Father Michael McCaffery was a leader in the Edmonton Catholic community for more than five decades. He served in numerous parishes across the province and was honoured with the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2005. He was an ardent supporter of Catholic education and our Catholic schools. Father McCaffery also taught at Newman Theological College and served as Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton. Father Mike was known for his generosity in serving the community of Edmonton in initiatives that improved the lives of others.
In January 2021, Edmonton Catholic Schools asked students, staff, and the community to help name our new schools. We received over 300 suggestions, and on April 28, 2021, the Board of Trustees approved the name Father Michael McCaffery Catholic High School at a public meeting.
Below is a sample of some of the submissions we received:
“Father Mike embodied Christ and the Church, his unwavering dedication and energy to our community is simply incredible. The thousands of lives he touched always with a blessing, kind word and engaging and encouraging smile will never be forgotten. Whenever I saw him in person his eyes and heart was full of love and kindness. He always made time and found a way to fill each and every request. His faith and love had no boundaries for even those of a different faith knew he was an exceptional man of God.”
“Father Mike breathed life and joy into the gospel of Christ by his life-long service to our community, his example of joy, humility, compassion and love of people. He was an outstanding, inspiring disciple of Christ.”
“Father Mike was a "people's priest". He lived Jesus' words "let the children come to me". He welcomed everyone, Catholic or not, with positivity and a spirit of openness. He understood that life can get messy and helped people, young and old, navigate that reality through the love of God and the power of forgiveness. He believed strongly in education, having been a professor at Newman Theological College. To me, Father Mike was a clear example of living one's life in the image of Jesus. He gave himself fully in service to his students, parishioners, friends, family, and community. He is a shining example of the values Catholic Education instills in students, and a school named after him would encourage students and staff, and anyone walking through the doors, to try to emulate the qualities Father Mike shared every day.”