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Catholic Faith infuses a judge’s vocation Posted in Archdiocesan News
By Lorraine Turchansky
Chief Communications Officer
As a judge at the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Debra Yungwirth makes decisions that have serious impacts on the lives of individuals and their families. Many of the matters she hears are heart-breaking, and at times her task has seemed overwhelming. But Justice Yungwirth has an extra advocate with her on the bench – a deep and abiding Catholic faith. “I sometimes wonder what makes me qualified to impose what I think is best on another person,” she told delegates to the Edmonton Diocesan Catholic Women’s League convention on the weekend. “This is a power that very few people have. I don’t want to make a mistake, but I know that I will sometimes. I have to take comfort in knowing that the Court of Appeal is there to reverse my decisions if necessary . . . This is where my faith comes in. I believe that God put me in this job and that He will give me what I need to do it.” Justice Yungwirth grew up as the oldest of eight children in a family with parents and grandparents who were role models in living their faith. She has been a longtime member of Good Shepherd Parish in Edmonton, and despite a heavy workload, continues to play piano for the music ministry every Sunday. But she candidly admits that she didn’t truly understand the significance of that faith until adulthood. “Until I was about 30, I naively believed that I had control over everything in my life,” she said. “It took a personal tragedy and the fallout from that to jolt me into the beginning of my journey toward the acceptance that God is in charge of my life, that He loves me, that He knows what’s best for me, and that I have to trust that.” That trust has served her well. After 31 years of practising family law, she was appointed in March 2014 to the Queen’s Bench – a rare appointment for a family lawyer. She was just four months into the job when she was called to hear an application by a mother for a 90-day injunction to prevent Alberta Health Services from removing mechanical ventilation support for her two-month old child. The baby had been born with a lethal condition that had no cure, that caused her pain and required 24-hour nursing care. Medical experts had argued that it was in the child’s best interests to discontinue the life support and provide palliative care and comfort measures until she died. The mother – a troubled indigenous woman who had already lost one baby to stillbirth and another to sudden infant death syndrome – did not want this baby to die. “Of all the judges that this matter could have come before, it was me that got assigned,” Justice Yungwirth recalled. “I had an understanding about mom’s distress that most judges would not have had. Why? Because I had also experienced infant loss in my first pregnancy, when I had stillborn twin boys after carrying them for 38 weeks. “I understood something about what that mother was going through, and I understood that she was not capable of making the decision for her baby. I had to make it for her. I know that God put me in this job, and put that mother in my path on that day because she needed my help. “That experience highlighted for me how everything I do in my position as a judge is part of God’s plan for me and for the people who appear before me. I am where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” It’s one example of many. But whatever the case, Justice Yungwirth prays for guidance from God. She asks for wisdom, strength, creativity in finding solutions, and for the ability to see good in people, even when that’s difficult. “When I’m being told one story by the victim of sexual assault and a different story by the accused, and I’m required to make an assessment of credibility, I trust that I will receive the wisdom and tools that I need to make that assessment. “When I am sentencing someone and I must listen to heart-breaking victim impact statements from family members affected by the crime, and I must stay strong so that I don’t break down, I trust that I will get the strength I need. “When an elderly man is crying in front of me because he does not want me to appoint a guardian and trustee for him but I know that it is the right thing to do, I trust that I will get what I need to be compassionate and kind while trying to help him understand why the order is required.” There are other Christian judges at the court, some more open about their faith than others. “They, in my view, stand out from the others,” she said. “They are excellent role models to me, and I know that like everything else they have been placed in my path, and me in theirs, to provide support as we journey together in this very difficult job.” It’s not easy for anyone to speak openly about faith in the workplace, and some might even suggest that Catholic faith could bring bias to a judge’s decisions, but Justice Yungwirth says it’s never been an issue. “Part of our independence as judges allows us to be true to ourselves and to recognize that if it would ever interfere with my impartiality or ability to hear a matter, then I would recuse myself,” she said in an interview. “But that hasn’t happened.” “You have to be true to who you are. I certainly don’t hide the fact that I’m a Christian. In fact, I think it’s a benefit, not a detriment, to the people who come before me, because I can offer compassion for their circumstances.”
Be bold witnesses: Archbishop Smith |
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By Lorraine Turchansky Chief Communications Officer
Be bold, be steadfast, and never underestimate the power of your own personal witness.
That was the message Archbishop Richard Smith had for delegates at the Edmonton diocesan convention of the Catholic Women’s League on the weekend. In a Saturday morning address, the Archbishop described the three ways in which a Christian actively responds to God’s call and lives out their faith: Worship, witness and service.
“The act of faith must be enacted,” he said. “It’s not enough just to say ‘yes’ and walk away. It must be a ‘yes’ in such a way that it infuses all that we do.”
That’s where the role of witness comes in, he said. Pope Paul VI put it this way in his letter on Evangelization in the Modern World: 'Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.'
“What needs to be communicated above all is the witness, the example that shows that the doctrine, the beautiful teaching of the Church, has landed in our hearts and transformed the entirety of our lives, so that people looking upon our lives will see, before we ever say a word, that we are Christian.”
But that’s not always easy in today’s world, Archbishop Smith conceded.
“Where the Gospel has not yet landed, messengers of the Gospel will not be well received. Because if I’m not living a life informed by the good news of Jesus Christ, the announcement of that good news will stand before me as a rebuke, and I don’t like to be rebuked. Therefore there will be an instinctive resistance to the message of the Gospel, and its messenger will be likely to receive the same reaction that the originator of the Gospel received, that Jesus himself received. In fact, that’s exactly what Jesus promised – if the world hates me, know that it will also hate you.”
But Christians must not be thwarted or discouraged by that reality, he said, pointing to the example of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, who lived out her faith in the face of extraordinary opposition, including from her own family.
“You know as well as I do that the need to be bold witnesses just increases in our day,” he said. “We cannot be passive. We must speak, and we must be visible witnesses before others of the beauty, of the joy, of the truth, and of the hope that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Four Questions for the Archbishop At the convention, Archbishop Richard Smith invited questions from the audience. Here is summary of those questions and his answers, edited for length:
Q. In regard to witnessing, what happens when you get shut down? I extended my knowledge of God’s love to a person and was shot down, in great anger.
A. First of all, don’t be surprised by that. This is something that we can expect will happen. But when we do act as witnesses, we never do so alone. Never underestimate the power of what the spirit will do in and through your witness. Even the very act of rejection tells us right there and then that you’ve struck a chord, and the seed has been planted. Remember that the Church preaches to conscience, in the hope that by the Spirit that forms our consciences, the conscience of the receiver will be touched, and over time, transformed. It takes time for the human heart to receive and to allow the Word of God to transform. But be steadfast. Always be steadfast.
Q. I understand that the homilies at Mass deal with the Scripture readings of the day, but why can’t they touch on the national or international issues where people have real fears and concerns about what’s going on in the world? On the issue of the gay population, we’ve never heard the church say that these are people that we must welcome. Is the church afraid to bring these issues to the pulpit?
A. You’ve hit upon a central concern of mine and of the priests. We’re going to be taking some steps together as priests to try to grapple with this for the good of our people. This September, I’m going to be issuing a pastoral letter to the Archdiocese, and in it I will be calling everyone to live in the Word of God ̶ to hear it and to put it into practice. If we are to hear the Word of God, it has to be proclaimed in a way that we are able to see how it enlightens our current situation, helps us understand what is happening, and enables us to respond to it. Given the complexity of what’s happening in our society today, and the extraordinary rapidity with which things are changing, that is no easy task. As a pilot project this fall, our priests will gather for a two-day event where we will first do a cultural analysis and then look to the Gospel that we’re about to get into in the upcoming liturgical year, the Gospel of Mark, and what it has to say about what we are seeing as the difficulties in our society right now.
Q. The other day I received an email from a friend with an article that concerned Development and Peace. Do they support planned parenthood or not? That is something that is out there.
A. During my two years as president of the CCCB, a lot of this debate and concern really started to blow up. So I’ve been dealing with this for quite some time. Let me just say this: If Development and Peace were in any way supportive of abortion, does anybody think that the Bishops of Canada would support the organization for any more than 10 seconds? Of course not.
But when these sort of allegations come out, clearly the Conference of Bishops is not going to ignore them, and we didn’t. A special standing committee of bishops was established to liaise with Development and Peace so that should these allegations ever come up, we have a place where they can be instantly addressed. If there is any concern or ideas circulating about particular partners of Development and Peace in some part of the world, do not hesitate to bring them to the attention of the local bishop or the CCCB.
Q. There’s a lot of noise out there about Catholic schools. What direction can our religious leaders give us on what we should do to promote Catholic education more and to keep our schools?
A. First, there is the political dimension. So the direction we will give, given that there is an election coming up this fall, is to pay very, very close attention to those who are running for office. Do not be afraid to ask those candidates questions pertaining to their fidelity to the Church, fidelity to Catholic education and all that means. Choose as trustees people who will govern the Catholic school system in accordance with the life of the Church. Secondly, if we are aware of people who could serve as trustees, this is the time of year that we should encourage them to run for that office and then to support them. Third, whenever the actions of those we have chosen to serve in that capacity raise questions in our minds, call them to account. Write them a letter, phone them, and say ‘What gives?’ We have every right to do that.
It’s also really important for us, especially parents and grandparents, to be vigilant. As part of our witness as Christians, do not to be afraid to be bold and support Catholic schools as the extraordinary gift that they are. Do not underestimate the power of a letter, personally written, or a phone call directly to a member of the legislative assembly or cabinet minister.
Remember a little while ago, when the government was proposing certain guidelines for our schools that ran counter to our Christian anthropology, we raised our voices, you raised your voices. I understand the government got more letters on that than on many issues they’ve had to deal with. So let them know that we are very ready to be bold, to be loud, and to push back. Turning the other cheek is not a call to be Melba toast. Stand firm. Push back, lovingly, gently, clearly, but in a way that’s absolutely resolute, whenever there is anything that threatens our Catholic schools.
Be bold, be steadfast, and never underestimate the power of your own personal witness.
That was the message Archbishop Richard Smith had for delegates at the Edmonton diocesan convention of the Catholic Women’s League on the weekend. In a Saturday morning address, the Archbishop described the three ways in which a Christian actively responds to God’s call and lives out their faith: Worship, witness and service.
“The act of faith must be enacted,” he said. “It’s not enough just to say ‘yes’ and walk away. It must be a ‘yes’ in such a way that it infuses all that we do.”
That’s where the role of witness comes in, he said. Pope Paul VI put it this way in his letter on Evangelization in the Modern World: 'Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.'
“What needs to be communicated above all is the witness, the example that shows that the doctrine, the beautiful teaching of the Church, has landed in our hearts and transformed the entirety of our lives, so that people looking upon our lives will see, before we ever say a word, that we are Christian.”
But that’s not always easy in today’s world, Archbishop Smith conceded.
“Where the Gospel has not yet landed, messengers of the Gospel will not be well received. Because if I’m not living a life informed by the good news of Jesus Christ, the announcement of that good news will stand before me as a rebuke, and I don’t like to be rebuked. Therefore there will be an instinctive resistance to the message of the Gospel, and its messenger will be likely to receive the same reaction that the originator of the Gospel received, that Jesus himself received. In fact, that’s exactly what Jesus promised – if the world hates me, know that it will also hate you.”
But Christians must not be thwarted or discouraged by that reality, he said, pointing to the example of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, who lived out her faith in the face of extraordinary opposition, including from her own family.
“You know as well as I do that the need to be bold witnesses just increases in our day,” he said. “We cannot be passive. We must speak, and we must be visible witnesses before others of the beauty, of the joy, of the truth, and of the hope that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Four Questions for the Archbishop At the convention, Archbishop Richard Smith invited questions from the audience. Here is summary of those questions and his answers, edited for length:
Q. In regard to witnessing, what happens when you get shut down? I extended my knowledge of God’s love to a person and was shot down, in great anger.
A. First of all, don’t be surprised by that. This is something that we can expect will happen. But when we do act as witnesses, we never do so alone. Never underestimate the power of what the spirit will do in and through your witness. Even the very act of rejection tells us right there and then that you’ve struck a chord, and the seed has been planted. Remember that the Church preaches to conscience, in the hope that by the Spirit that forms our consciences, the conscience of the receiver will be touched, and over time, transformed. It takes time for the human heart to receive and to allow the Word of God to transform. But be steadfast. Always be steadfast.
Q. I understand that the homilies at Mass deal with the Scripture readings of the day, but why can’t they touch on the national or international issues where people have real fears and concerns about what’s going on in the world? On the issue of the gay population, we’ve never heard the church say that these are people that we must welcome. Is the church afraid to bring these issues to the pulpit?
A. You’ve hit upon a central concern of mine and of the priests. We’re going to be taking some steps together as priests to try to grapple with this for the good of our people. This September, I’m going to be issuing a pastoral letter to the Archdiocese, and in it I will be calling everyone to live in the Word of God ̶ to hear it and to put it into practice. If we are to hear the Word of God, it has to be proclaimed in a way that we are able to see how it enlightens our current situation, helps us understand what is happening, and enables us to respond to it. Given the complexity of what’s happening in our society today, and the extraordinary rapidity with which things are changing, that is no easy task. As a pilot project this fall, our priests will gather for a two-day event where we will first do a cultural analysis and then look to the Gospel that we’re about to get into in the upcoming liturgical year, the Gospel of Mark, and what it has to say about what we are seeing as the difficulties in our society right now.
Q. The other day I received an email from a friend with an article that concerned Development and Peace. Do they support planned parenthood or not? That is something that is out there.
A. During my two years as president of the CCCB, a lot of this debate and concern really started to blow up. So I’ve been dealing with this for quite some time. Let me just say this: If Development and Peace were in any way supportive of abortion, does anybody think that the Bishops of Canada would support the organization for any more than 10 seconds? Of course not.
But when these sort of allegations come out, clearly the Conference of Bishops is not going to ignore them, and we didn’t. A special standing committee of bishops was established to liaise with Development and Peace so that should these allegations ever come up, we have a place where they can be instantly addressed. If there is any concern or ideas circulating about particular partners of Development and Peace in some part of the world, do not hesitate to bring them to the attention of the local bishop or the CCCB.
Q. There’s a lot of noise out there about Catholic schools. What direction can our religious leaders give us on what we should do to promote Catholic education more and to keep our schools?
A. First, there is the political dimension. So the direction we will give, given that there is an election coming up this fall, is to pay very, very close attention to those who are running for office. Do not be afraid to ask those candidates questions pertaining to their fidelity to the Church, fidelity to Catholic education and all that means. Choose as trustees people who will govern the Catholic school system in accordance with the life of the Church. Secondly, if we are aware of people who could serve as trustees, this is the time of year that we should encourage them to run for that office and then to support them. Third, whenever the actions of those we have chosen to serve in that capacity raise questions in our minds, call them to account. Write them a letter, phone them, and say ‘What gives?’ We have every right to do that.
It’s also really important for us, especially parents and grandparents, to be vigilant. As part of our witness as Christians, do not to be afraid to be bold and support Catholic schools as the extraordinary gift that they are. Do not underestimate the power of a letter, personally written, or a phone call directly to a member of the legislative assembly or cabinet minister.
Remember a little while ago, when the government was proposing certain guidelines for our schools that ran counter to our Christian anthropology, we raised our voices, you raised your voices. I understand the government got more letters on that than on many issues they’ve had to deal with. So let them know that we are very ready to be bold, to be loud, and to push back. Turning the other cheek is not a call to be Melba toast. Stand firm. Push back, lovingly, gently, clearly, but in a way that’s absolutely resolute, whenever there is anything that threatens our Catholic schools.
Standing up for Catholic education
By Andrew Ehrkamp News Editor
It can be a tough job leading a school district with more than 41,000 students, 4,000 teachers and a half-a-billion dollar budget – especially when critics of a dual education system say you shouldn’t exist.
Joan Carr, the superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools, has been in that position for 10 years. And it’s her faith that has sustained her.
“You know it’s that foundation. You know that, if anything, it’s going to make you strong,” Carr said April 21 in an interview at Catholic Women’s League convention in Edmonton. “It’s just like it pushes me. You’re then able to address things.”
Carr was guest speaker at CWL’s Edmonton Diocesan Council convention, the annual meeting of more than 200 delegates from across the Archdiocese of Edmonton. The convention continues at Corpus Christi Parish until April 23.
Carr told delegates these are “trying” times for Catholic education.
Some Albertans, including a former provincial education minister, have called for a merger of the public and Catholic school systems, suggesting it would be a better use of public funds. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association has countered that argument with Catholic Education: Confronting Fiction with Facts.
Michael Janz, a former chairman of the Edmonton Public School Board, has suggested his district should be allowed to offer Catholic programming as an option. Carr calls that “short-sighted.”
“Faith-based education isn’t a course. Faith-based education is the permeation of our God in everything that we do,” said Carr.
“We’re able to bring that alive. We’re able to talk about it. We can see it. We can feel it. We can walk hallways in our schools and the evidence is there. We’re able to celebrate our faith each and every day.”
Catholic education is also under fire in Saskatchewan. On the same day Carr spoke to the CWL, a judge in that province ruled that the government must stop funding non-Catholic students who attend Catholic schools. That ruling comes into effect next June.
Carr said organizations like the CWL have a big influence on Catholic education and young women, through the CWL’s youth chapter, and the Jean Forest All Girls Leadership Academy in Edmonton.
Carr told the CWL convention she believes Alberta will continue to have separate Catholic and public systems.
However, individual Catholics — and groups like the CWL through its letter-writing campaign — can’t take a hands-off approach.
“I believe that we can never hesitate. We can never take a step back. We never be confident that’s what it’s going to be,” Carr said. “We always have to ensure that we’re doing everything to preserve Catholic education, to ensure our communities know what Catholic education is about and to be sharing our stories.”
Carr, who was named Superintendent of the Year in 2016 by the Canadian Association of School System Administrators, also notes that her Catholic faith has also had a big influence in her personal life.
“One of the most important things is that each and every day once has to be sure that you’re filled with gratitude. Gratitude for all that we have been blessed with,” she said.
“God gives us each a mission, and this is my mission right now. And I have to do the best I can to serve God.”
It can be a tough job leading a school district with more than 41,000 students, 4,000 teachers and a half-a-billion dollar budget – especially when critics of a dual education system say you shouldn’t exist.
Joan Carr, the superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools, has been in that position for 10 years. And it’s her faith that has sustained her.
“You know it’s that foundation. You know that, if anything, it’s going to make you strong,” Carr said April 21 in an interview at Catholic Women’s League convention in Edmonton. “It’s just like it pushes me. You’re then able to address things.”
Carr was guest speaker at CWL’s Edmonton Diocesan Council convention, the annual meeting of more than 200 delegates from across the Archdiocese of Edmonton. The convention continues at Corpus Christi Parish until April 23.
Carr told delegates these are “trying” times for Catholic education.
Some Albertans, including a former provincial education minister, have called for a merger of the public and Catholic school systems, suggesting it would be a better use of public funds. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association has countered that argument with Catholic Education: Confronting Fiction with Facts.
Michael Janz, a former chairman of the Edmonton Public School Board, has suggested his district should be allowed to offer Catholic programming as an option. Carr calls that “short-sighted.”
“Faith-based education isn’t a course. Faith-based education is the permeation of our God in everything that we do,” said Carr.
“We’re able to bring that alive. We’re able to talk about it. We can see it. We can feel it. We can walk hallways in our schools and the evidence is there. We’re able to celebrate our faith each and every day.”
Catholic education is also under fire in Saskatchewan. On the same day Carr spoke to the CWL, a judge in that province ruled that the government must stop funding non-Catholic students who attend Catholic schools. That ruling comes into effect next June.
Carr said organizations like the CWL have a big influence on Catholic education and young women, through the CWL’s youth chapter, and the Jean Forest All Girls Leadership Academy in Edmonton.
Carr told the CWL convention she believes Alberta will continue to have separate Catholic and public systems.
However, individual Catholics — and groups like the CWL through its letter-writing campaign — can’t take a hands-off approach.
“I believe that we can never hesitate. We can never take a step back. We never be confident that’s what it’s going to be,” Carr said. “We always have to ensure that we’re doing everything to preserve Catholic education, to ensure our communities know what Catholic education is about and to be sharing our stories.”
Carr, who was named Superintendent of the Year in 2016 by the Canadian Association of School System Administrators, also notes that her Catholic faith has also had a big influence in her personal life.
“One of the most important things is that each and every day once has to be sure that you’re filled with gratitude. Gratitude for all that we have been blessed with,” she said.
“God gives us each a mission, and this is my mission right now. And I have to do the best I can to serve God.”
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