April 2025 Message
As I write this April message it has been just over a month since Pope Francis entered the hospital. Our schools continue to pray each day for the health of our Holy Father, whose spiritual guidance is vital to the ECSD community. Indeed, it’s my honour to once again use Pope Francis’ lens of goodness, truth, and beauty to highlight some recent events at Edmonton Catholic Schools.
GOODNESS. The Archdiocese of Edmonton and Edmonton Catholic Schools have been blessed with 18 years of wise and goodness-filled leadership from Archbishop Richard Smith. We are truly grateful for His Grace’s service and wish him well in his new appointment as Archbishop of Vancouver. We also look forward to welcoming our new shepherd once he’s appointed.
TRUTH. You may recall from the November Message that I, or one of the department superintendents, was visiting every school as part of the continuous improvement cycle of the Assurance Framework that guides education in Alberta. We are now in the second round of these visits, when we witness the progress each school has made toward the goals in their unique School Plan for Continuous Growth, as well as any changes made in response to new data on student growth and achievement. We are grateful to the school communities for hosting these visits. Given our commitment to servant leadership, it is important for us superintendents to understand the specific needs of each individual school in order to best serve that community.
BEAUTY. There are countless ways students develop their gifts and talents at Edmonton Catholic Schools. Whether participating in divisional anthology writing activities, skills competitions, or regional science fairs, students have many opportunities to let their light shine forth. Another such opportunity is our annual ECSD Celebration of the Arts – taking place on April 29th – when students of all ages take the stage at Jubilee Auditorium to share the beauty of art. It is truly inspiring!
Our Lenten journey continues into April, bringing us to the glory of Holy Week and Easter, when we celebrate God sending His Son to defeat death. May this spiritual pilgrimage fill us with the hope of eternal life made possible through the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Sincerely,
Lynnette Anderson
Chief Superintendent
- To see our upcoming Division events, visit ecsd.net/calendar.
- Read Easter, A Time Of Hope written by Bishop David Motiuk.