These fine people (biographies below) have accepted nomination to the CGSAC board. Please pray for them as they prepare to begin their service on the 2023/2024 CGSAC board.
Members, be sure to register for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) via Zoom if you cannot attend in Winnipeg.
Fr. Kevin Belgrave
I am a priest of the Archdicoese of Toronto, ordained in 2008, and am currently on the teaching and formation faculty of St. Augustine’s Seminary, where I serve as the Director of the Institute of Theology and teach a number of courses in moral theology, including bioethics, foundations of moral theology, human sexuality, and Catholic social teachings. In addition to these responsibilities at St. Augustine’s, I am actively involved in ongoing consultation, speaking, and pastoral work for the Archdiocese of Toronto in a number of areas related to moral theology.
I remember well the day I was introduced to CGS. It was about ten years ago now. My friend (and our CGS Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Toronto) Anna Boyagoda had passed on some talks on Montessori and CGS that she thought I might like. I was studying moral theology at the time, and was just beginning to grapple with the idea of moral formation. What I was coming to appreciate more deeply was that our ability to recognize, desire, and actually do the good required a formation of the whole person - aligning the mind and heart and body in a way that shaped desires as much as it shaped the mind. It was as this idea was taking shape for me that I discovered CGS - and the resonance was immediate. From the very youngest child, CGS was imbued with this vision!
Since that moment, as I have continued to learn, to become more involved in the life of GGS here in the Archdicoese of Toronto, and having completed the Level 1 Formation Course, my honest love for CGS has only expanded. I have come to love the trust CGS has in the language and signs of God in the Scripture and liturgy; the trust it has in God’s creation of the child and his ability to capture the child’s heart with these very signs and language, asking only that we be attentive to creating the environment in which this can happen.
I am grateful for this opportunity to serve the work of CGS in Canada.
Michelle Coyne
Hello, my name is Michelle Coyne. I live in Winnipeg, MB with my husband and four children aged 20, 19, 18 & 15 years old. I have worked in Church ministry for 35 years, mostly with children and youth. I have been the Coordinator of Religious Education at the Parish of St. Timothy since 2016. I completed my level 1 Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training in the summer of 2022, followed by a year working in the Holy Cross Atrium. I am in the process of completing level 2 training and am opening a new level 1 atrium at my parish this October. As a member of the board, I hope to offer a fresh perspective as a relatively new CGS catechist and manager of a beginning atrium. I have seen and personally experienced the beauty and richness of CGS and I look forward to being part of its growth in Canada.
Monique Lubkiwski
My name is Monique Lubkiwski. I am a wife and mother of 5 children. Our family lives in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba where I work as a childcare coordinator for the province of Manitoba. My knowledge and experience in child development and child care has been an asset to me as I began my journey with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I was first introduced to CGS in 2016 and fell in love with this work right away. I have taken my level 1 and 2 training so far and was blessed to have hosted level 1 training in our parish this past year.
I am currently the catechism coordinator for Good Shepherd Parish in Portage la Prairie where I created a level 1 atrium which opened in 2018 and am currently working at establishing a level 2 atrium in our parish. I am excited to continue this work with people who share my passion for CGS across Canada as I grow in my relationship with the Good Shepherd.
Angela Sali
I am originally from Saskatchewan where faith and family are paramount! I moved to Vancouver in 1999 to take my AMI Montessori Casa Training and stayed to raise my daughter in this beautiful city. The past 23 years of my calling to work with young children included working in a Montessori Casa, as Head of Junior Kindergarten at West Point Grey Academy, Registrar at the Montessori Training Centre of BC (AMI), and Junior Kindergarten co-teacher at Brockton School (IBO). I have presented teacher and parent workshops on Montessori and attachment theory, consulted locally and internationally for schools, businesses, and children’s television. I enjoy creating meaningful strategies for educational businesses and charities, including website design, marketing, fundraising, community engagement, and development plans. I have begun my CGS Training, am currently presenting Montessori workshops to CGS catechists, and eager to serve Jesus and to support CGS at the board level with my skills and passion.
Therese Wright
Therese Wright founded the atrium of the Good Shepherd at Holy Rosary parish, Guelph, ON in 2004 where she continues as coordinator. She is formed as a level 1, 2 and 3 catechist and has completed several Level 1 and 2 Formation Leader courses at the invitation of CGSUSA. She is one of two Canadian representatives to the CGS International Consiglio that took place in September 2023
Some of the key duties of the formation director that continue be a source of personal growth and joy for Therese are:
providing guidance to those communities requesting catechist formation courses
supporting apprentices as they journey towards recognition as formation facilitators
liaising with our sisters in other countries, seeking advice, resources and sharing information
collaborating with the CGSAC Board to ensure the smooth functioning of our association always in unity with the Church in Canada and with the CGS International Community.
Therese has just celebrated 40 years of marriage to Steve, has three grown daughters and is soon to be a grandmother for the first time!