On Wednesday 6 May 2026, in the Diocese of Nice, over 2,000 people – including headteachers, teachers and staff from Catholic schools in the Alpes-Maritimes – gathered at the Palais Nikaïa to take part in a day dedicated to teacher training. The aim of this meeting was to forge bonds of encounter, reflection and sharing around the major challenges facing education today, as every school has ‘its own story’. The event was attended by the Bishop of Nice, the Diocesan Director, the Rector, the Mayor of Nice and the Secretary General of Catholic Education.
How did the day unfold?
The participants were first welcomed with coffee in a convivial atmosphere; then, at 9 am, everyone gathered in the main hall of the Nikaïa Palace. The day began with a welcome address by the Diocesan Director and the Rector, followed by a speech by the Mayor of Nice, who emphasised the importance of freedom of education and of continuing to promote Christian values in the current context within every school.
The morning continued with various talks and testimonies focusing in particular on social and educational diversity, emphasising the fact that every child and every young person is unique. This reflection brought to mind the words of Pope John Paul II: “Education is more than a profession; it is a mission that consists in helping every person to recognise what is irreplaceable and unique about them, so that they may grow and fulfil their potential.” . A talk on well-being at work also provided an opportunity to reflect on how to recharge one’s batteries in the workplace.
After lunch, participants were able to explore the various stands set up by the schools. This opportunity for exchange allowed the projects carried out in the schools to be showcased, for pedagogical ideas to be shared, and for mutual inspiration to be drawn from all that is experienced within Catholic education in the Alpes-Maritimes.
The day concluded with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault. In his homily, he emphasised the presence of the Living One in our lives: a God who walks with us. He also encouraged all those involved in the world of education to maintain their courage and enthusiasm in their mission amongst children and young people. He recalled how precious and essential this educational mission is for accompanying the new generations with trust, hope and kindness.
This encouragement ties in fully with the words of our Pope Leo XIV, who says: « To educate is an act of hope and a passion that is renewed, for it manifests the promise we glimpse in the future of humanity. The specificity, depth and breadth of educational action lie in this work — as mysterious as it is real — of ‘bringing being to flower […]; it is caring for the soul’, as we read in Plato’s Apology of Socrates (30 a-b). It is a “profession of promise”: we promise time, trust and competence; we promise justice and mercy; we promise the courage of truth and the balm of consolation. Education is a duty of love passed down from generation to generation, mending the torn fabric of relationships and restoring to words the weight of promise.”.
Thanks to this day, everyone was able to leave feeling encouraged and renewed in their educational vocation, aware of the importance of accompanying young people with care, trust and hope, so that they may grow humanly, intellectually and spiritually. For they are truly, as our foundress Jeanne-Antide said: “We regard our pupils as sacred deposits entrusted to us by God and as talents which He places in our hands to be developed.”.
Sister Chung NGUYEN
