Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
When Pope Francis announced in 2021 the start of a multi-year global consultation, he put the Synod’s goal in simple terms: the “Synod on synodality,” as it has become known, was a call to “look others in the eye and listen to what they have to say.”
The formal theme of the Synod of Bishops for its Fall 2023 meeting in Rome is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” Bishops from around the world will gather to discuss how the Church can be more open to hearing the voices of the people of God, who have prayed and discerned the signs of the times under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Father has identified a growing need for listening to one another, a practice that is unfortunately becoming less common today. Anyone who watches world events unfold recognizes that individuals, communities, and nations are increasingly separated from one another. These divisions manifest themselves in many different ways, from our political positions to our personal relationships.
The Archdiocese of Vancouver synodal process engaged over 5,000 participants from 67 parishes in our local Church. It offered us an opportunity to explore how we are living the Church’s mission of evangelization: our successes and our challenges. In the Archdiocese of Vancouver, we are working to identify those areas where we have neglected Jesus’ call to bring the Good News to others and see him in all our brothers and sisters.
In the past year, we have reflected on, and accepted responsibility for, those times we failed in our relationships with the Indigenous Peoples of British Columbia. We have acknowledged our past sins, sought forgiveness, and are striving with renewed vigour to build new and healthy relationships founded on truth and trust.
To embrace the way of truth, healing, and reconciliation, I pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten you about ways that you are being called to set aside obstacles in the path of seasoning the world with the flavour of the Gospel and of sharing the light of Christ with others.
The end of the pandemic similarly has offered us the occasion to forge ahead with renewed enthusiasm in our task of bringing people to Jesus. The Archdiocese is engaged in a review of how we acted in response to COVID-19. In which areas did we respond well to the pandemic, and in which did we respond inadequately?
As we give thanks to the Lord and fully relaunch our numerous pastoral programs, we are looking for ways to adapt to our times, an era that is much like that of the early Church when the Good News was first proclaimed to the world. I want to assure everyone that no matter your age, culture, background, gifts, talents, or feelings of unworthiness, because of your Baptism you have received the vocation to share the love of Christ with others. “Be not afraid,” as our patron St. John Paul II so often repeated.
I am grateful for all you are doing in the name of Jesus. Allow me to thank you in advance for discerning how he is inviting you to take the next step and work with him and for him in service to the People of God in Vancouver.
The Archdiocese of Vancouver covers approximately 120,000 km², including B.C.’s Lower Mainland, and has roughly 446,000 baptized Catholics within its boundaries. It was established in 1863 as the Vicariate Apostolic of British Columbia and in 1908 as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver.
The work of vocations strengthened significantly with the addition of two new formators. Fr. Davide Lanzani began his tenure as Rector of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary after finishing two licentiate degrees in Rome. Fr. Bryan Duggan completed a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and joined the team as Director of Psychological Services.
With their participation, the number of diocesan priests involved in the education of our seminarians increased to five, which now accounts for about half of the faculty at the Seminary of Christ the King.
For their pastoral formation, the senior seminarians visited a number of diverse communities to learn about various areas of catechetical ministry in the Archdiocese.
On Sept. 30, 2021 , the seminarians and staff of the Seminary of Christ the King visited the former St. Mary’s Indian Residential School in Mission on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. There they learned about the history of the school, the students, and the culture of the First Nations.
Thanks to the lifting of COVID restrictions, our discerners were able to meet monthly in person with occasional outings. We also happily welcomed some of these men to our first in-person Seminary Live-In since the beginning of the pandemic.
Many young women have been given support to discern a vocation to religious life. At least three young women are applying to be postulants, and several others in the Archdiocese moved forward in their formation and consecration.
Amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, we persisted in using digital tools to offer a mix of online and in-person events. One in particular was the opportunity to meet via Zoom with Discalced Carmelites. These events allowed our young women to receive ongoing support in their discernment so they could be ready when the border reopened. Since its reopening, many young women resumed visiting communities and making concrete steps forward in their discernment process.
We saw many significant events happen over the last year. The Daughters of the Church, a group of consecrated laywomen, celebrated their 20th anniversary. After service in Vancouver since 1971, the much-loved Croatian Sisters were recalled to their motherhouse in Croatia. The World Day of Consecrated Life was held in-person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Some of our sisters participated in Synod Listening Circles for Sisters.
Our deacons don’t just wait in the parishes for someone to come in and ask about God. The y go out and share him in their daily lives. Some have ministries in hospitals, prisons, shelters, and other places where they cross paths with people who may not be looking for God but are still able to find him. Reflecting on his experience in hospitals, Deacon Greg Canero says, “I’ve been surprised by how the residents open up.”
Our deacons have also been deeply invested in important reconciliation projects. Deacon Rennie Nahanee has been leading an ongoing project to translate parts of the Mass into the Squamish language. This Mass has been celebrated since September 2021 at St. Paul’s Indian Catholic Church in North Vancouver.
In May 2022, the first Mass with Indigenous language was offered at Holy Rosary Cathedral to commemorate the feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Parts of the Mass, including the Our Father, were celebrated in Halq’emeylem, the language of the Sts’ailes First Nation.
We held our first Family Fun Day on June 26 at Pacific Academy to mark the end of the Year of the Family. More than 300 people registered for the event, which was hosted by a team of 30 volunteers. Families from all over the Archdiocese came together to enjoy food, games, bouncy castles, and a Men in Black soccer game. It was also an opportunity to meet priests, seminarians, religious sisters, and members of various movements and organizations at one event. The Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Women’s League provided burgers and other food, and a team of volunteers from Couples for Christ, Marriage Encounter, Madonna House, Focolare, and Luke 15 House helped with games, set-up, and parking. It was a great way to share our mission of evangelization of the family.
This event is the first of a cycle of events to celebrate the World Meeting of Families locally. Future events will include a conference in 2023 and a Family Weekend Retreat in 2024.
In the last two years, more couples became increasingly receptive to natural family planning. We are delighted to offer education in this area by bringing the Marquette method to the Archdiocese. Marquette has become more known as a very reliable method, especially for those who are breastfeeding or in menopause. We started our educational outreach with a registered nurse in Alberta who offers training, and we are steadily growing a local team of Marquette practitioners to support our couples.
Our ministry collaborated with Endow Studies this year. Endow is a small-group format for women to study Church documents together and become more deeply formed in the Catholic intellectual tradition. One small group was specifically made up of separated or divorced participants. Having grown in friendship and mutual support in their walk together, they have persevered to meet on a weekly basis even beyond the conclusion of the study program.
“The word ‘synod’ comes from the Greek word that means both an assembly of persons and a journey taken together of mind, heart, and spirit, one aimed at discerning God’s will for his Church” - Archbishop Miller, Homily, Oct. 24, 2021
In October 2021, Pope Francis inaugurated the 16th Synod of Bishops under the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” Emphasizing the meaning of ‘synod’ as a way of ‘walking together,’ the Synod on Synodality is an opportunity for the local and universal Church to reflect upon and more deeply discern its mission through distinct phases of consultation leading up to the meeting of bishops in October 2023.
Beginning at the diocesan level, consultation results were sent for further study at each nation’s episcopal conference, followed by review at the continental level, and finally will be considered during the Synod in Rome.
Despite the considerable challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Archdiocese of Vancouver completed its diocesan phase for the Synod on Synodality in less than a year. The response from Vancouver’s Catholic community was robust and enthusiastic, with more than 5,000 people and 87% of parishes participating. From October 2021 through June 2022, an eleven-person committee guided coordinators and participants as they gathered in small groups to share, listen, pray, and reflect together.
From the outset, the Pope expressed a desire to hear all voices, especially those who have felt excluded or hurt by the Church. Many were pleased to be asked to participate and to be heard. A broad representation of the faithful affirmed their love for the Church, as well as their desire for greater communion with one another and for more engagement in the Church’s mission. It is clear that the laity of the Archdiocese are actively concerned about the Church and wish to be more closely involved in its life.
Small group interactions – like the conversation circles – were a highlight of the synodal process in the Archdiocese. Respondents gave answers which reflected a widespread diversity, if not polarization, of opinions. The broad and often enthusiastic participation by parishes, individuals, movements, and groups emphasizes just how much the laity have desired the opportunity to share their convictions about the Church’s life and mission.
Several harmonizing convictions emerged from the process. There is a great hunger in the local Church to grow, to improve outreach, to seek out the marginalized more frequently and effectively, and to ensure that the Church is a welcoming and supportive community.
With the help of the John Paul II Pastoral Centre, it is now up to our many parishes, movements, associations, and groups to formulate action plans that follow through on the conclusions which emerged from the Archdiocese’s engagement with the synodal process.
On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis declared the Year of St. Joseph, a year to celebrate, learn about, and grow in love and devotion to the foster father of Jesus and husband of Mary. In response, the Archdiocese launched a new website and offered a wide range of opportunities to help the faithful celebrate this year, including:
Despite the difficulties of another pandemic year, the faithful responded with great love and enthusiasm to this special celebration.
1,000+ registered for the novenas and the Consecration to St. Joseph
200-350 attended each webinar
Into the Deep offered monthly online lectures on many facets of Catholic life, including liturgical celebrations, the lives of the Saints, and important questions of faith and culture. Hundreds faithfully attended the monthly webinars. In an effort to help welcome back parishioners in person, Into the Deep was livestreamed in 12 parishes.
Many Catholics are willing to evangelize but lack the knowledge and experience to navigate challenges which may come up. This year Proclaim tackled this gap by offering skills training and accompaniment through “masterclass” groups.
Each group provided a space for participants to share challenges they faced in evangelization, followed by the group crafting a solution together. One member mentioned a friend who had stopped coming to RCIA. The group encouraged this participant to take a more personal approach to accompaniment, which helped keep the relationship going.
Our intentional accompaniment masterclass discussed topics like “how to make invitations” and “how to have spiritual conversations.” Participants noted that afterwards they were more confident inviting people into a conversation about faith.
Since the news in Kamloops broke in 2021, the Archdiocese of Vancouver has been working to build stronger relationships with local First Nations, while helping the Catholic community better understand the residential school system, its devastating effects on students and Indigenous culture, and the impact it has left on so many. We pray continuously for all those affected by the tragic consequences of a system that allowed generations of children to be separated from their families. These children and their families must never be forgotten.
There were 139 Indian Residential Schools identified by the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (IRSSA), 65 of which were administered by a Catholic entity. Indian Residential Schools were in place between 1870 and 1996, and approximately 150,000 Indigenous students attended.
Our historical Archdiocese was the site of at least four schools, including St. Paul’s in North Vancouver, St. Mary’s in Mission, Kamloops Indian Residential School, and St. Augustine’s in Sechelt. These schools had students who were physically and sexually abused, and, as Catholics, it is important for us to show great compassion for those whose lives were deeply damaged and for the multiple generations of Indigenous people that were profoundly affected.
While religious orders and Catholic leaders have apologized and the heartfelt work of reconciliation has been undertaken out of the spotlight, the painful legacy of the residential schools has been felt – perhaps for the first time – by a greater number of Canadians than ever before. This anger and sorrow has spurred a renewed reckoning with this chapter of our national history. In response, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops invited a delegation of Indigenous representatives to travel to Rome in March 2022 to meet with Pope Francis and share their stories.
In the Pope’s closing address to the delegation, he acknowledged the deep wounds which have been suffered by Indigenous peoples and apologized for the sinful actions of Catholics involved in the residential schools:
In July 2022, the Holy Father made a “Penitential Pilgrimage” to Canada, making visits to Indigenous peoples in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Iqaluit. During each stop, Pope Francis deepened his apology and called on each of us to join in supporting the healing journey of our Indigenous brothers and sisters.
In reaffirming our commitment to reconciliation, the Archdiocese has taken numerous concrete steps to improve relationships, uncover the truth, and recommit to the path of healing. In the last year, the following important developments have taken place:
While a number of the financial obligations required in past legal settlements were met, “best efforts” campaigns fell well short of the goal set. To help rectify this, the Canadian Bishops recently pledged $30 million in additional funding for the needs of Indigenous people, of which the Archdiocese of Vancouver pledged $2.5 million.
Despite the influence of some media- and politically-driven narratives which foment division and conflict between Catholics, Indigenous peoples and other Canadians, the Archbishop’s efforts and approach have been very well received by Indigenous leaders. However, there remains work to be done.
As we move forward together in reconciliation, our mission is to keep walking with our Indigenous brothers and sisters, to seek justice and do the work of peacemaking, no matter what opposition may arise.
The Filipino Ministry supports the evangelizing efforts of the seven Filipino Catholic Associations in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Through Zoom and livestream events, including a special Good Friday presentation, we have been able to connect with people not only in the Archdiocese, but also across Canada and around the world.
Our annual Simbang Gabi (Christmas Novena) Masses grew in number, with 21 parishes participating during Advent 2021. Nearly two dozen priests, a dozen deacons, and hundreds of lay volunteers facilitated nine consecutive days and nights celebrating the Eucharist from Dec. 16 to 24.
This past year we joyfully celebrated the Baptisms of our first group of Chinese catechumens in the Delta/Surrey area. Our faith formation initiatives offer monthly Bible sharing and Rosary meetings. We have also resumed the celebration of Mass to accompany the annual Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day).
The Hispanic Ministry reaches out to seasonal farm workers, many of whom are Roman Catholic and of Hispanic background. We offer accessible monthly Mass and Confessions in five parishes, with more than 60 volunteers assisting with liturgical preparation, driving, and preparing meals after Mass. This year we began a catechism program and are once again leading the Discovery program in Spanish at several farms.
In June 2022, we held an assembly of 75 Hispanic ministry leaders at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre, where we spoke about the synodal process and of evangelization. We also held an assembly for 45 ministry volunteers, reflecting on how we can help to fill the emotional and spiritual needs of the workers.
$143,682
With the funds raised by the special collection for Pro-Life Sunday in 2021, we awarded 13 grants to pro-life organizations including crisis pregnancy centres, LifeCanada, Post Abortion Community Services, and the March for Life. Many crisis pregnancy centres used their grants to update their websites and to produce videos inviting women to talk with them.
One grant was given to Advokate Life and Education Services for a search engine optimization project. The project’s aim was to ensure that a pregnancy centre appears in the top results when using Google to search for crisis pregnancy options.
Despite venue restrictions and COVID-19 protocols, in 2021 we were able to hold a small Rachel’s Vineyard retreat for those dealing with the pain of abortion.
Despite the challenges of the last two years, a number of young adult groups emerged from the pandemic with renewed zeal for evangelization – particularly through blending spiritual and leisurely events like Adoration, hikes, faith studies, and sports nights. There is a renewed sense of fellowship among the wider young adult community as a whole.
A team of young adults presented age-appropriate videos about the epidemic of pornography to six elementary schools throughout the Archdiocese. While some students were unaware of the reality of porn addiction, the team reported that many informative and empowering conversations took place, giving students proper tools to combat temptation and peer pressure around this topic.
Homecoming, a special summer retreat hosted in July 2022, was for youth in Grades 8/9 who had missed the annual Searching in the Spirit summer retreat due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020-2021. Led by eight young adults training to be Missionary Disciples, the Homecoming team’s goal was to lead high school-aged youth into a deep and lasting encounter with Jesus Christ through the sharing of the Good News and intentional discipleship.
Spirit Day 2022 brought together more than 1,600 youth to pray and share their faith with each other through intentional reflection, prayer time, and personal encounters. Offering Spirit Day with high-quality production, simultaneously in-person and livestreamed, made this year’s event the most accessible Spirit Day program we’ve ever offered. We were able to meet each participant at their own level of comfort and interaction while still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This past year, some RCIA participants had the opportunity to complete their formation with the aid of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The time of mystagogy – a period of several weeks immediately following reception into the Church at Easter – is crucial for helping new Catholics to put down roots in the sacramental life and deepen their understanding, commitment, and conversion. The principles and materials offered by CGS have been particularly fruitful in helping our RCIA members to ponder the infinite generosity of God as they enter into new lives centred on the Eucharist.
Every year, we hear moving stories of what God is doing in and through PREP, not only in the lives of our children but also those of our catechists.
In our First Confession classes, we have seen how PREP “maxims” – Scriptural passages written on wooden tablets and passed around – have inspired deep reflection among students as they discuss the meaning of Scripture and think about how to live it out. Beautiful faith sharing and reflections like this naturally happen in PREP classes, creating opportunities for a deep personal encounter with Christ.
This year Vanspec celebrates 40 years in the Archdiocese. Vanspec offers special needs children and young adults the opportunity to learn about the Catholic faith at their own pace, bringing them closer to Jesus.
Our catechists worked hard during another pandemic year to provide interactive lessons that kept their students engaged and learning. Vanspec was able to continue providing catechetical lessons in a limited in-person format and online.
This year we welcomed a Grade 7 student who was not baptized. She started classes in January, was baptized at the Easter Vigil, and has continued with classes afterwards. The parents expressed their gratitude for our program.
This year we prayerfully reflected on how our annual theme could align with Pope Francis’ declaration of the Year of Joy and Beauty of Familial Love, which began on the Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19, 2021) and ended with the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome (June 26, 2022).
Drawing on the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia and remembering the Pope’s theme of the “family at home,” our community discussion revealed a deep desire to highlight the familial aspects of school community, summarized in the theme “One Family, One Hope in Christ.”
The discernment of this school year theme brought fresh opportunities and renewed hope in the school-parish communities. Our schools have come together as one community, united with our local diocese and the global Church, to celebrate the “Amoris Laetitia Family” year.
Over the last year, our network of representatives for Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations grew to 40 volunteers in 32 parishes. These men and women are equipped to assist pastors and local parishes in building bridges to witness the love of Christ.
Our parish representatives reached out to other denominations to facilitate the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January 2022. Ten joint prayer services were held, sharing prayer and fellowship between churches.
Our interfaith relations with Jewish communities continues to flourish. We were invited by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to celebrate Rosh Hashana on September 1, 2021, and to an award ceremony for Chief Dr. Robert Joseph for outstanding community work on Truth and Reconciliation on May 25, 2022.
We continue to pursue building interfaith relations with local Islamic communities. Our activities included a prayer service and Iftar dinner at Baitur Rahman Mosque, and an exchange of visits between Al-Jamia Masjid Mosque and Holy Rosary Cathedral.
In November 2021, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission for Justice and Peace released a Pastoral Letter on Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. The letter focuses on the inherently exploitative nature of the purchase of sex and insists on its continued criminalization in order to protect the vulnerable. We are working with two other dioceses to create a study guide so that ministries and individuals can become informed advocates for the marginalized.
We support Dignity Inherent, a young adult group which hosts webinars on human trafficking. Together, we have reached young people across Western Canada to raise awareness on this issue.
In response to the review of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), a group response on behalf of the Archdiocese and several individual submissions were made to the federal Justice Committee.
The B.C. Catholic received 11 awards from the Catholic Media Association this year, including second place in the best weekly newspaper category. The newspaper also received eight awards from the Catholic Christian Communicators Association, bringing the total number of honours to 19.
After the invasion of Ukraine, we began receiving calls asking how to help. Parishioners opened up their homes to accommodate displaced Ukrainians, supported by parishes experienced in refugee sponsorship and settlement assistance.
We have also prepared refugees and their families to receive the sacraments, welcoming three infants baptized in the Church and supporting one couple in marriage preparation.
Many of our volunteers tell us that service to the residents of the Downtown Eastside crystallized their own faith.
Recently The Door is Open began welcoming parish RCIA groups so that potential and new Catholics have an opportunity to serve those in need.
Over the past year, we had limited access to the incarcerated in our institutions. This made us take the opportunity to focus our attention on educating the hearts and minds of our Catholic high school students.
To do this, we built a video-based curriculum that showcased real stories, related them to the corporal works of mercy, and discussed prison outreach as a way of living missionary discipleship. Three inmates who regularly attended our programs agreed to share their testimonies in the curriculum. Through these testimonies, students were invited to connect with Christ through the eyes of those marginalized in prison.
During the pandemic, our access inside the prisons was limited. At two of our provincial prisons, virtual meetings allowed us to stay connected. Our volunteers were able to facilitate virtual programs such as Alpha and Decision Point. It has been a great blessing to facilitate virtual ministering to inmates with these digital tools.
The mission of Catholic Cemeteries is to prepare the living for the life to come, to bury the dead according to the rites of the Catholic Church, and to comfort the living with compassion and care. All that we do is illuminated by the light and hope of the resurrection and the life to come.
Over the last year, we:
Inspired by Korean Catholic traditions of burial, the bereavement ministry at St. Andrew Kim in Surrey draws on a large pool of laypeople to accompany and care for those in need of hospice and funeral care. The Hospice Committee visits the dying, arranges Anointing of the Sick, encourages relational healing among families, and provides post-funeral follow-up to care for grieving family members. The Funeral Committee visits the deceased, assists with funeral arrangements, prays the Psalms for the Dead (Yeondo), and provides support through the vigil, funeral, and burial processes.
Grieving is a part of life which we all experience. During the last year, we saw a greater desire in our Catholic community to walk with brothers and sisters journeying through grief and loss. We recently began offering bereavement training in the Archdiocese, with 43 participants registered for our first cohort. After this training, four parishes launched bereavement support groups and one organization ran a support group for a specific loss.
My Sunday Offering facilitated online parish offerings for 6,258 parishioners
—over 4,498 of whom signed up for weekly or monthly gifts. These offerings raised $4.9 million for the parishes in our Archdiocese.
The Archbishop advanced his pastoral priorities due in part to the Tenth Annual Archbishop’s Dinner in November 2021, which had 722 benefactors and sponsors, raising $502,408 towards Marriage and Family Ministries in the Archdiocese.
Between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, 165,466 gifts from over 18,000 donors were made and over $16.4 million in donations was processed. Estate gifts provided over $811,000 towards parish priorities and various ministries of the Archdiocese. The popularity of gifting publicly traded securities kept rising, with 161 gifts received in this way.
Much growth and development has taken place in the past year. Several projects are currently underway:
The Archdiocese and its parishes own and operate numerous buildings that are all at various states of repair. To better understand the condition of our facilities, the Archdiocese of Vancouver has initiated a Facility Condition Assessment to assist parishes in their planning and prioritization of operations and maintenance activities, as well as capital projects.
Carried out by an independent consultant, the parishes and schools are being inspected this year.
