April 13, 2023

Edmonton Catholic Schools held a site blessing for St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary/Junior High School in the Lewis Farms/Secord neighbourhood. His Grace, Archbishop Richard Smith, blessed the site, which was followed by an official groundbreaking by the Edmonton Catholic Schools' Board of Trustees.

"This school will be such a blessing to the families of this community. Pope Francis tells us that “School and the family always work together in the education of the person. They are complementary, and therefore it is important that they collaborate. To go to school means to open the mind and the heart to reality, to the riches of its aspects, to its dimensions,” shared Chief Superintendent Robert Martin.

The school is slated to open in 2025 and will see 950 students walk through the doors each day. The new school will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, a chapel, and more.

“St. Josephine Bakhita was a beautiful messenger for the love and joy of God. She was cheerful and, as Pope Benedict XVI said, 'an outstanding example of Christian hope.' And it is our hope that the future students of St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary/Junior High School will be inspired by her and her story to make a difference in the world,” shared Trustee Debbie Engel.

READ MORE: Board of Trustees Announces Names of New ECSD Schools

The Board of Trustees has advocated for a new school in this area in 2016. 

"We are grateful to the Government of Albert for their commitment to building new schools across Alberta to serve the needs of our communities. And for having a government that is supportive of publicly funded Catholic education," said Engel. 

Construction on the new Catholic K-9 school will begin later this spring.