Diocesan Faith Days 2025, held from Thursday, November 20 to Saturday, November 22, brought together staff, educators, and community members across the Diocese of Victoria and Island Catholic Schools for a time of reflection, learning, and spiritual growth.
The event began on Thursday, November 20, for employees of the Diocese of Victoria, including staff, clergy, and pastoral leadership from all parishes and schools. The day opened with Mass celebrated by Bishop Gary Gordon, who introduced the theme of the day: “The Active Stillness.” New employees hired in the past year were recognized with lanterns, a symbol of the light they carry in their ministries, and long-serving staff were honoured with service awards, marking 10, 20, 30, and even 40 years of dedicated service. Dr. Barisano delivered a keynote on “The Active Silence,” exploring how contemplative practice can sustain hope, renew ministry, and prevent burnout.
This year’s Faith Days featured guest speaker Dr. Erin Barisano, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Orange, California. Drawing from her extensive experience in Catholic education, Dr. Barisano shared that ministry often risks becoming a “nervous activism”—with a constant pressure to do, fix, and solve. While rooted in goodwill, this drive can lead to exhaustion and burnout, preventing people from engaging in the deep, sustainable work of the Gospel. The act of silence, she emphasized, is not an escape from ministry but a way to recentre and recharge, allowing one to minister from a place of spiritual fullness.
Through stories from her own ministry and reflections on spiritual traditions, Dr. Barisano highlighted that contemplation is a way of being, not just doing. She illustrated the transformative power of simply gazing at Christ, as described in the story of the humble peasant man who prayed daily before the tabernacle: “I look at Him, and He looks at me.” This silent recognition of God’s love purifies the heart, energizes action, and grounds ministry in true compassion and hope.
Dr. Barisano drew lessons from three contemplative figures to guide attendees:
- St. Teresa of Ávila, whose contemplative life was deeply integrated with practical ministry, showing that faithfulness matters more than worldly results.
- Thomas Merton, whose silence revealed the ego’s illusions and transformed contemplation into authentic action, demonstrating that self-awareness rooted in God enables compassionate service.
- Henri Nouwen, who taught that embracing our own vulnerability allows us to accompany others effectively, reminding ministers that presence and empathy are the heart of meaningful ministry.
The keynote was followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Barisano, Kathryn Lacerte of the Moose Hide Campaign, and Bishop Gary Gordon. The day concluded with Listening Circles, giving participants space to reflect and share how they could integrate the practice of silence into their own lives.
Faith Days 2025 left a powerful reminder: in a world of constant activity and demand, the active silence of contemplation is not a pause from ministry, but its foundation. By cultivating inner stillness, ministers, educators, and staff can sustain hope, embrace compassion, and carry the light of Christ into every aspect of their work and life.
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