Parish News
Thank you, Goodbye Graffiti
Last Sunday, January 26, St. Joseph’s Basilica was vandalized with anti-Semitic symbols painted on several areas of its exterior.
We are deeply grateful to Martin Grantham and his team at Goodbye Graffiti for their prompt and efficient work in removing the graffiti. The parishioners and staff of St. Joseph’s Basilica sincerely thank them—your efforts are truly appreciated!
Congratulations to our Cantor, Clare Pellerin!
We are blessed to have a very talented music ministry team here at our cathedral-basilica. One of our cantors, Clare Pellerin, is also a professional violinist and has recently released a recording entitled “Wedding Classics for Solo Violin”.
It is available for digital purchase at her website www.clarepellerin.com and also on Spotify. Congratulations, Clare!
Called to protect workshops
Those in church leadership carry a special duty to see that all church employees and volunteers are suitable to be in positions of trust with children and vulnerable persons, and that all church-sponsored activities and programs are conducted in a safe environment.
The Archdiocese is using the Called to Protect for Ministries program to provide training for all clergy, employees and lay volunteer leaders. Called to Protect training is mandatory for all clergy, archdiocesan and parish employees and camp staff and all volunteers.
If you have not been to a workshop yet, the upcoming dates are listed below.
ONLINE:
Monday, February 10, at 1:00 pm
IN PERSON:
Wednesday, February 12
St. Charles Parish at 6:30 pm
Visit caedm.ca/calledtoprotect/ for more information or to register for a session
Once you have completed the session, please email Carolyn at Carolyn.Preshing@caedm.ca so she can note that you have completed this training.
Jubilee Year 2025 - 'I believe' catechesis series
“I believe” is a seven-part catechesis series on the Nicaean Creed, offered in partnership with Newman Theological College and St. Joseph's College-University of Alberta to mark the 1700th Anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. Each session will be offered at a different parish in the months of February, March, April, May, September, October and November.
The first session will be held on February 13, 2025 at Holy Family Parish in St. Albert at 7:00 pm. It will be presented by Deacon Cyril Kennedy with a reflection by Archbishop Smith.
Everyone is welcome and there is no cost to attend.
Join in person or online via the ArchEdmonton YouTube channel.
Basilica Seniors Group
Our next gathering will be on Wednesday, February 12, after the noon mass. Please call the office at (780) 488-7295 to register so we can prepare enough food for the number of people attending.
Sacramental preparation
The First Reconciliation and Communion Deadline is coming up on February 14.
You can register your child if they are age 8 and up. Registration forms are available through the Basilica office. Parents will need to provide their children's Baptismal Certificates. The cost is $60.00 for materials.
Preparation classes will begin March 1, 2025, for 4 weekly sessions, with First Reconciliation taking place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, and First Communion taking place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the 5:00 pm mass.
Confirmation:
Registration is now open for Confirmation. The deadline for registration is April 11, 2025. Registration forms are available through the Basilica office. Parents will need to provide their children's Baptismal and First Communion/Reconciliation Certificates. The cost is $30.00 for materials.
Preparation classes will begin May 3, 2025, for 4 weekly sessions. The Sacrament will be celebrated on Sunday, June 1, 2025, at the 10:30 am mass.
Our Sacramental Preparation is only available to registered parishioners of St. Joseph’s Basilica. To sign your child up for their Sacraments, please call the office at 780-488-7295 or email basilica.info@caedm.ca.
Bulletin Boards & Pamphlet Holders
Any items being posted on the bulletin boards in the church or the pamphlet area at the rear of the nave must be approved by Father Joseph and be stamped by the office. Any items that are not approved will be removed.
FORMED Subscription
St. Joseph’s Basilica has purchased a parish subscription to FORMED for our parishioners.
What is FORMED? Often described as “Netflix for Catholics”, it is an On-Demand platform that has Catholic movies, audio books, podcasts and more.
To access FORMED, go to formed.org, then click on Formed for Parishes, followed by Find Your Parish Subscription. Enter our Postal Code - T5K 1N8 (be sure to have a space entered in the middle) and select our parish, St. Joseph. You will be prompted to enter your name and email address and that’s it, you can enjoy all the programming it has to offer.
Communion for Sick & Homebound
If you or a family member is ill or cannot make it to mass in person, we do have a ministry that will take communion to people. Please call the office to request a visit.

Pastoral Priority Launch
Worship, Witness, and Service – these are the foundational pillars for our diocese, as identified by Archbishop Richard Smith in his pastoral letter Living in the Word.
Growing as a synodal and pastoral Church, we are translating these pillars into action through our 2024-2027 Pastoral Priorities. “Be It Done: Living in the Word” is the theme.
What are the Pastoral Priorities?
Over the next three years, we will draw inspiration from Mary, our patroness, whose life exemplifies Worship, Witness, and Service. Guided by the Blessed Mother’s life and vocation, our pastoral priorities are:
· Formation for Eucharistic Worship: We are a faith community that joyfully celebrates and better understands the Eucharist.
· Formation for Confident Witness: We are a faith community that is confident in proclaiming the Great Commission to spread the Good News of the Gospel within our respective vocations, professions, and communities.
· Formation for Service to Families and Marriage: We are a faith community that accompanies families, fully recognizing the centrality of marriage and family in God’s plan.
Learn more at caedm.ca/pastoralpriorities
Safety Concerns
We have received concerns regarding persons panhandling around the church and by the parking area. These are vulnerable folks who require help, however, giving them money only increases the risks for them, ourselves, and our fellow parishioners. We have witnessed them later in an intoxicated state and they may require medical assistance, cause a nuisance in and around the church, or worse! Safety of our parishioners, visitors, and staff is our priority and we recommend you refrain from assisting these individuals with money. Thank you for your cooperation.
Respect for our beautiful Basilica
Recently, there has been an increase in the amount of garbage left in the church pews and on the floor following masses. Our employees have been regularly gathering up disposable cups, candy and gum wrappers and other types of refuse.
There are trash containers by the Holy Water fonts and at the rear of the Narthex for your use. Please leave any trash you have in the containers on your way out.
If we all cooperate and show respect for our Basilica, it will remain a beautiful and tranquil location for many years to come.
loading zone reminder
A few months ago we had a 15 minute loading zone installed in front of the sidewalk leading to the accessibility door to better accommodate parishioners with mobility issues. This zone is for drop off and pick up of passengers ONLY! Frequently, parishioners try to park in the two hour zone in front of the church or office, but only a small part of their vehicle is in the parking area and the rest is in the loading zone. If your vehicle does not completely fit between the parking signs, you are likely blocking the loading zone. Please be courteous to your fellow parishioners who require the use of the zone and park in designated parking areas or in the lot across the street. Thank you for your cooperation!
Church Etiquette
As Catholics, there are certain guidelines we must follow to ensure we receive the sacraments validly and to simply respect our beautiful Basilica. When attending mass, it is proper to do the following:
· Arrive early to ensure you are properly settled and ready to worship God. If you are arriving during or after the homily, you are late and will disrupt those that arrived on time.
· Dress modestly and appropriately before the Lord. Men and boys, kindly remove hats, toques, etc.
· Make the Sign of the Cross with holy water upon entering the Church.
· Fasting is an obligation for a minimum of 1 hour prior to mass, except medicine, water or if someone is ill and needs to eat.
· Please do not bring any food or beverages into the sacred space of our Basilica. Chewing gum is also considered impolite.
· Turn your cell phone off or to silent mode.
· Say Amen before receiving the Body of Christ. Amen means 'it is true' or 'let it be so'.
It is important that all Catholics who are receiving Communion respond with ONLY “Amen” and not “Thank You”.
· If you receive communion in your hand, consume the host immediately. Do not take it back to your pew.
· Refrain from conversations in the Nave of the Church, they are disruptive to those who are trying to pray.
· Don’t exit the church until after the final song and after the priest has completed the recessional procession.

Organ Renewal Project
The Organ Renewal Project is now reaching its culmination, and we give thanks to Almighty God for all the generosity, creativity and hard work that has gone into this 7-year project.
We have managed to address all 3 stages
1. Restoration of our original gallery organ;
2. Installation of a new chancel organ;
3. Enlargement of the gallery organ of the full project with
only some minor revisions to the third and final stage.
We now possess two flexible instruments - a unique scenario in Western Canada. Both organs work independently or are playable together by just one organist. This new set-up is excellent for our needs as a metropolitan cathedral-basilica and puts us in an advantageous position for the next 50+ years, allowing for all our liturgical needs with both cantors and choirs, and allowing improved use for concerts of sacred music.
Throughout the process, we have published updates on the various stages of the project, including the financial cost of such a massive undertaking. Organs are an excellent way of permanently memorializing loved ones. Our Casavant gallery organ is the Archdiocesan memorial to the fallen of both World Wars, and paid for by many individual donations in 1963 on behalf of lost loved ones. In 2017, an anonymous donor gifted the Basilica $300,000 to restore and upgrade the existing gallery, covering the costs for stage 1. At the completion of that first stage in 2021, a further donor kindly gifted $200,000 in memory of a beloved grandfather for the second (and a greatly reduced third) stage, which enabled us to purchase a second-hand Casavant instrument. We are indebted to all these benefactors for their generosity stemming from a desire to inspire beautiful music to enhance our Catholic worship and cultural witness. These donations have enabled us to realize our musical vision.
In order to complete the wooden casework and conceal the visible pipes and organ mechanisms, an additional $150,000 needs to be raised. Please consider making a donation today to support this endeavor. Thank you for your continued generosity and support.

Our heartfelt thanks to parishioners and friends who continue to support the parish. Your support is essential to us as we continue our mission.
To make an e-transfer email SJB.etransfer@caedm.ca or click the button below to donate.
