Primer: Origins and Content of CST
Why attend?
Introduction
Catholic Conscience’s next annual conference on Building a Culture of Life and Dignity will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at De La Salle Oaklands College, 131 Farnham Avenue, in Toronto, Ontario.
The topic of this year’s conference is Restoring the Covenant: CST as Common Social Ground. As a part of the larger series, the conference series is intended to advance at least three separate but related purposes:
- To advance civic conversation on the restoration of a social covenant based on shared principles and values
- To bring together all Canadian Catholic social and civic initiatives (along with others of goodwill), to increase awareness and promote cooperation among them
- To promote volunteer, full- and part-time employment, and fundraising possibilities for such civic initiatives
This conference should be of interest to all Catholics and others of goodwill who seek to improve society by re-establishing common social principles and values, as an alternative to radical individualism and other social currents that tend to draw people apart from God and one another. We anticipate a number of relevant presentations and discussions, including the participation of many leading Canadian Catholic voices. Side meetings and small group conversations will also be encouraged throughout the day.
Facilities will be provided for organizations wishing to share literature, etc., with attendees. Please contact us at registration@catholicconscience.org for more information.
Conference Schedule Overview
Our agenda is coming together. Most of the main speakers are identified below. Topics and panelists continue to be confirmed. We will update the page as confirmations are received. We are grateful for the high level of interest.
8:00AM
Registration
Coffee and pastries will be available for all attendees.
8:15AM
Rosary
The Rosary will be prayed during the early part of the registration period. Reflections will focus on Christ as bringer of the New Covenant. Time will be available afterward to complete registration and for coffee and pastry.
9:00AM
Welcoming & Opening Keynote
The Most Reverend Mark Hagemoen, Bishop of Saskatoon, will speak on the necessity of responding to our Baptismal call to action. Bishop Hagemoen was an early and influential supporter of Catholic Conscience.
Plenary #1
Peter Copeland of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute will be joined by Harvard's John and Daria Barry postdoctoratal Fellow Tucker Sigourney in speaking on the topic of human flourishing, and how to measure it.
Plenary #2
Moira McQueen, LLB, MDiv, and PhD will speak on the relationship between CST and social wellness indices. Dr McQueen is a consultant in moral theology and bioethics.
12:00PM
Networking Lunch
1:00 - 4:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
Four tracks, each comprising three 45-minute sessions, will be presented. 15 minute breaks will be provided between sessions. All sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing by participants, so that no one need miss any session.
Spaces will be made available for groups wishing to host side conversations on topics of special interest.
Track 1: The Family
Family Session 1: The Role of Families - the Domestic Church
Holly Raj of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys FertilityCare will facilitate an small panel discussion including family planning, family care, and care for the elderly.
Family Session 2: The Family as First Educators and First Caregivers
A small panel discussion of the family's role in education and healthcare.
Family Session 3: The Family & Society - the Civic Role of Families
- the social primacy of families
- civic and social threats to family rights and prerogatives
Track 2: The Parish
Parish Session 1: The Role of Families - the Domestic Church
Kathleen Muggeridge of the Young Professional Catholics of Toronto will facilitate a small panel discussion on the Civic Role of Prayer.
Parish Session 2: Parish Social Action: Quebec's Example
The Office of Social Action of the Archdiocese of Montreal will present its history and activities, as an example for other dioceses and groups.
Parish Session 3: The Family & Society - the Civic Role of Families
Civics and the Community: a panel of Catholic political activists will describe their experiences as examples of personal and community involvement.
Track 3: Education
Education Session 1: Pre-K through Post-Graduate Studies
Sophia Tierney of the Young Professional Catholics of Toronto will facilitate a small panel discussion of the importance and effect of public and private schools and curricula from early childhood education through post-graduate studies.
Education Session 2: Intercultural Exchange
Miles Smit, PhD, will facilitate discussion of the importance and modes of intercultural exchange, including immigration, enculturation, and inter-cultural understanding.
Education Session 3: The Influence of News and Media as Forms of Education
Peter Stockland of the Catholic Register newspaper, Cardus, and the Acacia Group will facilitate discussion of the roles of news, film, books, and other forms of communication, including online publishing in shaping social values.
Track 4: the Public Square
Public Square Session 1: Professional Witness - the Role of Guilds and Associations
Miles Smit of the Petrarch Institute will facilitate discussion of the roles and importance of professional associations and governance bodies in shaping social values.
Public Square Session 2: An Economy for All
Peter Copeland of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute will facilitate discussion of alternative economic models and their influence on the shaping and promotion of social values as forces for good.
Public Square Session 3: Justice, Peace and the Earth
Luke Stocking of Development and Peace - Caritas Canada will facilitate discussion of the importance of social values in shaping local, international, and environmental justice.
4:30PM
Closing Plenary & Remarks
Holy Mass
His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, who has served as Archbishop of Toronto and as a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Congregation for Catholic Education, and the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, will celebrate Holy Mass and send us forth to share Gospel values with the world.
5:30PM
End of the Conference
Features and Announced Side Events
- Daycare will be provided throughout the day for children of attendees. A Children's Rosary and Liturgy is planned, along with a special luncheon and weather-appropriate outdoor activities.
- Participants are invited to bring literature and display articles to introduce and provide updates for their organizations. Tables will be available.
Conference Pass
Early Bird Registration
by March 15, 2026
$75
Registration
From March 16, 2026
$90