News Archive

St. James Parish in Okotoks invites you to come and walk through the Town of Bethlehem and meet the Holy Family in this live replica of Christmas Eve. The Living Nativity will take place on Saturday, December 6th, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the field next to the church parking lot. Admission is free. Donations will be gratefully accepted and given to local charities. There will be refreshments available for purchase in the church hall. May the Advent season bless you with anticipation for Christ’s coming.🎄

It’s time for CTR Catholic’s Annual Christmas Card Contest! Students from across the division are invited to share their creativity and Christmas spirit by submitting a piece of artwork for this year’s digital division Christmas card. 🗓️ Deadline to enter: Wednesday, November 26 📩 Submit your art using the Artwork Submission Form (scan the QR code below) or click here: https://forms.gle/2JxhhyLk9rD43r6W8

Following All Saint's Day we celebrate the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, known also as the All Souls' Day. It is a time when we call into mind all those who have died and the entire Church Suffering, praying on their behalf for eternal rest. This is a particularly moving time of remembrance of those we love and have lost. It stirs a deep hope both in the act of remembering their lives and interceding for them. Let us pray for all the faithful departed and the repose of all souls.

Starting at sundown on October 31, All Hallow's Eve, we begin our celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints, or All Hallows. This great feast celebrates all those who are in Heaven, in the beatific light of God's face. The Church celebrates all Saints, those who are canonized and those known only to the Lord. We ask for their intercession, to pray for us as living members of the Body of Christ, and we strive to follow their example in the hope of one day being counted among their number.

Wishing all of our students and families a wonderful and safe Halloween! 🎃

OUR FAITH GUIDES US - YOU ARE LOVED! At CTR Catholic schools, faith guides all we do. We want every student, staff member, and family to feel welcomed, supported, and loved. We are committed to listening with compassion, speaking with kindness and consideration, and learning alongside one another. #YouAreLoved #WeAreCTR #ManyAndOneCTR #ctrfaith #youareloved

CTR VALUES OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF! Our teachers, educational assistants, and support staff are committed to providing excellent learning experiences. We are proud of their dedication, expertise, and the care they show every day to our students. #WeAreCTR #ManyAndOneCTR

Introducing our newly elected Board of Trustees for Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools. The Board Trustees and Superintendents gathered today beginning with a beautiful mass and commissioning at St. James Parish in Okotoks. At their organizational meeting, Andrea Keenan (Foothills) was re-elected as Board Chair, and Andrew Gustafson (Okotoks) was re-elected as Vice-Chair for the 2025–2026 school year. Joining them are Trustees Harry Salm (Strathmore); Michelle Rude-Volk (Oyen); Michelle Gietz (Brooks); Louise Hendrickson (Drumheller); Jacqui Vanderfluit (High River); and Dr. Matthew McIsaac (Canmore). May God bless you all in your vocation to serve Catholic education! Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless our new Board of Trustees. Grant them wisdom, courage, and clear vision as they guide our schools in faith and excellence. May their decisions always be centered on your love and the best interests of our students. Amen. #weareCTR #IbelieveinCatholicEd

Teachers and students return to class tomorrow, Wednesday, October 29. All regular classes and school services, including transportation, will resume. We’re grateful to welcome everyone back into classrooms and appreciate your patience as schools settle back in. We will continue to share updates on our website: https://www.redeemer.ab.ca/resumption-of-classes. You can expect more information to be forthcoming from your schools in the coming days. Thank you for your continued support. May God bless our students, staff, and families as we reconnect in learning and community. #WeAreCTR #ManyAndOneCTR

CTR congratulates our newly-elected trustees following the 2025 election: • Jacqui Vanderfluit has been elected as the High River Trustee, receiving 55% of the vote. • Michelle Gietz has been elected as the Brooks Trustee, with the following results: o Gietz, Michelle – 279 votes o Grove, Shane – 208 votes o Neeser, Chris – 124 votes These are unofficial results as of 9 am this morning. Official results will be shared when provided by the municipality. We thank all candidates for their commitment to Catholic education and for their willingness to serve their communities. Congratulations to our new trustees and thank you to all who took the time to vote.

Make Your Voice Heard in the 2025 School Board Election! Residents of Brooks and Area: It’s time to have a say in the future of Catholic education in our communities. Candidates for school board trustee for the Brooks and area ward are Michelle Gietz, Shane Grove and Chris Neeser. You can Meet the Candidates here: https://shorturl.at/gfpTQ A Brooks Candidates' Forum will be held on Sunday, October 19 at St. Mary's Church from 2 pm to 4 pm. Election Day is Monday, October 20, 2025 10AM to 8PM Brooks Polling Station: JBS Canada Centre in the Cenovus Flexhall (323 1st Street East) Advance Poll Days: • October 4, 2025 12 pm to 6 pm • October 18, 2025 12 pm to 6 pm What do I need to vote? To be eligible to vote for a Catholic school board trustee you must: - be at least 18 years old; - be a Canadian citizen; - resident in the applicable school board ward; and - declare you are of the Catholic faith A valid government-issued ID showing your name and current address is required to vote. For details on acceptable ID, visit Elections Alberta. https://www.elections.ab.ca/voters/id-required-to-vote/ Your participation ensures Catholic education in our communities continues to thrive. Mark your calendar, bring your ID, and make your voice heard!

Make Your Voice Heard in the 2025 School Board Election! Residents of High River & Area: It’s time to have a say in the future of Catholic education in our communities. Candidates for school board trustee for the High River and area ward are Christopher Lauzon and Jacqueline Vanderfluit. You can Meet the Candidates here: https://shorturl.at/gfpTQ Election Day is Monday, October 20, 2025 9am to 8pm High River Polling Station: BSRC Cargill Field House – 228 12 Ave SE Advance Poll Days: • Thursday, October 9, 2025 | 9AM to 8PM • Wednesday, October 15, 2025 | 9AM to 8PM • Saturday, October 18, 2025 | 10AM to 6PM What do I need to vote? To be eligible to vote for a Catholic school board trustee you must: - be at least 18 years old; - be a Canadian citizen; - reside in the applicable school board ward; and - declare you are of the Catholic faith A valid government-issued ID showing your name and current address is required to vote. For details on acceptable ID, visit Elections Alberta. https://www.elections.ab.ca/voters/id-required-to-vote/ Your participation ensures Catholic education in our communities continues to thrive. Mark your calendar, bring your ID, and make your voice heard!

We wish all of our families a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend. We continue to lift you up in prayer and give thanks for the gift you are to our Christ the Redeemer community. May this weekend bring you comfort, joy, and meaningful time with family and friends. Loving God, We thank You for the gift of family, for the food we share, and for the blessings You pour into our lives each day. Help us to see Your goodness in one another and to share Your love with all we meet. May our hearts remain grateful and our spirits joyful, not just today, but always. Amen. #ctrcatholic #weareCTR

Over the weekend our Superintendent Dr. Andrea Holowka co-hosted the diocesan Worship Conference, “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi: Renewing the Heart of Liturgical Ministry,” in collaboration with the Diocese of Calgary. Held at St. Mary’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s High School in Calgary, the conference invited priests, lay ministers, and parish leaders to explore how prayer shapes how we live as disciples of Christ. The conference focused on deepening our understanding of the Church’s liturgical worship through prayer and the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Dr. Holowka shared that co-hosting the event and being present among members of our larger Catholic community reaffirms CTR’s deep commitment to strengthening liturgical life across our schools and parishes. “Let the beauty of Christ’s worship draw us deeper into faith, service, and unity.” Read full article here: https://www.catholicyyc.ca/blog/lex-orandi-lex-credendi-lex-vivendi-renewing-the-heart-of-liturgical-ministry #ctrcatholic

Get to know your school trustee candidates! For our Drumheller community, there has been an acclamation of a new trustee. You can read about our new Drumheller trustee on our website. In High River, there will be an election with two candidates running. In Brooks, there will be an election for with three candidates running. You can read more about all school trustee candidates by visiting our website! https://www.redeemer.ab.ca/meet-the-candidates-2025-election?hash=wwL21lZXQtdGhlLWNhbmRpZGF0ZXMtMjAyNS1lbGVjdGlvbg==

Congratulations St. Francis of Assisi Academy on 10 years! #IBelieveinCatholicEd

Every other month, CTR's Board of Trustees has their monthly board meeting in one of our eight communities. This month we met in Oyen and celebrated our last meeting with this group of eight trustees together. We have been blessed to have such strong leadership by Mark McDonald, Mark Chung, and John de Jong who will be retiring from their positions next month! #selfiewiththesuper #ctrcatholic #weareCTR

Selfie with the Super from Assumption Roman Catholic School in Oyen - one of the few places where Dr. Holowka could fit the whole school into one selfie! 😄💙 She had a wonderful visit, engaging with students, staff, and parents to hear about their experience with our Catholic faith at ARC. The visit also included a Board of Trustees ward meeting and regular Board meeting both hosted at the school last Friday and Saturday demonstrating the Board’s commitment to all communities across our vast geography in CTR. #selfiewiththesuper #ctrcatholic #weareCTR