New Orleans Saints Chaplain Fr. Tony Ricard to Speak at STMC

We are excited to announce that Fr. Tony Ricard will be presenting at St. Thomas More Collegiate on Tuesday, November 24th. Fr. Tony in conjunction with Psalm 98 will present to our students at 1:30pm and then again at 6:30pm to our parents. We invite anyone from our community to attend this special night. For more information please view the brochure for the evening.

From the Archdiocese of Louisiana, Fr. Tony is a dynamic, funny, and intriguing speaker who has preached in twenty two different countries. He has been the keynote speaker at various conferences including Recongress in Anaheim, California and has a tremendous gift for speaking to youth about living the joy of the Gospel. Since 2005, Fr. Tony has been involved with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and his charity assists those still struggling in the 9th District. He is also the team Chaplain of the New Orleans Saints NFL team.

for more information read Fr. Tony's bio...

I just returned from an incredible and memorable trip to South Africa from Oct. 8-20, 2015 to be part of the Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders program. St. Thomas More Collegiate was one of three North American schools to be considered a lead school. In total, 85 delegates from 17 countries, representing over 50 Edmund Rice schools around the world were present.

  

• Supporting Educational Development through school twinning, volunteer and exchange programs.
• Combined service and advocacy programs;
• Sharing of resources through partnership with others;
• Professional development in forming leaders capable of inspiring communities to undertake this mission.  

Students will have an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Thursday, December 3. Numerous priests will be at Our Lady of Mercy for the occasion and every student in the school will have a chance to receive the sacrament.  In addition, Fr. Smith offers confession each Thursday in the school chapel usually from 10:45am to 1:30pm.

This sacrament, by its very nature, gives us graces that help us to live a Christian life, which is why the church recommends us to receive it at least once per year. 

This year the Toy Drive will take place on Tuesday, December 15th from 7-8:30am at the STMC foyer.  In years past CTV and the Burnaby Fire Department helped to launch this event. Students are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to put under the Christmas tree either that morning or anytime leading up to this day. Cash donations and gift cards are also accepted. Please note that students who donate a toy will be invited to a pancake breakfast that morning in the cafeteria.

 

We are excited to announce that the grade 10 retreat will once again take place at the Door is Open, a Catholic outreach facility located in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Each grade 10 religion class will have their own full day mini-retreat that will focus on service and an authentic personal faith journey.

Students will have an opportunity to attend mass at St. Paul's Parish, prepare and serve meals to those in need as well as walk through the community handing out sandwiches. More information will be given to your son or daughter closer to the date.

Retreat Schedule 

February 12: Mr. Hall's block C class

February 16: Ms. Lang's block C class

February 26: Ms. Lang's block A class

March 3: Mr. Hall's block H class

April 28: Mr. Mattiazzo's block F class  

 

 

A reminder that all STMC students are required to fulfill thirty hours of service for this school year. 

This year we have streamlined our service hours form and tracking chart. We ask that your son or daughter download and complete this new form to  confirm their service hours have been completed. In May, students will be involved in a class reflection on their involvement during the course of the year.  

The Our Lady of Mercy Youth Leadership program in its third full year and continues to make a positive difference in our community. Led by STMC Business Manager Susan Silviera, her husband Jude and Melanie Arinzol, the OLM Youth Leadership team has established itself as a dynamic program that reaches out to youth and enables our students to become leaders. The goal of this program is to foster the personal and spiritual growth of young people and draw them to become responsible participants in the life, mission and work of the Catholic community. To name a few, this past year the OLM Youth Leadership team was involved in weekly activities including being part of a Youth Leadership program in the summer and has led various camps and programs for youth. This Ministry is involved in a variety of programs including putting on concert choirs, organizing children's Christmas parties, leading grade 7 retreats, running bible camps and attending Archdiocese Leadership conferences. 

Leaders meet every Wednesday and some Fridays from 4pm-5pm in the STMC Library. New students are welcome and can expect to build upon their leadership skills. Participants are expected to be fully committed and attend a training session to prepare them to moderate various events for elementary aged students throughout the year and into the summer months if they are available. To sign up or for more information please speak with Mr. Mattiazzo.

 

Mark your calendars, bring a toonie, and participate in our jeans days: November 20, February 12, April 8, May 20

 

Each year at St. Thomas More Collegiate, we aim to offer a service immersion opportunity for our students. This coming summer there is an opportunity for students to visit Palma High School for the first ever West Coast Immersion Experience in Salinas, California. The dates for this immersion is from July 16 to July 24.

The pacific coast schools invited to participate are Damien Memorial (Hawaii), Palma (California), O'Dea High (Seattle), Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate. The purpose of this trip is to immerse with other Edmund Rice schools and connect, network and serve following the footsteps of Edmind Rice. More information will be sent out soon.

In early September, our STMC staff spent the day in service at the Door is Open, a Catholic Charity organized by the Vancouver Archdiocese. This was a very rewarding experience for our staff members as they engaged with the people living in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. The best way to encourage students to practice compassion and love for others is to do by example.

Over the past year various STMC classes, teams and groups have had the wonderful opportunity to serve with the Third World Eye Care, a non profit charity led by STMC parents Derrick and Marina March.

The TWEC are optometrists, opticians, medical doctors and other volunteers who collect old eyeglasses and recycle them for the poor as well as conduct eye clinics. The World Health Organization estimates that there are more than 45 million blind people worldwide, with an estimated 135 million visually impaired simply because they lack a pair of eyeglasses. In the developed world we throw away millions of eyeglasses because they no longer provide us with adequate vision. These eyeglasses are priceless gifts for tens of thousands of underprivileged men, women, and children. In the 20 years that TWECS has existed, they have completed eye projects around the globe in Mexico, Philippines, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Bolivia, Grenada, Cambodia, Peru, Malawi, Ecuador and Nicaragua and have restored vision to 80,000 people. In that time they have collected over 250,000 pairs of eyeglasses from compassionate Canadians. For every person they see, at least 10 pairs of eyeglasses need to be found to match a patient's prescription.