St. Benedict Chapel opening delayed

Furniture for downtown spiritual sanctuary has not arrived yet

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

St. Benedict Chapel, scheduled to open this fall at Edmonton Centre Mall, won't open until further notice.

The reason?

The furniture has not arrived, explained Rita Strauss, secretary to Archbishop Thomas Collins.

She said the chapel, named after Pope Benedict and St. Benedict of Nursia, the patron saint of Western monasticism, will open to the public as soon as the furniture is set up.

Collins has said he hopes the chapel will be "an oasis of peace and serenity in a busy world."

The Lord's presence

In a July interview, the archbishop said the chapel places at the heart of our busy world "a point of stillness, of peace - the presence of our Lord."

"I think it's something important for Catholics who are working in that area or shopping or visiting that area, but also for people of other faiths who might be interested in just a quiet place of prayer."

The 1,200-square-foot oratory will be manned by a fulltime priest-chaplain, Father Collins Okafor, and will offer daily Mass and Confession.

Additional priests might be appointed to assist when the chaplain is not available. Okafor was serving at St. Thomas More Parish until his appointment.

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