A culmination of a project started long ago, and the continuation of another, has seen Regina Catholic school students and staff quietly transform Lenten spirits into stories of real hope.

Across the two, the Saskatchewan school district is supporting adopted children from Haiti and the Philippines and helping build sustainable futures for families in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  

Lay chaplains throughout the division, like Jacqueline Murray, are at the heart of the district's major fundraising initiative. For the past six years at Michael A. Riffel Catholic High School, 10 in total across the division, she has helped foster the faith initiatives that turn prayer and almsgiving into long-lasting, tangible acts of solidarity.

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One of those initiatives, High Schools for Hope, was born in the wake of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. With a genuine mission and goal to act as the hands of Christ both locally and globally, Regina Catholic Schools came together through the Chalice organization to adopt 20 children from Haiti at age eight and commit to supporting them until their high school graduation at age 18. When another opportunity arose due to further disasters in the Philippines, an additional 20 children were adopted. 

“ We initially wanted to ensure that we covered the costs for their academic needs, but we found that the Regina Catholic Schools community blew us away and we raised so much money that we were able to not only assist in the immediate needs of the academic setting, but also in those children's family situations,” Murray told The Catholic Register. 

The initiatives carry Easter’s spiritual significance in these actions. Both High Schools for Hope and the Cuernevaca Project have become ideal representations of the season's message of hope, renewal and building the Kingdom of Heaven here and now. 

“ The seed that we hope to plant is one that is a lifetime of paying attention and then giving your attention to those things that call to your heart and build community. The power of that is exponential. We've shown that financially, but I think we've also shown that with our hearts and our growth in terms of understanding our roles as disciples of Christ as well,” she said. 

With $358,172 raised over the last 16 years, staff and students at schools like Riffel were able to purchase students' necessary classroom resources, personal needs and even fund a major surgery for one adopted child in Haiti. Murray said students from Riffel raise funds through bake sales, pancake breakfasts, classroom collections and events like the High Schools for Hope Benefit Concert. 

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For her, the initiative emphasized social justice teaching in a unique way, honouring where people are at and amplifying their own priorities rather than imposing solutions. 

This year, all of the adopted children from Haiti have successfully graduated, with only three left in the Philippines on track to graduate in the next few years. 

For Murray, having been a part of the campaign for years and having received letters and yearly photos from the sponsored children, showing their growth both in the classroom and through life in general, has made High Schools for Hope an unforgettable success. 

“ It's weird to say, but I’m so proud to be associated with this, to watch people run with it and to see the power of coming together grounded in our faith. Projects like this show the level of interconnectedness we have and how slowly, methodically and intentionally we can build the Kingdom of Heaven here today, and that's really what we're called to do as disciples of Christ,” she said. 

The Cuernevaca Project is a long-standing partnership of the Archdiocese of Regina through the friendship between then Archbishop Charles Halpin and Bishop Sergio Méndez of Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Beginning in 1991, they created the Center for Encounters and Dialogue with a vision focused on education, food security, community building, women's empowerment and sustainable development projects. The school district began its support gradually in 2020, with full swing efforts kicking off in 2021. Funds have primarily supported materials for infrastructure and programs, enabling mission workers from the archdiocese to build and maintain ongoing projects. In total, the district has been able to raise just over $34,300. 

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Earlier this year, mission groups of students, staff and a lay chaplain from the district travelled to Cuernavaca to undergo hands-on work. 

“Those trips are hopeful to be ongoing in the future because it is not just about what we do, but how we interact and encounter those helped by the project. It continues to be a wonderful gift for students, not only to show financial support, but to do so with their hands and hearts. It’s proof that sometimes it takes more than just five dollars, it takes all of us,” Murray said.