2018
The Caritas Award Honouree - The Catholic Health Association of Manitoba
Through the ministries of education, healthcare ethics, spiritual care, Catholic ownership and social justice, CHAM fulfills its mission of compassion concern and respect for all persons. It strives to promote leadership, collaboration, and sensitivities in the evolving health care services offered to the people of Manitoba.
Service Award Honourees – André Blondeau
André Blondeau, a longtime Board Member and Treasurer of the Catholic Foundation of Manitoba will be recognized for his support of Catholic values in the community.
Charity of Choice 2019 – Holy Names House of Peace
Holy Names House of Peace, provides a safe home for women in transition, a sacred place for prayer, and reflection space for organizations promoting justice, peace and understanding. There will be a 50/50 style draw at the Dinner. The proceeds will be disbursed to the draw winner, Charity of Choice and the Catholic Foundation of Manitoba.
Key Note Speaker - Dr. Puchalski
Dr. Puchalski, Professor of Medicine, is the Founder and Director
of GWish at the George Washington University. She is a pioneer and international
leader in the movement to integrate spirituality into healthcare in clinical settings and
medical education.
2019
The Caritas Award Honouree and Key note Speaker – Joy Smith
Joy Smith is a leading advocate against human trafficking worldwide, and a champion of women’s rights. Her faith in God is what motivates her. “I’ve always called upon God to give me direction on what to do. My faith and my God are everything to me.” Joy often references faith and God’s calling as what motivated her to pursue politics to help human trafficking victims.
Service Award Honourees – Carol Peloquin, sngm and Bo Gajda
Carol Peloquin, snjm. After many years of teaching and being a foster mother for several Aboriginal girls at Meegwech House, Sr. Carol has dedicated the last 28 years to prison ministry at Stony Mountain, Rockwood Institution, and the Future Hope organization that supports Released Offenders to reintegrate back into the community.
Bo Gajda is a retired prison chaplain with over 16 years of experience within Manitoba federal medium and minimum-security institutions. Bo seeks opportunities and situations that contribute to and support respect and dignity for all people and promote essential peace building efforts. He is currently involved with the Circles of Support and Accountability Winnipeg, Future Hope and the Manitoba Catholic Tri-diocesan Prison Ministry committee.
Charity of Choice 2019 – Future Hope
Future Hope is dedicated to helping male ex-offenders rebuild their lives, one step at a time, in their transition from prison and parole to “normal life” back in the community. There will be a 40/30/30 draw at the Dinner. The proceeds will be disbursed to the draw winner, Charity of Choice and the Joy Smith Foundation.
2021
The Caritas Award Honouree – Centre Flavie-Laurent Inc
Centre Flavie-Laurent distributes at no cost, furniture, household items and clothing to people in need. They sort, store and distribute the goods and the clothing received from donors to help the impoverished in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba. The strength and mission of the Centre’s work is shown by the service provided to the needy and the concern for the needs and the fate of the poor. Its credibility is rooted in its rich heritage and its founders – the Grey Nuns.
Service Award Honourees – Karin Gordon and Tom Denton
Karin Gordon. A former radiation technician, she has been involved in helping refugees since 1979 and is the house mom at the ministry’s reception centre, a Scotia neighbourhood six-bedroom home as well as 10-bedroom home at 364 Leila. She’s in charge of resettlement, helping refugees find the best thrift shops, taking them to doctor’s appointments and the like. She has been the one called by Canadian Customs border agents when refugee claimants have managed to walk into Canada. She has personally taken some of them in, fed them, clothed them and assisted them as they apply for formal refugee status.
Tom Denton. Tom came to Winnipeg almost 50 years ago from the Bar of Alberta, where he was a practicing lawyer, to join a large business enterprise where he served in law and management capacities. In 1980, he was the founding publisher of the Winnipeg Sun newspaper. He was executive director of Winnipeg’s then settlement agency, the International Centre from 1984 to 2000, and of Hospitality House Refugee Ministry since 2006. In 2016 alone, Hospitality House landed in Canada over 1,100 refugees it had sponsored. Tom has served on many public and volunteer boards and was the first chair of the Manitoba Immigration Council and of the Winnipeg Arts Council. His involvement with immigration and its issues, on which he consults, speaks and writes frequently, extends over 37 years. He is a Member of the Order of Manitoba as well as Member of the Order of Canada.
Charity of Choice – Hospitality House Refugee Ministry.
Hospitality House Refugee Ministry is a non-profit organization, and has for many years been Winnipeg's leading sponsor of refugees. Thousands have been sponsored from appalling refugee circumstances, into new hope and productive lives in Canada.
They continue to flood into our city, and while caring families look after many, others must look to the support of Hospitality House to survive their first year here.
2022
The Caritas Award Honouree – Sara Riel Inc.
Sara Riel Inc. provides community-based support to persons who experience issues with mental illness or mental health challenges including substance use, disorders and addictions. This charitable organization was founded by the Grey Nuns in 1977 and Sister Jean Ell, sgm was ED for its first 20 years of operation. Sara Riel is known as a best practice in supporting individuals with mental health issues. Its current ED, Tara Brousseau Snider has years of experience and was also ED of the Mood Disorders Association of MB for over a decade. This Catholic organization is one of the Réseau Compassion Network’s communities of service.
Service Award Honourees – Sharon Blady
She is the founder of Speak Up: Mental Health Advocate and a former minister of health for Manitoba. She was the NDP MLA for Kirkfild Park in Winnipeg. Prior to her time in office, she taught in nursing, social work and Native studies at the U of M. She is passionate about using her lived experience of mood disorders as part of a vision for growing peer support for increased mental health and well-being. She is a suicide survivor, a published author, entrepreneur and public speaker.
Charity of Choice – Hospitality House Refugee Ministry.
Artbeat Studio is charitable organization; a mental health consumer initiated, peer directed, and recovery-oriented program. This community-based studio accommodates artists whose mental health, social connection, and income make it impracticable for them, individually, to acquire a workspace where they might advance their artistic techniques safely and securely. The artists are supported and mentored in managing their own workplace, production, and marketing within the operating parameters of the studio.
2023
The Caritas Award Honouree – Janelle Delorme & Norma McDonald
Janelle Delorme(elle/she/her) is a francophone Red River Métis activist and drum carrier. As a KAIROS Blanket Exercise facilitator since 2015, she educates people about the impact of colonization on Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. In June 2021, she organized the placing of 215 ribbons on the walkway at the St. Boniface Cathedral after the first announcements of unmarked graves in Kamloops at a residential school site. Janelle is a popular education specialist and believes that mindsets change through education.
Janelle is a sought-out speaker and workshop facilitator on “reconciliation”, has written many articles, and is the host of the French podcast “Chronique RéconciliACTION” on Envol 91.1FM. She was recently recognized for her work as one of 4 recipients of the 2022 Champion of Indigenous Education award.
Sister Norma is a long-time educator who is known for her quality of leadership that inspires youth to engage in faith-related activities, social justice and reconciliation in Canada and abroad. She started the reconciliACTION project at Université de Saint-Boniface in 2011. Norma has been on a mission to increase people's awareness about the socio-cultural and political issues, past and present, resulting from the Indian Act, particularly the repercussions of the Residential School System. Her greatest wish is to forge relationships between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals to promote healing and reconciliation. Sr. Norma, although retired from the University, is still deeply involved with Returning to Spirit and the path to reconciliation.
Service Award Honourees –Archbishop Murray Chatlain
Murray Chatlain is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas since 2012. He has been a member of the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops for the past 6 years and for several years co-chaired the Our Lady of Guadalupe Circle, a Catholic coalition of Indigenous people, bishops, clergy, lay movements and institutes of consecrated life, engaged in renewing and fostering relationships between the Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Bishop Murray who speaks Dene fluently is committed to the truth and reconciliation journey and has been involved on many panels and has been a keynote speaker on several occasions on the subject of Truth and Reconciliation.
Charity of Choice – Returning to Spirit.
Located in the center of Canada on Treaty 1 territory, Returning to Spirit is an Indigenous-led non-profit organization governed by a Board that has an equal number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous members. Together, with a valued team of experienced trainers and passionate partners, they have been delivering experiential reconciliation workshops since 2001.
2024
The Catholic School of Evangelization
For over 30 years the Catholic School of Evangelization has been reaching out, evangelizing, and offering programs to children, teens, and young adults throughout Manitoba to help them know and serve Christ and the Church. Young adults learn more about their faith in the Discipleship formation or outreach programs. These adolescents and young adults are trained to host various retreats in parishes across Manitoba and blessing the lives of youth province wide.
Children of all ages grow in their faith and build community through summer and winter camps and retreats as teens & young adults learn to become leaders.
In the past 2 years, the CSE additionally hosts monthly Disciple Nights for teens who want to further develop their camp counselors’ skills. In all their efforts CSE emphasizes the importance of a lively personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
This organization believes that head knowledge of God is only meaningful once the Lord has been encountered in one's heart! As St. Ambrose once put it; "If you want to understand a spiritual truth then you must believe it first." Since their humble beginnings the Catholic School of Evangelization has been able to share the Gospel to many, especially children and teenagers, and have found great encouragement in God's steadfast love as He has provided for them a means to know, love and serve Him.
Service Award Honourees –Amber Wsiaki
Amber has been involved with service to young people for over two decades. Throughout her post secondary years, she was involved in youth ministry across the country with Catholic Christian Outreach, the Catholic School of Evangelization, Saint-Malo Catholic Camps and was a leader for World Youth Day.
Upon completion of her Bachelor of Education, Amber was hired as the youth ministry coordinator for St. Gianna parish, where she led for many years initiatives and outreach with dozens of youth that she journeyed with, built relationships with, and brought to Christ.
During her employment at St. Gianna's, she was also hired as Director of the St. Malo Catholic Camps, and subsequently, was hired as the Outreach Director at the CSE where she headed the new year-long missionary program offered at the Catholic School of Evangelization.
After her years of service at the CSE and St. Gianna's Parish, Amber was hired to teach at St. Boniface Diocesan High School, where she taught religion, and journeyed with many students.
During this time, she was also hired as the first youth minister at Saints-Martyrs-Canadiens parish, where she was tasked with founding the first youth ministry this parish had seen in years.
Being the only French-speaking parish to offer youth ministry, Amber's talent and dedication was soon recognized by neighbouring parishes, who started to send their French-speaking youths to her programming. As such, she has become the unofficial youth minister for the entire French Urban Deanery, a function she continues with unequaled dedication, creativity, and deep care and concern for the young people she journeys with.
Amber currently holds the position of Catechetical and Youth Ministry coordinator for Saints-Martyrs and has also undertaken another role for the Archdiocese of Saint-Boniface as the safe environment coordinator. Through this role, Amber helps ensure that all young and vulnerable people in our Archdiocese are in the safest, best possible environment.
Amber’s dedication to young people is tireless. She has built bridges with neighbouring Protestant churches, by joining a local group of Christian youth ministers. Amber truly is a bridge builder, and has been innovative, creative, and resourceful in serving young people in her area to the best of her ability.
Service Award Honourees –Tom Lussier
Tom has over 40 years of experience as an educational leader and administrator at St. Paul’s High School and Gonzaga Middle School.
At St. Paul’s Tom taught Chemistry, Biology, Science, and several Religion courses. He also served as Science Department Head, Pastoral Team Chairperson, Vice-Principal and Principal. Tom has directed the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, and has also coached and refereed volleyball and soccer at the school and club level.
During a sabbatical year, Tom took on the role of Project Director for the Winnipeg Nativity School Feasibility Study which culminated in the decision to launch Gonzaga Middle School which is the first Nativity Miguel model school in Winnipeg and only the second in Canada.
The first “Nativity School” was founded by the Jesuits in Lower Manhattan in 1971 to serve Latino boys from low-income families who were having difficulty succeeding in local high schools. Since then, over 60 Nativity-model schools have opened across the United States and Canada with the ultimate goal of ending the cycle of poverty through education. Currently, Tom serves as Executive Director of Gonzaga Middle School, but also served as Principal at GMS for three years.
The learning environment that Tom has created affords students the opportunity to develop healthy behaviours and overcome barriers to their growth and educational progress.
Of all the students who have attended the school, 96% are currently attending high school and on track to graduate; this is a dramatic increase over census data that shows an average of 60% in the same communities.
The work being done by Tom is having a lifelong impact on students that will reverberate throughout our city and province.
Service Award Honourees –The Welcome Home - A Mission of St. Alphonsus
Welcome Home - a Redemptorist Mission of St. Alphonsus that expresses what Pope Francis says the Church is about: warming hearts and healing hurts.
The Welcome Home first opened its doors in 1993 with 4 live-in community members.
Welcome Home is a model of church for the Church; it challenges them to discover our God, present in their own little and imperfect humanity. The community includes both the Redemptorists as well as a group of dedicated volunteers who help run the Welcome Home throughout the year. They strive to build a community that reflects qualities of the Holy Trinity: inclusive, equal, compassionate, and non-judgmental. They work to always be inclusive of those who can be overlooked, the poor and the most abandoned.
Every year the Redemptorists invite Catholic young adults from across North America to come to come and live with them in community to serve and love the poor and to help them in their mission.
Since 1993, the Welcome Home has had over 50 young adults and Redemptorists live and work together, some whom come for one year and others have stayed for two or more.
Welcome Home now has many families who are connected to the Home because of the time they spent here as children and young adults and have begun to experience the unique gift of having their children come back and work with them.
Welcome Home has been doing comprehensive work with children and youth. They offer services and programming to address spiritual, psychological, material, and economic needs, as well as sponsor children to attend Immaculate Heart of Mary School and the Ukrainian Park Children’s Camp.
Charity of Choice –Catholic Christian Outreach
Catholic Christian Outreach. CCO is a university student movement dedicated to evangelization. Locally, they outreach to the University of Winnipeg campus to meet new people, run small group faith studies, host large group social and Adoration events, and train catholic Students to be leaders who can train new leaders. CCO host retreats and empower our grads to be leaders in their new context.
