Originally from a farm in Southwestern Ontario, Julia O’Shea VanSpall (“Julie”) moved to BC in 1992 to pursue her dream of teaching. After marrying Stephen VanSpall, she became a stay-home mom to their four children for ten years before returning to her career. Julie currently teaches at IC Delta School and has been writing for the BC Catholic since 2006.
A new school year is upon us. Fresh bulletin boards, waxed floors, new pens, and blank recording sheets greet me as I prepare to teach for another year. Spirits are … Continued
In a recent homily, Father Camillus Temba spoke of our society’s addiction to technology. He began by sharing a story about someone attending a spiritual retreat and asking, immediately upon … Continued
Earlier this summer, I had the privilege of attending a wedding in Bella Coola, B.C. As with many beautiful things in life, there is a difficult road – literally – … Continued
It is summer and another school year has passed. For my oldest daughter and her peers, this year marked the end of high school. For Grade 7 students in the … Continued
Growing up in southwestern Ontario, news of tornadoes nearby was not uncommon. I have never experienced a tornado, but my dad remembers one from his early years. As a result, … Continued
“Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in our hearts take up thy rest; come with Thy grace and heav’nly aid, to fill our hearts which Thou hast made.” Whenever I … Continued
On Easter Sunday, our homilist, Father Lucio Choi, encouraged us to follow a GPS each day. Quickly clarifying that he was not referring to the widely used Global Positioning Systems … Continued
At our school’s Holy Thursday retreat this year, I focused on Peter, the “rock” of the Church. Jesus used tangible teaching methods so that we, childlike in our understanding of … Continued
“And the One seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev. 21:5). While planning a lesson for school recently, I recalled the excitement of my first … Continued
In Luke 9:22, Jesus states, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save … Continued