How I Spent My Summer Vacation

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Many of us may remember a common exercise assigned at the beginning of a new school year when we were elementary students: a short essay on how we’d just spent the summer.

Edmonton skyline with one bridge over North Saskatchewan River

The four weeks I spent in Edmonton, Alberta, June 17-July 13, at the request of Fr. Tim Zak weren’t exactly a vacation, although the workload was lighter than what I do day by day at home. For the first time in my Salesian life there was even an assigned day off (Monday) every week.

St. Edmund's Church, est. 1911, present church, 1962

Before Fr. Mario Villaraza left for a month-long vacation in the Philippines, he asked the provincial for a confrere to take his place at St. Edmund’s Church, where he’d been pastor since the fall of 2022. Fr. Tim turned to me.

Lunch with Monica and Arcelie,

invaluable office staff

I found a vibrant, devout congregation that worshiped at three weekend Masses, each attended by 200-300 people and each with its distinctive musical style. The people sang and voiced their responses clearly and loudly. They made generous offerings. Many were involved in various parish ministries.

First communicants after Mass

On the first Sunday I was there (June 18), Fr. Mario confirmed 7 teens and gave first Communion to 27 children immediately before departing on his vacation. The previous day he, I, and two local priests heard first confessions and other confessions. On later Sundays I baptized, confirmed, and gave first Communion to a 16-year-old girl whom Fr. Mario had prepared, and I baptized an infant—both of these within a parish celebration of the Eucharist.

Baptizing Khue

More photos from St. Edmund here, and St. Edmund's people here.

At weekday morning Masses (Tuesday-Friday), 25-30 parishioners took part, with a bit of music, homily, and general intercessions, and congregants doing the first readings and assisting at the altar. I had 2 opportunities to celebrate daily Masses at 2 of our other Salesian parishes, St. John Bosco and St. Matthew. One of the features of St. John Bosco is its furnishings: altar, ambo, and presidential chair that St. John Paul II used when he celebrated Mass in Edmonton in 1983.

Sanctuary of St. John Bosco Church

with furnishings used by St. John Paul II

More photos of St. John Bosco Church here.

Each week I offered Mass at two assisted living homes within the parish: one of Tuesday celebrating the previous Sunday’s Mass, and one on Thursday anticipating the next Sunday’s Mass. I was taken by surprise at each the first time, not knowing I was to celebrate a Sunday Mass, and which one. But the residents—about 30 on Tuesdays and 15 on Thursdays—were most appreciative. In both cases, volunteers from St. Edmund handled all the arrangements.

After my last Sunday Mass at St. Edmund

In addition, on Wednesday evenings St. Edmund’s Parish held a Marian novena service followed by Mass. On Friday mornings Eucharistic adoration followed Mass.

Some of the parishioners took me out to dinner

a couple of evenings before my departure

People came to confession before many of the weekday Masses and sometimes after Mass, and before the Saturday vigil Mass. I was asked twice to anoint a sick person, and to bless a couple of vehicles and numerous rosaries and other sacramentals.

The Don Bosco Residence; new home being built next door

I lived in the Salesian residence, located in the Fraser Vista subdivision in the northeast section of the city. Besides Fr. Mario, 3 Salesians from the Madras (Chennai) Province live there while serving 3 parishes. They were very welcoming. There was a 4th, but he returned to India shortly before I came. Our life in common consisted mainly of morning and evening prayers; occasionally, a meal together. Their diet was primarily Indian or Sri Lankan (the cook being Sri Lankan), which was way too spicy for me. The confrere who did the purchasing tried to accommodate me, e.g., by buying a whole roasted chicken. I bought cold cuts or had tuna for most of my lunches (which I had to pack with me to take to the parish or on my outings).

Near our residence: North Saskatchewan River, 

the Edmonton beltway, and power lines (which are everywhere)

More photos of the neighborhood and the trails here and here.

I used Mondays to explore two national parks, Elk Island and Jasper. The former is about 35 miles east of Edmonton on the Trans-Canada Highway, the latter 225 miles west on the TCH. Both have exceptional beauty, the first flat and wet, the second mountainous (it’s in the Rockies, after all) with rushing streams and large lakes. Both have ample wildlife and lots of hiking trails. I hiked in Elk Island for 4 hours, covering about 14 kms. 

Pond with beaver lodge, Elk Island NP

Bison grazing nonchalantly in an Elk Island parking area

More photos of Elk Island NP 

In Jasper I did one short hike at the Pocahontas Mine site, which took about an hour and featured one steep ascent, excellent view over Jasper Lake and toward the mountains, and a long more gradual descent. 

From one of the high spots on the trail at Pocahontas Mine

More photos from the Pocahontas trail and Punchbowl Falls here.

Maligne River Canyon (or gorge)

And I did a longer hike in the Maligne River gorge, about 2 hours with 300 feet descent then reascent over 2½ miles out and back. The gorge was spectacular.  More photos here.

Canoers on Maligne Lake

(at $80 an hour, Canadian)

Mountain goats in Jasper NP

More photos of the roads to and from Medicine Lake and Lake Maligne, and of wildlife here.

And here's the town of Jasper.

I was also able to visit the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, which celebrates the tens of thousands of Ukrainian immigrants who settled on Canada’s prairies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world; 

St. Vladimir's Greek Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Village

Woman making cabbage rolls & Ukrainian pastries

42 photos from the Ukrainian Village. (Unfortunately, my batteries died before I finished my visit.)

and Fort Edmonton Park, which preserves different phases of the city’s human settlement, from the First Nations through the Hudson’s Bay Company outpost to the early 20th century.

Rowand House, Fort Edmonton HQ

(everything here is reconstruction)

Example of living quarters in craftsmen's section

More photos of the 1846 reconstructed fort here.

Ottewell farmstead, ca. 1885, at Fort Edmonton

McDougall's General Store, ca. 1885, Fort Edmonton

More photos of the 1885 city street here.

St. Anthony School & Chapel, ca. 1905, Fort Edmonton

Here are a few photos of the 1905 and 1920 city streets.

Edmonton has an extensive system of walking and biking trails, some of which are along the North Saskatchewan River close to the Salesian residence. The sun doesn’t set until after 10:00 p.m. so far north, and I took a lot of evening walks on those trails.

Along the Fraser Ravine Trail in our neighborhood;

Edmontonians like flowers