After nearly two decades of welcoming workers, visitors and worshippers in the heart of downtown Edmonton, St. Benedict Chapel held its final Mass at City Centre mall on Aug. 12.
Following the final Mass, the Blessed Sacrament was removed from the chapel and the sanctuary light was extinguished, marking the end of the chapel’s presence in the downtown shopping centre. The chapel’s lease expires Aug. 31, 2026, and the Archdiocese of Edmonton has made the difficult decision not to renew it. The decision comes as local developer Westrich Pacific Corp. prepares to acquire the struggling shopping centre.
The chapel opened in November 2006 and has provided a place for daily Mass, reconciliation, pastoral care, spiritual counselling and quiet prayer. Its closure comes amid the receivership of City Centre mall, uncertainty about the property’s future and changing conditions in the downtown shopping centre.
Catholics seeking weekday or weekend Masses in downtown Edmonton are invited to worship at one of the at least eight parishes in the downtown area.
Archbishop Stephen Hero presided over the Mass of Thanksgiving, which drew a standing-room-only crowd as the chapel’s pews quickly filled with current and former worshippers, volunteers, priests and friends of the community.
In his homily, Hero reflected on the meaning of the cross and the role of the chapel in the lives of those who gathered there.
Archbishop Hero recalled how Christians are repeatedly marked with the sign of the cross throughout their lives — at baptism, confirmation, Ash Wednesday and in the anointing of the sick. He said the cross is more than a symbol: it marks believers as God’s children and calls them to lives of faith, reconciliation and service.
He connected that message to St. Benedict Chapel, describing it as a place where people were “built up” in their mission of evangelizing, praying and reconciling amid the demands of daily work.
Hero expressed gratitude for the vision of his predecessor, Cardinal Thomas Collins, who supported establishing a chapel in the middle of what was once a bustling downtown workplace and business district. He also thanked Father Tesfu Kelati, the priests who served the chapel, volunteers, benefactors and worshippers.
For Deacon Joseph Leuwer, the chapel had been a particularly meaningful place during his years of formation for the diaconate.
“I was happy to see the large turnout for today’s closing Mass at St. Benedict Chapel,” Leuwer said. “For many of us the chapel has been an oasis from the demands and distractions of our work lives in downtown Edmonton.”
Leuwer said the chapel made a lasting impression on him during his formation.
“For me, this sacred space left its deepest impression during my years of formation for the diaconate when coming to the chapel was a way to set aside work for a moment and sanctify the day,” he said.
Leuwer retired from professional life several years ago and said he had been coming to the chapel less often. Still, the closing Mass gave him an opportunity to reconnect with people who had remained part of the chapel community.
“I retired from professional life a few years ago and have been to the chapel far less often, but it was a joy to see my friends from the choir and other regulars who had continued to celebrate our faith in this blessed space,” he said.
An oasis in the workday
For Alana Davis, the chapel’s closure marked the end of an important part of her daily routine.
“I’ve been coming to this chapel for quite some time now, at least two years, and it’s part of my daily routine,” Davis said after the Mass.
Davis worked downtown and described the chapel as “an oasis in the middle of the workday,” whether she came before work or during lunch.
She also spoke about the importance of the community and Father Tesfu, whom she described as a spiritual mentor and director who had been a help throughout her life.
While Davis said she was sad about the closure, she also embraced the message of hope emphasized during the Mass.
“I understand the situation,” she said. “It is sad that it has to shut down, but it’s also, like in the homily, what’s next? We’ll just move somewhere else.”
The Archdiocese has encouraged downtown Catholics to attend Mass at nearby parishes, including St. Joseph’s Basilica. Davis said she will likely attend the 5:30 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph’s after work, though she noted that finding a morning Mass compatible with her work schedule will be difficult.
The chapel may be closing, but the Archdiocese says its mission continues. Father Tesfu will remain involved in ministry in a different capacity, while the faithful who made St. Benedict a part of their daily lives will carry its community beyond its walls.
As Hero reminded worshippers, the Church’s mission does not depend on a single building. For those gathered Wednesday, the final Mass was therefore both an ending and a thanksgiving — a chance to remember nearly 20 years of prayer, friendship and ministry in the heart of downtown Edmonton, and to look toward what comes next.
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