Spring Congress Day repeated at Watson and Kindersley: “Speak Lord, Your Servant is Listening”

By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News

Discussion, listening, networking, and prayer were again part of a 2026 diocesan Spring Congress when it was presented April 18 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Watson, SK. and repeated May 14 at St. Joseph Parish in Kindersley, SK.

The two spring sessions completed a Spring Congress series held in three different locations across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon (the first 2026 Congress Day was held March 11 in Saskatoon).

A team of ministry leaders from the diocesan Catholic Pastoral Centre in Saskatoon explored the theme “Speak Lord, Your Servant is Listening” during the series, with presentations focusing on listening to the Lord and listening to each other in a synodal spirit.

Weather impacts schedule

In Watson under sunny skies April 18, representatives from across the Wadena and Humboldt deaneries in the diocese’s eastern region gathered with Bishop Mark Hagemoen and the team from the Catholic Pastoral Centre to explore the Congress themes of listening, synodality, evangelization, outreach, and ministry.

However, after an originally-scheduled date in Kindersley was disrupted by a spring snow storm April 25, the Congress Day was postponed. It was eventually held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Kindersley on May 14, attended by parish representatives from the Kerrobert and Eatonia deaneries in the western region of the diocese.

Beginning with presentations on the Synod on Synodality and its implementation, each Congress day continued with speakers reflecting on the impact and the role of listening in evangelization, prayer, ministries, outreach – and even art.

Spring Congress was held May 14 in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

At each Congress day, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Elder Diane Anderson, who coordinates Restorative Ministry in the diocese, led the opening prayer in the six directions, introduced by Director of Ministry Services Marilyn Jackson after a Treaty land acknowledgement.

The prayer from World Youth Day in Toronto with St. John Paul II was offered “in the spirit of reconciliation, healing and connection with Indigenous Peoples and in the spirit of the Land Acknowledgement that we just heard,” Jackson said.

Following the prayer, Jackson invited all those present to engage in a listening exercise, in which participants took turns sharing on a range of topics, interests, and concerns.

Catholic Pastoral Centre representatives Jackie Saretsky, coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy, and Elder Dianne Anderson, coordinator of Restorative Ministry, engage in a listening exercise at the diocesan Spring Congress day held at Sacred Heart Church in Watson, SK. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Message from the bishop

In person at Watson, and via video in Kindersley, Bishop Mark Hagemoen offered a reflection on the importance of synodality in the life of the Church.

“Synodality is not new for the Church,” said Hagemoen. “Synodality is how the Church works together as the body of Christ.” It reflects the life and communion of the Trinity, he suggested, adding that it involves “things that we are not very good at as a culture,” including active and authentic listening.

“To be respectful and to listen to each other takes commitment and work,” he said. “It means putting aside our agenda and sometimes our impatience so that we can do a really good job on the listening piece.”

The bishop also stressed the call to “an ongoing conversion of life and heart” and the need for both the ordained and non-ordained to work together in the proclamation of the Gospel and the mission of the Church.

Bishop Mark Hagemoen speaking at the Spring Congress in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

“We are on a boat together,” he said. He quoted a description shared by one of the bishops who participated in the Synod on Synodality sessions at the Vatican: “differentiated apostolic discipleship” summarizing how all are called to share in the life, work, and mission of the Church in various ways and in their own particular vocations.

Introduced by Pope Francis in 2021 and now continuing under Pope Leo, the Synod on Synodality has produced a Final Document after dialogue and input from around the world. Pope Leo has now asked for implementation of the Synod document, and the diocese of Saskatoon is actively working on that, Hagemoen said.

“We now have a small implementation committee … representing very large segments of our diocese, including health care, education, our rural context, (and) our city contexts,” the bishop said, reflecting on next steps. Led by Diocesan Synod Committee Chair Fr. Joseph Salihu, the implementation committee includes Carrie Dornstauder, Renee Cratty, Jacob Powell, and Cameron Choquette.

Bishop Mark Hagemoen at the Congress Day in Watson (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Hagemoen said that the synodal call to respectful, Spirit-led listening is an antidote to the polarization, division and vitriol of today’s world, so evident online, on social media, and the mainstream media, and experienced even in local contexts. “We live in a culture that tries to build on scandal,” the bishop said.

“Our faith is extremely articulate and very clear about the need for shalom and respect and what peacebuilding means in the world,” he said. “We pray that the call to holiness and righteousness which is given to every one of us continues to inspire us.”

Synodality and why it matters

Sr. Malou Tibayan of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, who has served on the Diocesan Synod Committee, provided an overview of the Synod on Synodality at Spring Congress sessions.

“Synodality is the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity. Orientated towards mission, synodality involves gathering at all levels of the Church for mutual listening, dialogue, and community discernment,” said Tibayan, quoting #28 of the Synod of Bishops’ Final Document.

“Synodality is primarily a spiritual disposition,” she continued, citing #43 of the Final Document. “It permeates the daily life of the baptized as well as every aspect of the Church’s mission. …it flows from the action of the Holy Spirit and requires listening to the Word of God, contemplation, silence and conversion of heart.”

Sr. Malou Tibayan of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, served on the Diocesan Synod Committee. She provided an overview of the Synod, the Final Document, and its implementation. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Tibayan stressed that synodality “is not a method or a program, rather it is a way of being Church,” pointing to the Synod focus on communion, participation, and mission. “Synodality expresses the Church’s nature as people of God journeying together, gathered by the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the Gospel.”

“Synodality is already part of the experience of many of our communities, but at the same time (the document) affirms that we are still facing a lot of practical challenges,” she said. The Synod is a call to renewal of the Church, “based upon a shared baptismal identity of the People of God,” Tibayan stressed.

“The Synod Final Document provides guidelines, suggests pathways to follow, practices to implement and horizons to explore, to help us become a missionary synodal Church,” she said. “We are invited to search for concrete ways and opportunities to create spaces to practice mutual listening, dialogue and community discernment, within the context of spiritual conversations.

“As well, a synodal Church is the one that values, promotes and supports formation of all members,” Tibayan said, describing the document’s emphasis on forming people for missionary discipleship. “It requires continuous conversion, that leads the person towards full identification or conformation to Christ.”

Participation and co-responsibility are also highlighted as essential elements, she said, quoting the Final Document: “A wider distribution of tasks and responsibilities and a more courageous discernment of what properly belongs to the ordained ministry and what can and must be delegated to others will enable each ministry to be exercised in a more spiritually sound and pastorally dynamic manner.”

Sr. Malou Tibayan speaks at Congress in Watson. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

This will have an impact on decision-making processes, consultation, and leadership styles “enabling them to have a more clearly synodal character which will help overcome clericalism (#74),” Tibayan said.

“Other essential elements of a synodal Church highlighted in the synod Final Document are transparency, accountability and evaluation (#95),” she added.

“This does not refer to a series of administrative or procedural requirements rather a fundamental attitude grounded in the Sacred Scriptures,” she said, listing the need to embody qualities of truth, loyalty, clarity, honesty, integrity, and consistency, and reject obscurity, hypocrisy, ambiguity and ulterior motives.

Tibayan added: “Synodality, when lived and practised with humility, enables the Church to be a prophetic voice in today’s world and society marked by a dictatorial model of governance and growing culture of individualism. Synodality can offer a great contribution to the search for answers in building the common good when faced by temptation to resolve conflicts by force rather than dialogue.”

She also summarized “what is being asked of us,” by listing three priorities for the implementation phase in the diocese:

Become familiar with the Synod Final Document;
Seek creative ways to promote synodality in the diocese and local parishes;
Promote a synodal way of decision making.

“You only learn synodality by doing it,” Tibayan urged, quoting Sr. Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops. “So, the key word for us during this implementation phase is practice, practice, practice.”

Spiritual conversations

During Congress, Sr. Marta Piano of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, introduced the Synod’s “Spiritual Conversation Model” as a method for Spirit-led conversations grounded in prayer and active listening – a process which has been used throughout the Synod.

Sr. Marta Piano of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity introduced the synodal method for “conversations in the Spirit” at the diocesan Congress. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Listening attentively – and with attention to the Holy Spirit– is not easy or automatic, Piano said. “It entails our whole being,” she described, stressing the need to fully pay attention to many elements of what a person is saying: body language, words, meaning – all while suspending our own judgments or responses. “It is not about debating.”

“Sometimes we’re tempted, right? While the other person speaks, you’re already thinking what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say it,” she said. “Listening intentionally and then also speaking intentionally is needed. At the same time, those engaging in such spiritual conversations are also asked to discern personally, but also as a community, what the Holy Spirit is trying to say.”

In the synodal conversation model, the first round of a discussion is listening, without interrupting or commenting on what the others say. “Then we take a moment of silence,” said Piano. “And there you ponder in your heart, what you’ve been listening to, what are your observations, and what did you notice. What are the notable points of consolation and desolation?”

The second round of the conversation is reflective sharing about what was discerned in that moment of silence. “This is the moment to share, to put things in common,” she said. Questions that can help might include: “How was I affected by what I heard? Is there a common thread that I listened to? Is there something missing?”

After another time of silent reflection, there is a third round of speaking and listening, focused on discernment, and the action of the Holy Spirit in the group. “It involves trying to discern what are those common threads that emerge in the conversation? What divergences, what interior movements did we notice?” she said. “We pay attention to what is happening in the other person and in ourselves, and we pay attention to how the Lord is working there, through what we heard.”

Director of Ministry Services Marilyn Jackson was MC for the diocesan Congress Days. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Seizing opportunities for evangelization

In his Congress presentation “See and Seize,” diocesan Evangelization and Mission Leader John Hickey emphasized the importance of listening and building relationships as the foundation of sharing faith with others,

Observing that “the harvest is plentiful,” Hickey pointed to studies that showed most committed Catholic Christians do not actively initiate faith sharing, largely because of social considerations such as not wanting to act inappropriately or fear of making someone feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, studies also have shown that some two-thirds of those who say they have no faith, also said that they were open to having spiritual conversations and are spiritually curious.

“A large portion of our people desire to share faith, but don’t know how to start. And yet our audience is saying ‘Please talk about your faith more. We want to know more about it,’” said Hickey.

He provided an overview for spotting opportunities to share faith, and how to seize those opportunities – grounded in intentionality and prayer, and in a context of building trust, forming relationships, and active listening.

Evangelization and Misison Leader John Hickey participates in a listening activity during the Spring Congress day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

“The Holy Spirit is actually on the move right now, and there is no greater time to get engaged in the mission,” he said, pointing to higher numbers of faith enquirers and adult baptisms in diocese around the world, and the spiritual impact of the upcoming Jubilee 2033, the 2,000th anniversary of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. “I think we’re experiencing a heightened grace of spiritual openness right now,” he said.

As a missionary with Catholic Christian Outreach, Hickey would pray that God would give one opportunity each day to share faith with someone. “After you pray that prayer, expect him to answer it… put on your evangelization glasses,” Hickey urged.

“I want you to know and feel encouraged that there are people in your life that the Holy Spirit is at work in right now, and that the Holy Spirit needs you to co-operate in order to bring the seed of God’s word to them,” he said, suggesting ways to both “see and seize” those opportunities.

Providing a range of examples, Hickey encouraged his listeners to engage in “an intentional way of living your life so that you can have those conversations” and described his own efforts to connect with those he encounters at the gym.

If trust and curiosity is taking root in a friendship, Hickey suggested possible conversation starters. “The first question I always ask is: ‘Did you grow up with any kind of faith? Did you have any kind of spiritual upbringing?’” he said. “They will indicate to you pretty quick whether or not they’re kind of open or closed to the subject. And the way I like to view it is, that’s my warning shot, and then I’m looking for a yellow, red, or green light.”

If interest is there, he said a follow-up question might be “Do you see faith in your future at all?”

From such small conversation starters, deeper sharing and listening can begin to happen, and the Holy Spirit can begin to work – in some cases, the fruits may take years, but to intentionally seek such conversations is key to being a missionary disciple, he said.

Evangelization and Mission Leader John Hickey speaking at Congress day in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Hickey described how one friend felt called to deepen the spiritual conversations he was having with friends at work. A suggestion to invite them to their home for a Bible study brought great fruit: within a few years, members of the group returned to the faith or joined the church, children were baptized, and lives were changed.

Hickey challenged his listeners to take practical next steps as missionary disciples. “Is there someone that you have an established relationship of trust with, that maybe the Holy Spirit is drawing to your attention right now? What is something you can do to stir their curiosity?”

Discernment and mission in parish catechesis

Quin Kleiboer, diocesan coordinator of Rural Catechetics, provided a Congress presentation on discernment and mission in parish catechesis: “Listening to Heaven, Listening to the Room.”

He examined a number of common themes in the Synod Final Document and the Vatican’s new Directory for Catechesis (2020).

Quin Kleiboer, coordinator of Rural Catechetics in the diocese of Saskatoon spoke about common themes found in both the Directory for Catechesis and the Synod Final Document. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

“The first point is baptismal co-responsibility. Every baptized person is a missionary disciple and shares the responsibility for the church’s life and mission. The Vatican Synod report identifies each baptized person being the protagonist of mission,’ he said. For parents, this mission call includes being the primary catechist of their children, as called for in the Directory for Catechesis.

A second commonality is docility to the Holy Spirit, with the Synod emphasizing the importance of being a listening church attentive to the Holy Spirit, and the fact that listening to the Holy Spirit is also essential for effective catechesis, or teaching of the faith.

Lifelong formation is “everywhere” within the Final Document and within the Directory of Catechesis. “So, there is a strong call to move beyond sacrament-only, classroom-based programs, and towards ongoing whole-person formation for adults, family, children and youth.”

A final common theme is “catechesis is at the service of mission,” Kleiboer said. “All catechesis belongs to evangelization and should lead to concrete missionary discipleship, not just a giving of information. The Directory for Catechesis notes: there is no catechesis without evangelization and there is no evangelization without catechesis.”

Kleiboer concluded his presentation with a meditative prayer focused on evangelization and mission.

Spring Congress was held May 24 at St. Joseph Parish, Kindersley, Sk. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Encountering God among the poor

During Spring Congress, Myron Rogal of the diocesan Justice and Peace Office reflected on encountering God amongst the poor, drawing from teachings of the gospel, writings of the saints, and Dilexi Te, the recent papal exhortation from Pope Leo on love for the poor.

Myron Rogal, diocesan coordinator of Justice and Peace. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Rogal pointed to the scriptures which speak loud and clear about caring for the poor, stressing: “Jesus meant what he said.” In the recent Apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, Pope Leo wrote that no Christian can regard the poor simply as a societal problem, noted Rogal. “They are part of our family. They are one with us.”

“In other words, responding to poverty as Catholics is not just a characteristic of who we are, but it is indeed a fact that’s baked into our baptismal reality and is a universal vocation,” Rogal said. “Our response does not come from a cold duty to care, but from a burning love, because we desire to love the people who Jesus loves.”

In his exhortation, Pope Leo quotes St. John Chrysostom, one of the Church Fathers, “Affirming with crystal clarity that, if the faithful do not encounter Christ in the poor who stand at the door, they will not be able to worship him even at the altar.”

Pope Leo has good questions to ponder when looking at challenges for those living on the margins, Rogal said, quoting Dilexi Te: “Does this mean that the less gifted are not human beings? Or that the weak do not have the same dignity as ourselves? Are those born with fewer opportunities of lesser value as human beings? Should they limit themselves merely to surviving? The worth of our societies, and our own future, depends on the answers we give to these questions.”

Rogal also provided an overview of statistics about poverty, and reasons for rising rates of houselessness in the province. He noted that the service most accessed by those experiencing houselessness is the public library, where people find resources, internet access, and a safe space; after that would be resources related to food security such as the Friendship Inn or Food Bank, with health care services as number three. “Shelters and warm-up shelters are crucial, but do not serve as large a population,” he noted.

“The good news is that the kingdom of God is amongst us,” Rogal continued, sharing stories of encounter and relationship, in which those in need seek ways to give back, of regaining a sense of the common good and the impact of relationship and care for each other.

He encouraged participants to think about their own parish community, to identify the needs, to pay attention to who is on the margins, and seek to respond in a way that recognizes we all belong to God and to each other.

Inviting parishes to take an inventory of what is needed and what could be done, Rogal added that his office is available to provide information and assistance. “But you also have many good examples amongst you, and in the last three to four years especially, it’s been delightful to see so many parishes across the diocese doing some very, very excellent outreach work and I know that’s the work of the Spirit.”

Myron Rogal speaks at the Congress in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Connecting and volunteering with local agencies providing outreach and assistance is one response among many, he noted.

“Become an advocate,” Rogal said, urging participants to bring their faith into the public realm. “Listen first. Sometimes this might mean accompanying people or approaching representatives in government, having conversations. Sometimes it’s just a matter of dealing with our systems, helping to access resources that are very complicated, helping people move through those systems.”

“Justice is also a key piece here, and we can’t forget that,’ he added. “I was reminded of that recently watching the Paralympics, and the announcer said that for someone in a wheelchair, a positive attitude will go a long, long way, but if they’re at the bottom of a staircase, it won’t bring them up those stairs.”

“Finally, be humble,” he added, noting that with different circumstances in life, anyone of us could be the person in need. Rely on prayer, hope, and trust in God, and always extend mercy, he added. “All is a gift from God, and God uses what we have. A lot of this is discernment, but it’s not to say that we’re not called to this. Serving those who are on the margins, living in poverty, is not a specific charism, it’s really a vocation that belongs to all of us.”

Accompanying those who are suffering

Jackie Saretsky, diocesan coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy, spoke about the crucial role of listening in accompanying those who are sick or dying. It is the kind of listening called for in the Synod on Synodality, with its focus on “communion, participation, mission.”

Jackie Saretsky, diocesan coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy, spoke about the power of listening in accompanying those who are suffering. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

“When we enter into a conversation with another, we enter into communion with that person. And we participate in their life, in their journey, or whatever it is that they’re sharing with us. And through that, we learn our mission,” she said, emphasizing the need to hear the emotions and feelings behind the words, part of the art of synodal listening.

She presented various conversation scenarios of encountering someone who is suffering, and how to listen for the deeper meaning or unspoken fears behind a person’s words. “Each of these encounters invites us into a deep vulnerability, places where our presence, listening, and compassion matter more than any answers that we may offer.”

“Accompaniment can be a beautiful and grace-filled experience, one that blesses both the person seeking support and the one who prepares their heart to listen with compassion,” she said “It becomes a shared journey where two people are fully present to one another, discovering moments of connection and joy, even in the midst of struggle. Laughing together, sharing stories, and praying side by side create a sacred space in which trust, hope, and mutual presence can flourish.”

But challenges to accompaniment include the natural temptation to avoid difficult conversations, to run away from a tough situation, “Accompanying another person is not always easy, especially when they are facing a difficult situation,” she said.

“It can feel far simpler to offer a quick, cheerful response and steer the conversation towards something lighter… but genuine accompaniment begins with making space to truly listen, setting aside the urge to fix or reassure, and instead, allowing the other person to be heard in their vulnerability.

For those uncertain about how to respond in such moments, Saretsky pointed to a practical resource developed in collaboration with the Catholic Health Association of Saskatchewan (CHAS) — a pamphlet entitled Accompaniment Through Illness: A guide to conversations about death and dying (LINK).

“This document was created to teach how not to run away from those conversations. Don’t be afraid to enter into them,” she said. Each section of the resource is grounded in Jesus’ journey towards Calvary, she noted.

“When you think of people who are nearing end of life, they’re on a road to Calvary, right? And where do you see yourself in that helping? Are you Mary, are you Veronica, are you Simon? Or maybe you’re all three,” she said. A section of the resource also address medically-provided death, known as “MAiD.”

“Death and dying are difficult topics, which is why many people avoid speaking about them. Yet those nearing the end of life often want to talk about dying, and it is frequently the listener who hesitates, afraid of causing discomfort,” Saretsky said. “This lack of open conversation leaves many unprepared for what they may face, making them vulnerable, and at times, more inclined to consider options like MAiD.”

Open conversations about death and dying can bring great relief when people are suffering with the unknown, she said.

Jackie Saretsky at the Congress Day in Watson April 18. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

“God’s mercy and grace remain present for those who are dying, or living with a life-limiting illness,” she stressed. “The sacrament of the sick offers this needed grace, but unfortunately, due to limited catechesis, many Catholics request the sacrament only when death seems imminent, believing it is reserved solely for the final moments of life.”

As a teaching tool, another pamphlet has therefore also been developed to explain the Sacrament of the Sick (LINK), who can receive it, the graces it offers, and how it is celebrated.

Photos – Congress in Kindersley

Spring Congress was held May 14 in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Marilyn Jackson, Director of Ministry Services for the diocese, speaks at Congress in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Spring Congress was held May 24 at St. Joseph Parish, Kindersley, Sk. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Sr. Malou Tibayan speaks at Congress in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Evangelization and Mission Leader John Hickey speaking at Congress day in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Spring Congress was held May 14 in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Quin Kleiboer, diocesan coordinator of Rural Catechetics, speaks at Congress in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Spring Congress was held May 24 at St. Joseph Parish, Kindersley, Sk. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Myron Rogal speaks at the Congress in Kindersley. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Jackie Saretsky, diocesan coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy, spoke about the power of listening in accompanying those who are suffering. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Diocesan seminarian Huy Le leads a prayer at Congress in Kindersley, with Sr. Malou Tibayan (left) and Marilyn Jackson of the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Saskatoon. (Photo by Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Sts. Benedict and Scholastica summer Mission Experience participants Ian Lam (left) and seminarian Huy Le with Astrid Alas at the diocesan Congress Day in Kindersley May 14. (Photo courtesy of Astrid Alas, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Photos – Congress in Watson

Congress Day in Watson April 18. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Marie Strasser of Sacred Heart Parish Council in Watson welcomes participants to the Congress day April 18. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Congress Day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Marie Strasser of Sacred Heart Parish Council in Watson, SK, welcomes particpants to Congress Day. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Marilyn Jackson, diocesan Director of Ministry Services was MC at the Congress Day. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Congress Day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

A listening exercise at diocesan Congress Day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Sr. Marta Piano of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity participates in a listening exercise at Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Our Lady of Guadlupe Parish Elder Dianne Anderson participates in a listening exercise at Congress Day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

A listening exercise at diocesan Congress Day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Fr. Frank Offin-Sekyere, parochial vicar fof parishes at Humboldt, Burr, Muenster, and Pilger, participates in a listening exercise at Congress in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Fr. Augustine Osei-Bonsu, pastor at parishes in Wynyard, Lanigan, Foam Lake, and Wishart, participates in a listening activity at Congress Day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

A listening exercise at diocesan Congress Day in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Bishop Mark Hagemoen speaks at Congress in Watson. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Sr. Marta Piano speaks about “conversations in the Spirit.” (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Spring Congress day in Watson April 18. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

John Hickey, diocesan Evangelization and Mission Leader. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Spring Congress day in Watson April 18. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Jackie Saretsky, coordinator of Hospital Chaplaincy in the diocese of Saskatoon. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

Myron Rogal, diocesan coordinator of Justice and Peace. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)

-30-

Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the communications coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon: rcdos.ca.

Adult Faith, Evangelization and Catechesis, Hospital Chaplaincy, Restorative Ministry, Communications and Catholic Saskatoon News are among the ministries in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca/baa.

-30-

Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the communications coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon: rcdos.ca.

Catholic Saskatoon News

Diocesan News Portal

Spring Congress Day repeated at Watson and Kindersley: “Speak Lord, Your Servant is Listening”

Weather impacts schedule

Message from the bishop

Synodality and why it matters

Spiritual conversations

Seizing opportunities for evangelization

Discernment and mission in parish catechesis

Other presentations

Encountering God among the poor

Accompanying those who are suffering

Photos – Congress in Kindersley

Photos – Congress in Watson