New bishop to be installed in Calgary Diocese on Feb.27

The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education chose delegates to attend the installation of incoming Diocese of Calgary Bishop William Terrence McGrattan at Tuesday’s meeting. The bishop will be installed with a formal mass on Feb. 27 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Calgary.

McGrattan comes to Calgary after serving as bishop in the Diocese of Peterborough for the past two years. He replaces the outspoken, sometimes controversial, Bishop Frederick Henry, who served 19 years as bishop in Calgary before announcing his retirement earlier this year due to chronic health problems.

Mother Teresa School statue commissioned

Board trustees approved an honorarium of up to $1,000 to commission a sculpture of the late, departed Mother Teresa in honour of her elevation to sainthood in the fall of 2016. The sculpture will be created by local artist Marina Cole, whose studio is called Chainsaw Spirit.

In a general description of the work given to board trustees on Tuesday, Cole said she plans to make a life-size sculpture of Mother Teresa out of cedar. She is donating her time. The $1,000 would cover her costs.

The statue, once completed, will be displayed prominently at Mother Teresa School.

McCoy School facing additional delays

Modernization work at Monsignor McCoy School will likely not be completed until the end of May, six weeks behind the original completion date.

Trustees were informed on Tuesday night there have been “unforeseen construction issues,” including asbestos removal, data cabling, and ventilation and plumbing problems from previously undocumented alteration projects.