From The Director
As the snow melts (and returns and—we hope—melts again) and students write their final exams, we celebrate another growth-filled year for the Irene and Doug Schmeiser Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace, and Justice.
Academically, the centre reached more than 420 students who completed our undergraduate classes in Catholic Studies, Peace Studies, and Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good. This year we ran eight sections of Introduction to Peace Studies and three sections of Introduction to Catholic Studies, along with a section of the popular course Cultivating Humanity. The capstone in Peace Studies was full, suggesting a strong cohort completing our certificate in peace studies.
We also undertook major revisions to the certificate in Catholic Studies to make it more accessible and varied, including two groundbreaking new courses:
Catholic Imagination in the Arts and Field School in Indigenous Catholic Relations, which we will offer again in winter 2027.
Our event schedule included multiple collaborations with partner organizations, among them a lunch-and-learn focused on integral ecological solidarity with South Americans, a storytelling event on Black life in Saskatoon, and an upcoming book launch (see more details below). Keep an eye on email and our newly launched website for news of next year’s event lineup, including a fall peace studies lecture. (This special website is also accessible via stmcollege.ca under Academic Initiatives.)
This year we launched affiliate and associate status with the centre as well, nurturing a network of STM faculty and staff as well as university and community partners working in faith, reason, peace, and justice. These affiliates and associates have met for monthly lunch discussions of topics like ecological ethics, pedagogies in the age of AI, and stubborn hope. Our newly established collaboration grant will facilitate community-focused projects undertaken by groups of affiliates and associates. Please scroll down for more details on recent affiliate and associate accomplishments.
I need hardly point out how full of pain and violence the world is these days, but the ongoing work of the centre is a good reminder of how many people continue to act toward peace and justice, motivated by human solidarity and often by deep faith. This work happens in our classrooms and offices, in cafeterias and hallways, and on sidewalks, too, and it happens every day.
With you in stubborn hope,
Cindy Wallace
