Each year, the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association (ACSTA) has the privilege of hosting two distinct spiritual retreats, designed specifically for the Catholic education community.

These retreats, anchored by a thoughtfully chosen theme, offer participants a meaningful journey of spiritual growth and reflection. This year's theme was “Rooted in Faith.”

The SPICE (“Sharing Purpose in Catholic Education”) retreat brings together Catholic school educators from across the province to prayerfully explore current issues in Catholic education.

SPICE 2024 was led by speaker Dr. Brett Salkeld, author, father, theologian and former teacher.

Dr. Salkeld’s talks covered a range of topics, from identifying the purpose of education (from a Catholic vs. secular perspective), to how one integrates a Catholic worldview across each and every subject. 

Through his engaging talks, he highlighted practical strategies for educators to infuse their teachings with Catholic principles, ensuring that students receive a holistic education that nurtures both their intellectual and spiritual growth.

While similar to SPICE, the ACSTA Blueprints retreat is tailored to Catholic school administrators and trustees.

This year’s speaker was Dr. Bob McCarty,  former Executive Director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Minister in Washington, DC., as well as lecturer at the University of Dallas and the Catholic University of the Americas.

His talks explored contemporary cultural challenges facing the Church in relation to young people, maintaining a spiritual lens, living a grace-filled life, and nourishing one’s faith journey in connection with others.

Both retreats were opportunities not only for faith formation and professional development, but also celebration and fellowship.

Daily Masses,  group prayer liturgies, and music were integral parts of the retreats.

Formal banquets were held to recognize and celebrate the CCSSA Excellence in Catholic Education award recipients, many of whom attended as participants.

Overall, the ACSTA hosted over 300 participants at the SPICE and Blueprints retreats, bringing together individuals from all corners of Alberta’s publicly funded Catholic education system.

We look forward to seeing everyone again  at SPICE and Blueprints 2025!