 students serving at the Door is Open for their Grade 10 Retreat in March. |
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A special thanks to our community for their continued support of our STMC Missions. So far this year we have already raised over $5000. The STMC Missions program helps support a variety of charities both locally and internationally. Funds raised have assisted many of our Edmund Rice Christian Brother programs around the world as well as local initiatives. Members of the Edmund Rice Team have been looking for creative ways to sell and fundraise money for missions as well.
Our Jean's Day this past December 3rd and 4th is going towards supporting a student at a fellow Christian Brother School, All Hallows in New York.
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STMC and Prison Ministry
"When I was in Prison you came to visit me."
Matthew 25:36
In addition to dedicating his life for the education of the poor, Blessed Edmund Rice was also involved in Prison Ministry. The Christian Brothers have continued to be involved in Prison Ministry and we stress the importance here at STMC. Over the past few weeks several Religion classes took part in writing Christmas cards for prisoners in the Lower Mainland. We were very impressed with our student's thoughtfulness, creative, artistic and heartfelt messages in the cards they created.
A tradition at STMC throughout the month of December is writing thoughtful Christmas cards for local prisoners.
"Thank you for the Christmas card. It's hard to say how much it meant to me. I have a family and I miss them, and this card definitely helped. I will pray for you."
Your students have shown the love, compassion, forgiveness and mercy that our Lord wishes from us. Please share the above comments from the men and women with your students to show that their efforts really do make a difference.
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During this COVID-19 pandemic, students have had to get creative when it came to their service hours. Usual methods such as volunteering in-person at non-profits are no longer an option so many students began making things to send to long term care facililities, such as cards, decorations, and arts & crafts. |
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