Pope Leo has appointed the Most Reverend Stephen A. Hero, Bishop of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, as the eighth Archbishop of Edmonton.
The Vatican announced the appointment on November 21.
“I am very humbled and grateful for the trust placed in me to take up this new mission in the Church and to serve in a community that is close to my heart,” Archbishop-Designate Hero wrote in a letter to the people of the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
He will be formally installed as the eighth Archbishop of Edmonton on January 23, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Basilica.
Archbishop-Designate Hero has lived in Edmonton since the age of ten. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Edmonton on June 29, 2000, and served as an assistant pastor in local parishes as well as Vocations Director for the Archdiocese.
He later became Rector of St. Joseph Seminary, a role he held until Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Prince Albert on March 25, 2021.
At the same time, Archbishop-Designate Hero noted his sadness at leaving the people of the Diocese of Prince Albert:
“You welcomed me with such kindness when I was ordained your Bishop on June 11, 2021, and it has been a privilege to come to know the different communities, parishes, and peoples who inhabit this land we share by Treaty.
“I have learned so much from you all. There is a river that flows from Edmonton to Prince Albert that will always be a sign to me of the connection between us and the same grace of God that gives us life.”
Rev. Paul Kavanagh, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Edmonton, offered a warm welcome on behalf of the clergy, religious, and faithful.
“It is with praise and thanksgiving to almighty God that the faithful, religious and clergy of the Archdiocese of Edmonton extend our prayers and warmest welcome to Archbishop-Designate Stephen A. Hero as our newly appointed Archbishop,” Father Kavanagh said.
“Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, in his wisdom and solicitude for the Church, has called Archbishop Hero to shepherd this local Church, and we receive him as a gift from God, a successor of the Apostles, sent to guide us in faith, hope, and charity.
“Archbishop Hero, we pray that your ministry among us is fruitful and blessed, and we assure you of our unwavering prayers and support as you return home and embark on this new chapter of your episcopal ministry.
“Welcome, Your Grace! Ad multos annos!”
Father Kavanagh will continue to serve as Administrator until the Archbishop-Designate’s installation on January 23, 2026. He has held the position since Archbishop Richard Smith was installed as Archbishop of Vancouver on May 23.
Biography of Archbishop-Designate Stephen A. Hero
Stephen Andrew Hero was born December 19, 1969, in Lachine, Québec, to Louis Stephen and Kathleen Hero. The youngest of four siblings, he moved with his family to Edmonton at age ten. Inspired by the writings and lives of the Saints, he discerned a vocation to the priesthood during his teenage years.
After high school and university studies in Classics, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) from the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, British Columbia (1994). He then studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, receiving a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (1998) and a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology (2000). He was ordained a priest on June 29, 2000 for the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
He later pursued further studies in Rome and obtained a Licentiate in Liturgical Theology from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute at Sant’Anselmo (2005). Returning to Edmonton, he joined the formation team at St. Joseph Seminary and taught spirituality, liturgy, and sacraments at Newman Theological College. He became Vice-Rector of St. Joseph Seminary in 2010 and Rector in 2012, serving until his appointment as Bishop of Prince Albert in 2021. He was ordained Bishop in Sacred Heart Cathedral on June 11, 2021, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
Within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Bishop Hero has served on the Standing Committee for Relations with Movements and Associations and the Doctrinal Commission. He chaired the Bishops’ Working Group on Indigenous-Related Records in Diocesan Archives and currently serves on the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments. He was elected President of the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops in 2024.
His episcopal motto is Deus Solus (God Alone), drawn from Psalms 86:10: “For you are great and do wondrous things; you are God alone.” It expresses the conviction that God must be at the center of every Christian life.
The Archbishop-Designate’s Coat of Arms
(Note: The Coat of Arms is being updated to reflect the insignia of an Archbishop: ten tassels on each side of the shield and the Archiepiscopal Cross behind it. Archbishop-Designate Hero is working with the Canadian Heraldic Society.)
The shield is black, representing the finite nature of the created universe—from the soil of the earth to the expanse of outer space—and the mystery and mortality inherent to human life.
A gold Cross saltire (X-shaped Cross) cuts across the shield, signifying the death and resurrection of Christ, the central event of human salvation. Its saltire form symbolizes how Christ’s Cross takes unique shape in each disciple’s life. It also recalls Archbishop Hero’s patron saints: St. Stephen of Hungary and St. Andrew the Apostle.
Two turtledoves, positioned in the right and left quadrants, represent St. Joseph, who offered this sacrifice of the poor in the Temple (Luke 2:24). Rendered in silver, they symbolize Joseph’s purity, poverty of spirit, and loving obedience to God. They face inward toward the Cross, reminding Christians that Christ’s sacrifice gives meaning to every other.
Twelve gold stars in the upper and lower quadrants evoke the Blessed Virgin Mary as described in Revelation 12:1. They symbolize her Assumption, her role as the perfect disciple, and the hope of heavenly glory for all believers. The stars also recall the ‘Little Crown of Our Lady’, a prayer of twelve Hail Marys promoted by St. Louis Marie de Montfort.
The use of gold and silver against the black field signifies that the glory of God and the life of grace are the true riches of Christians, echoing St. Peter’s words: “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you…” (Acts 3:6).
Description of the Archbishop’s Motto
Archbishop-Designate Hero has chosen the Latin phrase Deus Solus (“God Alone”) as his episcopal motto. A favourite expression of St. Louis Marie de Montfort and reminiscent of St. Teresa of Avila’s solo Dios basta, it appears in the Vulgate version of Psalms 86:10: “For you are great and do wondrous things; you are God alone.”
The motto expresses the conviction that God must remain at the center of life in order to love ourselves, our neighbours, and the created world rightly. It warns against the perennial human temptation to place ourselves—or anything else—in the place of God.
