Category: BC Catholic

I don’t often have fast food but on a whim I recently popped into an A&W near my campus. Waiting for my order, I noticed a wall decoration with the familiar company logo. Beneath the large letters, were the names Allen & Wright.

A continuing series looking at progress made in healing and reconciliation initiatives between the Archdiocese of Vancouver and Canada’s Indigenous peoples since their first encounter. This week, the Archdiocesan Synod’s recommendations on First Nations, and Archbishop Raymond Roussin.

Part 1. ‘Dialogue and sharing’: a century of Indigenous and Church relationship and reconciliation

Part 2.

In the few short months since his ordination to the permanent diaconate on June 1, Deacon Tim Kostamo has done it all – weddings, funerals, and everything in between. But he recently went far beyond the deacon’s call of duty when the orthopedic surgeon found himself performing surgery on Our Lady of the Assumption pastor Father James Hughes after the Port Coquitlam priest ruptured his Achilles tendon.  

Archbishop J. Michael Miller released the following letter in advance of the B.C. provincial election, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.

October 10, 2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

A provincial election is a rare and important opportunity for British Columbians to directly influence the direction of government.

People with mental health problems have much to teach, especially in humanity, a much-needed virtue in our individualistic world, say members of a religious congregation dedicated to caring for people with mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, and other special needs.

World Mental Health Day is marked on Oct.

The education of priests and lay people, accompaniment in parishes for individuals with mental health challenges, and advocacy for institutional and societal support for those needing professional psychological or psychiatric care are the three essential components of mental health ministry in the Church, says a bishop who is personally involved in the ministry.

Thank you for publishing the Sept. 2 article “Balloons over sacraments?” concerning safety for parishioners.

The article raises an issue that is not well understood or attended to in many of our churches.  I would like to add perfumed incense and perfumes in general as products that should not be allowed in our churches.

Sacred Heart Church in Lumby is set to celebrate its 100-year anniversary on Oct. 15, but in preparing for the momentous event, Father Thomas Arackal found himself in a bind.

He had hoped to complete an enormous renovation of the old church before Bishop Joseph Nguyen arrived to celebrate the centennial Mass.

Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller has sent a letter to Members of Parliament within the Archdiocese of Vancouver, urging them to support Bill S-210, which would restrict young people’s access to sexually explicit material online.

Toronto Archbishop Francis Leo has written a similar letter to MPs in his jurisdiction. 

An apology has great power to heal a wrong suffered. 

I witnessed an apology by a Catholic deacon (having no involvement with the case) offered to a Baptist woman who alleged abuse by a pastor in her denomination. She broke down in tears saying how meaningful it was to see a man wearing clerical garb providing an expression of compassion and regret as to how a fellow cleric had acted towards her.