The abuse of Indigenous peoples is a dark chapter in the history of Canada and of the Catholic Church. This two-part webinar series is a brief reflection on the history of the residential schools and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the long road towards Healing and Reconciliation. Healing &…
Archbishop Richard Smith announces the following Archdiocesan assignments. They are effective September 22, 2021 unless otherwise indicated. Rev. Shimit Abraham, CFIC, currently Pastor of St. Augustine parish in Ponoka and St. Stephen parish in Lacombe, is appointed Pastor of Corpus Christi parish in Edmonton. Rev. Curtis Berube, currently Associate Pastor…
Archbishop Richard Smith has been reaching out to leaders in the Polish, Indigenous and Jewish communities of Edmonton in regards to recent events at Our Lady Queen of Poland parish. Archbishop Smith has also reached out to parishioners themselves. The Archbishop is scheduled to meet privately with a delegation from…
Rev. Marcin Mironiuk, OMI, has been placed on indefinite administrative leave from ministry in the Archdiocese of Edmonton, effective immediately. Archbishop Richard Smith made the decision Aug. 12 in light of statements by Rev. Mironiuk regarding the Jewish and Indigenous communities and on residential schools, and after consultation with Rev.…
We are pleased to announce that Serge Buissé who is studying for the diocesan priesthood at St. Joseph Seminary will be ordained as transitional deacon on August 4th. The transitional diaconate is the last phase of formation for a seminarian. As an ordained deacon, he can baptize, witness marriages, preside at funeral…
Pilgrims are once again being welcomed to attend Skaro in person to pray. The Skaro Pilgrimage will be held Aug. 14, the vigil for the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the evening, pilgrims made their way around the stone grotto at the Skaro Shrine in…
This year’s Lac Ste Anne Pilgrimage is once again going online. The five-day pilgrimage which attracts thousands of mostly indigenous people from across Canada will be strictly spiritual and not physical. The year’s pilgrimage July 24-28 will held online in an effort to maintain social distancing, protect pilgrims — many…
Final Mass at St. Boniface Church Homily [Exodus 3: 1-6, 9-12; Psalm 103; Matthew 11: 25-27] Yesterday I met with some members of the parish leadership to plan for this mass. We all wanted to be sure that we would have on hand everything necessary for the Eucharistic gathering,…
Archbishop Smith addresses the faithful in a response video to church fires amid efforts for truth and reconciliation. On the morning of June 30, 2021 St. Jean Baptiste Church in Morinville (located within St. Paul Diocese) was destroyed in a fire. This video may be found and shared directly from YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.…
The Archdiocese of Edmonton thanks Alberta Catholic school trustees and district staff for their leadership and sensitivity regarding the name of Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin, central Alberta’s first bishop. Bishop Grandin represents a controversial and mixed legacy. While he is remembered for the many good things he accomplished, the association of…