The new Catholic elementary school in Innisfil, scheduled to open in the fall of 2024, has been officially named St. André Bessette Catholic School following a popular vote by the school community.
The name selection process involved several steps: establishing a selection committee, gathering name suggestions from the community (including students, staff, and family members), narrowing down the choices to three finalists, and then holding a community-wide vote to choose the final name.
St. André Bessette, a native of Quebec who lived from 1845 to 1937, was renowned for his deep faith and dedication to caring for others, particularly the sick. Known as “the wonder-worker of Mount Royal,” his prayers were often answered in miraculous ways. He had a profound devotion to St. Joseph and inspired the construction of increasingly larger chapels in his honor, culminating in St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal, the world's largest church dedicated to St. Joseph. St. André Bessette is the patron saint of those who care for the sick and those who struggle academically.
"One of the most anticipated and exciting parts of opening a new school is choosing the name, and we are excited about giving our beautiful new school in Innisfil an equally beautiful name," said Maria Hardie, Board Chair. "A lot of thought and consideration goes into choosing a name because it represents the moment in time when the students, staff and families can really begin to identify with and be proud of their new school. In many ways, the name symbolizes the beginning of a new and united community - the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board welcomes the St. André Bessette Catholic School community into our family with open arms."
The new school will accommodate students and staff from Holy Cross and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Schools, alleviating the accommodation pressures in these rapidly growing communities. Newly appointed Principal Marcelle Edinboro is currently accepting new registrations through the SMCDSB Registration Portal.