www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, April 14, 2016 | 20 Conference draws a crowd by Nancy Fornasiero Special to the Beaver Hands-on inquiry -- in class, labs or the great outdoors -- gives TFS students a real-world advantage. Citizens of the World. Through our unique blend of the Ontario, French national and IB curricula, TFS Canada's International School prepares fully bilingual graduates for tomorrow. A future that's diverse, connected and dynamic with limitless possibilities. More than 450 people from all across Canada gathered in Oakville recently for the 2016 Canadian Forum on Theology and Education (CFOTAE), held at St. Joseph's Catholic Ukrainian Conference Centre. An annual event since 1979, this year's forum drew its largest crowd ever, thanks to the popularity of one of the featured speakers, Sister Joan Chittister. Chittister, an American Benedictine nun, human rights advocate, spiritual counsellor and author of more than 50 books, is a frequent guest on television and radio programs, including a recent appearance on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday. The CFOTAE has not been without its controversies. In 2013, it was relocated to Oakville when the Archdiocese of Toronto banned it because of a provocative speaker: Rev. Michael Crosby, a reformist American priest known for his critiques of church governance, his advocacy for women's equality in Catholic leadership, and other dissenting views. Organizer John Quinn, who believed the Toronto archdiocese was "suppressing healthy dialogue," moved his event to Oakville, which is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Hamilton. "Forum 2016 has turned out to be everything I hoped for and expected it to be," said Quinn. Chittister, and the conference's other distinguished speaker, Father Diarmuid O'Murchu, an Irish social psychologist, received several standing ovations over the course of the two-day-long event. "Presenters like Joan and Diarmuid attracted an excellent group this year: people who are committed, open, and searching," said Quinn. About half of this year's participants were Catholic educators. The theme, Evolution and the Spiritual Life, challenged participants to explore changing images of the divine, and to consider how modern science and contemporary culture can co-exist with religion. In 1979, Quinn and two colleagues initiated the forum, which was a professional development event for teachers. It has been growing since, and over the years has boasted an illustrious list of "creative, challenging, prophetic, and faithful Catholic thinkers and authors." Several attendees had done so for years, but for many others it was a new experience. Mary Ellen Chown, an Oakville resident and member of the Catholic Network for Women's Equality, was impressed as a first-timer. "This has been a great opportunity to explore together the question `How shall we live?'" said Chown. "As we understand more fully our interconnectedness with all of creation in an evolving universe, we can't help but be filled with awe and gratitude, and feel compelled to make compassion and justice a way of life." Sister Teresa Forcades, a Catalan nun described as a radical nun, is the speaker slated for 2017. · · · · · · Sunday Evenings Karaoke Monday Night Poker Night Wednesday Night Trivia Family Pub Open for Lunch Sports Teams Welcome Proud supporter of the Oakville Rangers · Trip Advisor's highest rated Oakville pub Saturday Nights Live Entertainment This week featuring: Trash Panda's 231 Oak Park Blvd, Oakville Dundas St. Oak Park Blv vd. Trafalgar Rd Oak Park Blvd Interlocking & Concrete Specialists tfs.ca BILINGUAL · IB WORLD SCHOOL · CO-ED · AGE 2 TO GRADE 12 WEST CAMPUS AT CAWTHRA + LAKESHORE · Pebble Concrete · Stamped Concrete · Interlocking · Flagstone · Walkways · Garage Floors · Patios · Driveways · Curbs (French) Call Mario 905.842.7171 sunmarlandscape.com Taunton Rd. The Pipes & Taps 289-863-1155 Hays Blvd