By Andrew Ehrkamp, Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton
Republished with permission
[Edmonton – Canadian Catholic News] – Pope Leo has appointed the Most Reverend Stephen A. Hero, Bishop of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, as the eighth Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta.
The Vatican announced the appointment on Nov. 21, 2025.
“I am very humbled and grateful for the trust placed in me to take up this new mission in the Church and to serve in a community that is close to my heart,” Archbishop-Designate Hero wrote in a letter to the people of the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
He will be formally installed as the eighth Archbishop of Edmonton on Jan. 23, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Basilica.
Born in Quebec, Hero moved to Edmonton at the age of ten. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Edmonton on June 29, 2000, and served as an assistant pastor in local parishes as well as Vocations Director for the Archdiocese. He later became Rector of St. Joseph Seminary, a role he held until Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Prince Albert on March 25, 2021.
Message to the Diocese of Prince Albert
At the same time, Archbishop-Designate Hero noted his sadness at leaving the people of the Diocese of Prince Albert.
“You welcomed me with such kindness when I was ordained your bishop on June 11, 2021, and it has been a privilege to come to know the different communities, parishes, and peoples who inhabit this land we share by Treaty. A lot has happened over the last four years, and it has been a gift of God to walk with you in faith, hope and love,” wrote Hero.
“I feel that this new call comes as many initiatives in the diocese are just beginning, but I suppose it is always like that in life. (Our Lady is the ‘Undoer of Knots’; she can also help weave together the loose threads we leave undone!) You can be confident that there are many people of faith here and co-workers in the harvest who will continue to serve the needs of all and help foster the life and growth of the Church. Let us pray fervently that the Lord will send you a new bishop as soon as possible.” – Archbishop-Elect Stephen Hero Letter To The People of the Diocese of Prince Albert (English) / (French)
“I have learned so much from you all. There is a river that flows from Edmonton to Prince Albert that will always be a sign to me of the connection between us and the same grace of God that gives us life,” Hero said.
The Catholic Bishops of Saskatchewan met in Saskatoon earlier this year, and will gather again next week, as the announcement comes that Bishop Stephen Hero will be leaving the Diocese of Prince Albert to take up a new role as Archbishop of Edmonton, where he grew up and was ordained a priest. The Saskatchewan bishops will soon be joined by Archbishop-Elect Susai Jesu, OMI, who has been appointed as the new Archbishop of Keewatin Le-Pas, which includes northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba (LINK). Attending the Saskatchewan bishops’ meeting in September were (l-r) Bishop Mark Hagemoen of Saskatoon, Bishop Stephen Hero of Prince Albert, Bishop Michael Smolinski of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy, and Archbishop Donald Bolen of Regina. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Archdiocese of Edmonton welcome
Fr. Paul Kavanagh, Administrator of the Archdiocese of Edmonton, offered a warm welcome on behalf of the clergy, religious, and faithful of the archdiocese.
“It is with praise and thanksgiving to almighty God that the faithful, religious and clergy of the Archdiocese of Edmonton extend our prayers and warmest welcome to Archbishop-Designate Stephen A. Hero as our newly appointed archbishop,” Kavanagh said.
“Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, in his wisdom and solicitude for the Church, has called Archbishop Hero to shepherd this local Church, and we receive him as a gift from God, a successor of the Apostles, sent to guide us in faith, hope, and charity.
“Archbishop Hero, we pray that your ministry among us is fruitful and blessed, and we assure you of our unwavering prayers and support as you return home and embark on this new chapter of your episcopal ministry.
“Welcome, Your Grace! Ad multos annos!”
Read Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Transition to a new Archbishop
Archbishop-Elect Stephen A. Hero, was ordained Bishop of Prince Albert, SK, in 2021. He will be installed as the new Archbishop of Edmonton, AB, on Jan. 23, 2026. (Photo by Matthew Bodnarek, Archdiocese of Edmonton, CCN)
Biography of Archbishop-Designate Stephen A. Hero
Stephen Andrew Hero was born December 19, 1969, in Lachine, Québec, to Louis Stephen and Kathleen Hero. The youngest of four siblings, he moved with his family to Edmonton at age ten. Inspired by the writings and lives of the Saints, he discerned a vocation to the priesthood during his teenage years.
After high school and university studies in Classics, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy) from the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, British Columbia (1994). He then studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, receiving a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (1998) and a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology (2000). He was ordained a priest on June 29, 2000 for the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
He later pursued further studies in Rome and obtained a Licentiate in Liturgical Theology from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute at Sant’Anselmo (2005). Returning to Edmonton, he joined the formation team at St. Joseph Seminary and taught spirituality, liturgy, and sacraments at Newman Theological College. He became Vice-Rector of St. Joseph Seminary in 2010 and Rector in 2012, serving until his appointment as Bishop of Prince Albert in 2021. He was ordained bishop in Sacred Heart Cathedral on June 11, 2021, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
Within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Hero has served on the Standing Committee for Relations with Movements and Associations and the Doctrinal Commission. He chaired the Bishops’ Working Group on Indigenous-Related Records in Diocesan Archives and currently serves on the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and the Sacraments. He was elected President of the Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops in 2024.
His episcopal motto is Deus Solus (God Alone), drawn from Psalm 86:10: “For you are great and do wondrous things; you are God alone.” It expresses the conviction that God must be at the centre of every Christian life.
The Archbishop-Designate’s Coat of Arms
(Note: The Coat of Arms is being updated to reflect the insignia of an Archbishop: ten tassels on each side of the shield and the Archiepiscopal Cross behind it. Archbishop-Designate Hero is working with the Canadian Heraldic Society.)
The shield is black, representing the finite nature of the created universe—from the soil of the earth to the expanse of outer space—and the mystery and mortality inherent to human life.
A gold Cross saltire (X-shaped Cross) cuts across the shield, signifying the death and resurrection of Christ, the central event of human salvation. Its saltire form symbolizes how Christ’s Cross takes unique shape in each disciple’s life. It also recalls Archbishop Hero’s patron saints: St. Stephen of Hungary and St. Andrew the Apostle.
Two turtledoves, positioned in the right and left quadrants, represent St. Joseph, who offered this sacrifice of the poor in the Temple (Lk 2:24). Rendered in silver, they symbolize Joseph’s purity, poverty of spirit, and loving obedience to God. They face inward toward the Cross, reminding Christians that Christ’s sacrifice gives meaning to every other.
Twelve gold stars in the upper and lower quadrants evoke the Blessed Virgin Mary as described in Revelation 12:1. They symbolize her Assumption, her role as the perfect disciple, and the hope of heavenly glory for all believers. The stars also recall the ‘Little Crown of Our Lady’, a prayer of twelve Hail Marys promoted by St. Louis Marie de Montfort.
The use of gold and silver against the black field signifies that the glory of God and the life of grace are the true riches of Christians, echoing St. Peter’s words: “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you…” (Acts 3:6).
Archbishop’s Motto
Archbishop-Designate Hero has chosen the Latin phrase Deus Solus (“God Alone”) as his episcopal motto. A favourite expression of St. Louis Marie de Montfort and reminiscent of St. Teresa of Avila’s solo Dios basta, it appears in the Vulgate version of Psalm 86:10: “For you are great and do wondrous things; you are God alone.”
The motto expresses the conviction that God must remain at the center of life in order to love ourselves, our neighbours, and the created world rightly. It warns against the perennial human temptation to place ourselves—or anything else—in the place of God.
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