REGINA, Saskatchewan – June 18, 2026 — Fr. Jeffrey S. Burwell, SJ, Provincial of the Jesuits of Canada, received the St. Edmund Campion Medal during Convocation ceremonies at Campion College on June 18.
The St. Edmund Campion Medal is awarded to individuals whose lives and service exemplify the values of faith, justice and generosity that are central to the mission of Campion College and the Jesuit educational tradition. The award recognizes those who have demonstrated exemplary service and spiritual leadership while embodying the ideals championed by St. Edmund Campion.
In accepting the award, Fr. Burwell reflected on his own experience as a Campion student and on the lasting impact the College has had on his life and vocation.
He spoke about the distinctive character of a Jesuit education, noting that Campion challenged students not simply to prepare for careers but to ask deeper questions about meaning, purpose and responsibility. Looking back, he credited the College with helping him discover that education is ultimately about more than acquiring knowledge. It is about becoming the kind of person who can contribute to the lives of others.
Fr. Burwell recalled the professors, Jesuits, chaplains and staff members who influenced him during his years at Campion. Through their example, he said, students were encouraged to think critically, live deliberately and consider how their gifts might be placed at the service of something larger than themselves.
Drawing on the example of St. Edmund Campion, Fr. Burwell noted that the sixteenth-century Jesuit martyr remains relevant because he understood that talent and opportunity are not ends in themselves. Rather, they are gifts entrusted to us for the benefit of others. He suggested that every generation is confronted with the same fundamental question: what will we do with the life we have been given?
Throughout his address, Fr. Burwell returned to a theme that has guided much of his own ministry: the difference between a successful life and a meaningful life. While society often measures success through achievement, status, or accomplishment, he suggested that a meaningful life is measured by the impact one has on other people.
Concluding his remarks, he left graduates with a question that has accompanied him through much of his adult life: “Whose life will be made richer for having known you?” He encouraged members of the graduating class to consider not only what they hope to achieve, but also how their lives might become a source of hope, encouragement, and service to others.
The medal was presented as part of Campion College’s annual Convocation celebrations attended by graduates, faculty, staff, alumni, family members and friends of the College.
