Chief Superintendent Lynnette Anderson's February 2026 Message
We are blessed at this time to have so many wonderful happenings within Edmonton Catholic Schools, our Archdiocese, and the Church. As is my custom, for this February Message, I will explore some of these events through the lens of truth, beauty, and goodness.
TRUTH. Lent is when we ponder—through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—the Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Students will celebrate Shrove Tuesday on February 17, and then the following day, they will be blessed with Ash Wednesday ashes, thereby marking the beginning of Lent. For the next 40-days, mirroring the time Jesus spent in the desert, students will learn about the boundless love of the Trinity and our call to share that love with others. These teachings are embedded in the vibrant faith life of our schools, as well as in our religious education curriculum.
BEAUTY. As I write this message, ECSD is preparing for the Grand Opening Celebration of our beautiful new school: St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary/Junior High School. The demand for Catholic education in Edmonton is growing, and ECSD is grateful to receive funding for new schools so that we can continue inspiring students to learn, and continue preparing them to live fully and to serve God in one another. The namesake of a Catholic school plays an important role in shaping the Catholic identity of the school community. We pray that St. Josephine Bakhita intercedes for us by asking God to bless this school community with the values she lived, especially her belief that every child is created in the image of God, and therefore deserves to be cherished and respected.
GOODNESS. We joyfully welcome His Grace Stephen Hero as Archbishop of Edmonton. It is wonderful that our new shepherd grew up in Edmonton and therefore knows the Archdiocese well. I had the privilege of attending the Mass of Installation. It was a moving experience to join in ceremony and prayer as His Grace begins this important ministry. Archbishop Hero was appointed by Pope Leo XIV, and the Mass of Installation was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio of Canada, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič. It was also nice to see Cardinal Collins, one of our school namesakes, who returned to Edmonton to attend the Mass.
Finally, I would like to conclude by acknowledging the abundant goodness within Edmonton Catholic Schools. It is through the generous and loving contributions of our staff that ECSD has been so successful. Every member of the amazing ECSD community shapes the lives of our students. In order to attract and retain the very best staff, ECSD strives to create the best working conditions possible. I am therefore happy to share that ECSD has once again been named one of Alberta’s Top 85 Employers for 2026—our 11th consecutive success in this competition. To learn more about our Top 85 status, click here. The video below was created to bear witness to the joy that our staff bring to our students and to each other.
I wish you all a heartfelt Lenten journey!
Sincerely,
Lynnette Anderson
Chief Superintendent
- Read FatherJulian's message, A Path for the Lenten Journey: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving
- To see our upcoming Division events, visit ecsd.net/calendar