Category: BC Catholic

Canadian culture of life organizations breathed a sigh of relief after the federal government tabled its 2025 budget Nov. 4, which left the charitable status of pro-life non-profits intact.

These groups were on edge in the lead-up to the budget, as recommendations 429 and 430 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance’s (FINA) 2024 pre-budget consultations report called for removing charitable status from pro-life and advancement of religion non-profits, respectively.

Organizations, individuals, and media outlets — including The Catholic Register — sought a clear answer from the Department of Finance on whether pro-life charitable status would be upheld or revoked, but no response came before budget day.

A finance department communications officer did confirm, however, that “the Government of Canada is not considering amending the Income Tax Act to remove the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose or to revoke the status of faith-based charities.”

Jeff Gunnarson, national president of Campaign Life Coalition, the political arm of Canada’s pro-life movement, said Oct. 30 he was “deeply alarmed” by the department’s silence. Six days later, he was able to celebrate.

“The Liberal government was right to listen to ordinary citizens and faith leaders and ultimately reject these outrageous recommendations,” said Gunnarson. “Thanks be to God; Canada lives to see another day without a dark cloud of persecution hanging over religious and pro-life organizations.

“This victory belongs to the concerned citizens across Canada who took the time to sign a petition or write a letter to their MP or the Finance Minister. This proves that when enough people speak out, good things can happen.”

Pregnancy Care Canada (PCC), a Christ-centred organization that supports 80 pregnancy centres nationwide, played a key role in defending charitable status for religious and pro-life groups.

In a submission to FINA, PCC executive director Laura Lewis urged “the government ensure charitable status continues for organizations offering medically accurate pregnancy care support, including those that do not provide or refer for abortions.”

Lewis made that appeal in response to recommendation 429 and to proposed October 2024 legislation that sought to revoke charitable status for pregnancy care organizations that do not refer for or provide abortions. She also emphasized that “religious charities play a vital role in Canadian social support systems.”

The office of Liberal MP Karina Gould, current FINA chair, affirmed that role in an email to Christian Reformed Church pastor Al Postma, shared with the Register. Gould’s team wrote: “We respect the role faith-based organizations play in communities across the country, and religious organizations continue to enjoy charitable status under the same rules that apply to all charities in Canada.”

In the same message, Gould’s office noted that the two recommendations were “made in 2024 during the previous session of Parliament, under the previous government and prior to MP Gould being a member of the Standing Committee on Finance.

Classical piano music fills my family room and kitchen in the morning as I watch my daughter play with her toys. She picks up a cow plushie and her Squishmallow cat, then carries them to another part of the room. She lays her head on them and babbles.

Listening to classical music is great for concentration and memory, and it can even release dopamine — the “happiness chemical.”

Toddlers love simple joys, and it’s a pleasure to learn from my daughter. I can’t wait for her to learn how to play the piano, as she already shows an interest in it. At home with my daughter, I sing to her often — sometimes songs written by artists, sometimes ones I improvise.

Music has always been a big part of my life. I sang in school choirs and community choirs, and once performed in the chorus for an Italian opera at a local winery, as well as singing at my parish. Each choral performance was a wonderful experience.

Music is a must-have in my mental health toolkit. I keep playlists for different moods, which help me find calm, focus, or happiness. Music helps me change my emotional state when I need it.

“Music, great music, relaxes the mind, awakens profound sentiments and is, as it were, a natural invitation to raise one’s mind and heart to God in every situation of human existence, both joyful and sad. Music can become prayer.” — Pope Benedict XVI

Sacred and worship music hold deep meaning for me, and they make me feel good — even better about myself. It’s a wonder that it has that effect. Many Christian songs have come to my aid in low moods. I sometimes get caught up worrying about all the bad things that could happen instead of being present to the moment. This causes me to feel sad and discouraged. The words of Scripture set to music bring me peace and comfort.

Medication is still needed, but with music in my day, I can do more and feel like a calmer person.

I used to play ukulele with my friend Stephanie and a group of seniors. Once, for my birthday, we went to a mall in the city that had a piano in its food court. Stephanie sat down and started playing songs I could sing along with. We had so much fun! People danced beside us, and an elderly couple said they loved our voices.

The Lord loves cheerfulness in his people. It can be a struggle to smile when I’m tired and emotionally drained, but I know that being warm and happy helps my family feel content too.

Young people—and their struggles with mental health—have much to teach us about dealing with our own mental health struggles, Archbishop Richard Smith told attendees at the Green Mass, held Oct. 24 at All Saints Church in Coquitlam.

The Green Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Smith, was offered for the work of mental health professionals and ministry volunteers in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, as well as to celebrate the launch of the Archdiocese’s Mental Health Ministry, coordinated by Jane Waldock, who welcomed those attending.

During his homily, Archbishop Smith drew on a conversation he had with a group of teenagers about mental health. After he asked how they and their friends were doing, they immediately began to speak of anxiety and described pressures faced by young people today, especially from social media.

“They told me they were getting messages and seeing images about what makes a person popular, successful, noticed,” said Archbishop Smith. “They felt they weren’t measuring up, couldn’t measure up, and told me it was leaving them and many of their peers anxious or depressed, and they even spoke of friends with suicidal ideation.”

This sense of “not measuring up” is not unique to young people, he said. “People of all ages struggle with that constantly.”

In the case of those teenagers, “they were comparing themselves with illusions spread through social media,” said the archbishop. This happens to all of us and leads to the trap of comparing our real world with the imaginary world on social media: “that classmate is so talented, this colleague is so happy, their children are so well adjusted and so on, without knowing the facts of the matter,” he said.

“We compare our real difficulties and limits with what we imagine the situation of others to be and draw the conclusion that we cannot and will not measure up to some illusory standard of happiness or false image of perfection. This can lead to frustration and despair.”

He said the conversation with the teenagers shows how natural and human it is to experience mental health challenges. While sometimes there is a clinical dimension, he said, everyone experiences such challenges at some point because of human limitation.

He added that it’s important to talk openly about those struggles. “They did not hesitate to bring their concerns out into the open with me,” he said.

Combat veteran Kelsi Sheren told an Ottawa news conference she joined the Canadian Armed Forces at 18 knowing she might die for her country, but she never imagined her own government would one day offer to help her do it.

“Behind closed doors, in quiet conversations, veterans are being offered medical assistance in dying not therapy, not recovery, not support, but death,” Sheren said. “When somebody’s drowning in trauma and desperation, that’s not a choice. That’s coercion wearing a polite face.”

The former artillery gunner and mental-health advocate spoke at a Euthanasia Prevention Coalition news conference with other anti-euthanasia voices calling on MPs to support legislation blocking the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to people suffering solely from mental illness.

Bill C-218 is a private member’s bill introduced in June by Conservative MP Tamara Jansen (Cloverdale–Langley City). The bill would permanently exclude mental illness as a sole qualifying condition for MAiD.

Sheren, who served in Afghanistan and lives with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and major depressive disorder, pointed out several incidents of veterans seeking help instead being “offered medical assistance in dying not therapy, not recovery, not support, but death.”

“This isn’t compassion,” she said. “It’s a moral rot disguised as mercy. Veterans are being told their lives cost too much money. That’s not health care, it’s surrender.”

Gordon Friesen, EPC’s president, said the coalition’s message was simple: “No euthanasia for mental illness.”

The government plans to expand MAiD to make it available to individuals whose only medical condition is a mental disorder. Friesen said that would violate the original safeguards promised when Parliament legalized assisted dying in 2016.

“MAiD was only to be for people who are dying, only for adults, and only for people able to truly choose,” Friesen said. “Unfortunately, all of those promises have been broken.”

Friesen warned that allowing MAiD for people with psychiatric disorders “destroys all notion of MAiD as an authentic patient choice,” since mental illness can directly impair judgment and decision-making. He cautioned that “once the door is opened,” other vulnerable groups such as children or people with dementia could follow.

EPC executive director Alex Schadenberg said the coming change “should never even be considered.”

He said Bill C-7, passed in 2021, removed the requirement that a person’s death be “reasonably foreseeable” and laid the groundwork for extending MAiD eligibility to non-terminal illnesses. Although Parliament has twice delayed the mental-illness provision, now set to take effect in March 2027, the expansion remains law.

The divine drama of the Toronto Blue Jays’ postseason run isn’t lost on Father Terrence “Terry” McKenna, who continues to support his favourite team and find spiritual echoes hidden on baseball’s grandest stage.

The retired pastor of St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Richmond Hill, Ont., Father McKenna has long been a notable fan of the sport of baseball and the hometown Toronto Blue Jays. Just days after the team’s 5–2 win over the New York Yankees to advance to the American League Championship Series (ALCS), he shared his thoughts on the Jays’ remarkable charge — one that has now carried them all the way to the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, following their victory over the Seattle Mariners.

“It’s great to see how a lot of no-names, at least to the average public, have accomplished this athletic feat. These young men have chosen to believe in teamwork instead of being lone rangers, and they’re looking to make a name for themselves,” he said.

After ending the Yankees’ season with an exciting Game 4 win on Oct. 8 in the American League Division Series, Jays infielder Ernie Clement was caught rushing to join a team photo while in the midst of a post-game interview — a now-viral moment that Father McKenna points to as an example of the passion the 2025 team holds.

“When he left that interview and readied himself to get in the photo with his teammates, it was too late, and they had to start over, but it shows that everyone wants to be there. When you add up everyone doing their best, it’s a winning staff,” he said.

The Blue Jays’ current run marks their first appearance in the World Series since their back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993. Father McKenna said he still vividly remembers where he was when those titles were won.

“I can remember what I was doing the day they won in ’92 or ’93,” he said. “I was in Richmond Hill at St. Mary Immaculate, and I’ll never forget it.”

Father McKenna served at St. Mary’s for many years, with it holding the distinction of being the last parish he called home before being appointed to the Pearson Airport chaplaincy and retiring officially in 2021.

Now, with a little more time on his hands, the priest still keeps up with the team the old-fashioned way, preferring to follow the Jays in the sports reports on the radio rather than watching television broadcasts.

The 79-year-old said he continues to view the Blue Jays — and the sport of baseball itself — as a much-needed source of unity in a divided world.

“We need something that’s not about partisan politics, good versus evil, even Catholic versus Protestant or something like that.

Over 500 Chinese Catholics from St. Francis Xavier Church gathered at the Gardens of Gethsemani on September 7 for the Chung Yeung Festival, honouring their ancestors. 

Parish Pastoral Council secretary Karina Lai explained the significance of the festival in an email to The B.C. Catholic.

“In Chinese culture, it is customary to honour ancestors by visiting their tombs during the spring (Qingming Festival 清明節) and autumn (Chung Yeung Festival 重陽節), a practice known as Chun Chau Yi Jai (春秋二祭),” she wrote.

“At St. Francis Xavier Parish, Msgr. Peter Chow (周若漁蒙席), with his pastoral vision, established a tradition of celebrating Mass twice a year at the Catholic cemetery—uniting cultural reverence for ancestors with the Church’s prayer for the faithful departed, and reminding each generation to pray for them with Christian hope.”

As part of this tradition, a Chinese gloriette (永光亭) was built on the cemetery grounds. Lai noted that its plaque, bearing the name Wing Kwong Ting, was handwritten by Rev. Aloysius Lou (盧湛明神父), symbolizing “both cultural heritage and faith.”

Lai reported that the celebration has grown and this year the parish’s community life was on full display. “Since the pandemic, many new families from Hong Kong have joined our parish. This autumn, more young families joined the Autumn Tomb Festival (秋祭), with some children serving as Altar Server,” she wrote. “On the eve of the Mass, volunteers cleaned the gloriette and the tombs of Chinese priests and sisters. Sacristans and sisters prepared vestments and sacred vessels, while parishioners and AV technicians set up tents, instruments, and sound equipment.”

On the day of the Mass, parishioners brought flowers to honour loved ones and past priests. “One parishioner family even came from Bellingham, Washington—despite serious illness—a moving witness to the deep bonds of faith and family,” wrote Lai.

Reflecting on the celebration, she concluded: “Through this festival, we experienced love, prayer, and unity. It was more than a cultural observance—it was an act of evangelization. By weaving Chinese tradition with Catholic faith, we pass on to our children that honouring ancestors is not only about remembering the past, but also about placing our hope in Christ, who promises eternal life.”

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In the spiritual life, the battle is fought not with swords or shields but with the heart and mind. Dom Lorenzo Scupoli’s The Spiritual Combat offers timeless wisdom on this inner warfare. Chapters 5 and 6 focus on cultivating a profound distrust of self and engaging in spiritual exercises.

In Chapter 5, Scupoli noted that many mistake the anxiety and agitation felt after sinning for true repentance, when it stems from hidden pride and self-reliance. St. Therese of Lisieux said, “Every morning I make a resolution to practice humility and in the evening I recognize that I have committed again many faults of pride. At this I am tempted to become discouraged but I know that discouragement is also pride.” Scupoli added that the humble person, trusting only in God, feels sorrow but not turmoil or surprise when he falls, knowing his weakness and need for grace.

St. Therese wrote, “If I fall, I shall pick myself up quickly and continue on my way; for little children are always falling, but they are too small to hurt themselves much.” She also wrote, “It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love … . What pleases Him is to see me love my littleness and my poverty, the blind hope that I have in His mercy … . This is my only treasure.” When dying, Therese taught her sister how to respond to one’s faults: “I hasten to say to God: My God, I know I have merited this feeling of sadness, but let me offer it up to You just the same as a trial that You sent me through love. I’m sorry for my sin, but I’m happy to have this suffering to offer to You.”

St. Francis de Sales said, “Be patient with all, but especially with yourself. Do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage.” He added, “When you have committed a fault, do not be troubled, but humble yourself quietly before God. Ask His pardon, and with peace and confidence, begin again.” The saint prefers a gentle approach to correct oneself: “For myself … I would prefer to correct it quietly, and in a compassionate way … saying: ‘Come now, my poor heart, here we are fallen again … Let us have recourse to the mercy of God … . Courage! let us rise above ourselves … .’”

From St. Therese and St. Francis de Sales, we learn that the saints are not those who never fall, but those who rise again and again, without losing peace, because they trust in the mercy of God.

In Chapter 6, Scupoli noted that spiritual strength comes from trusting God, not oneself.

Six months after its centennial celebration, St. Joseph’s Parish in Squamish still glows with gratitude — literally.

The parish’s Gratitude Tree, unveiled during its 100-year anniversary Mass in March 2025, now stands on the side of the church — relocated from the foyer to allow more space — as a bronze sculpture with an antique finish, a lasting monument to faith, generosity, and the families who have worshipped there for a century.

Long-time parishioners say the tree is only the latest expression of what their church has always been.

In an interview with The Squamish Chief, Clem Wippich called St. Joseph’s “a lifeline” for the community. “As Catholics, we believe in the presence of God, the Holy Eucharist — it’s the real thing,” he said. “Without it, we’re in bad shape.”

Wippich arrived in Squamish in 1975, when most parishioners were still “railroad people,” mill workers, or miners from Britannia. He said the faith community gave people a sense of belonging when the town’s fortunes rose and fell. “What hurt us the most financially was when the railroads shut down. The pulp mill shut down. The lumber mill shut down. It was a mass exodus,” Wippich told The Chief.

Paul Schilling, who came to Squamish in 1970, remembered helping repair the old church on Fourth Avenue and watching the congregation ebb and flow with the economy. “Community is the main part of the church,” he said. “If there is no church, there’s no community.”

Vida Giroux, a member since 1991, described the centennial as “a once-in-a-lifetime event … so much joy to be together with the community of God-loving people.”

She said parish organizations such as the Catholic Women’s League, founded in 1956, and the Knights of Columbus, chartered in 1985, have sustained that community spirit through decades of charitable work. The CWL’s thrift shop, opened in 1969, still supports parish and civic causes, while the Knights continue to provide scholarships for graduating students.

Each leaf on the parish’s Gratitude Tree bears a name, prayer, or Scripture verse chosen by parishioners to express thanksgiving. Families were invited to “purchase a leaf for $100” to help cover centennial expenses and support parish needs. Together, the engraved leaves form a visible record of gratitude that continues to grow.

“The Gratitude Tree continues to be a beautiful and meaningful symbol of thankfulness within our parish community,” said Doris Suarez, who helped coordinate the project. “Since the start of this project, parishioners willingly contributed and over 95 leaves have been purchased. Even non-parishioners joined, representing their families with messages of gratitude, remembrance, and celebration.”

Suffering can be agony, heartbreak, loneliness, grief, or loss. It can take us to depths of darkness we never thought possible and leave us feeling that the only option in life is to give up.

Those who know suffering might have scars. Scars are permanent stories that remind us of the pain we have endured. I received a few scars a few months ago when I went into surgery to remove three benign lumps from my arm.

I marvelled at how simple the surgery was and how quickly the recovery went. I thought of the other people lined up on gurneys that day and wondered what procedures they might be getting. I opted for anaesthetic and was wheeled into the surgical room. The anaesthetist made a joke about my name being close to Elvis’s daughter’s: “Are your parents Elvis fans?” It was a short nap, a few incisions to heal, and then it was over.

What isn’t over is the suffering I experienced after giving birth. The postpartum depression, mania, and psychosis that come with having bipolar disorder were not part of my birthing plan. Many women suffer from postpartum depression and need support after the birth of their child.

In my case I was hospitalised, locked away from my newborn and husband. It was a time of incredible pain to be separated from my new family. Thankfully, during that time I received visiting passes to be with my daughter and husband at home.

What kept me going then was a photo of my daughter that I kept close and the hope I clung to in Jesus. I wasn’t sleeping well, I was physically recovering from the birth, and I was anxious that I couldn’t breastfeed my daughter. The medicine tanked my milk supply. I had given her a little of the colostrum I had, but it wasn’t enough.

I felt I had failed to be her mother, and I felt I had let down my husband, who depended on me too.

Healing takes time from an episode like that. But with a lot of love, support, and hope in God, I believed I could be well again.

“In difficult moments, I will fix my gaze upon the silent heart of Jesus, stretched upon the cross, and from the exploding flames of his merciful heart will flow down upon me power and strength to keep fighting.” — St. Faustina Kowalska

I can’t get back the time I lost with my daughter, and it’s needless to dwell on it. It’s time to make the most of each moment I do have with her, because that is all I get. Story time, bath time, and swimming lessons are now precious gifts.

In response to Cathy Karsgaard’s Sept. 1 letter on the lack of response to The B.C. Catholic’s MAiD reporting:

This past summer I befriended an elderly woman with terminal cancer who had just been released from hospital. Over several weeks we developed a wonderful friendship. She had lived alone for more than 20 years, having pushed most people out of her life. After her hospital stay she told me she was determined to die on the floor of her home rather than ever return.

At first she was disappointed that I was Catholic. She was a “Bible-believing, born again” Christian. But within days her attitude changed. She loved meeting my family and was astounded to discover people in her community willing to visit, run errands, and simply sit and talk with her.

One afternoon she asked about my thoughts on MAiD. Though disappointed her brother had chosen it, I could tell the idea had crossed her mind. Pain was her greatest fear. I told her Scripture teaches that God alone is the author of life and death, and that suicide is a sin. She nodded in agreement.

Soon after, she was offered a hospice bed, but for some reason she had to go that very day. I saw an immediate shift in her emotions as everything in her life was taken from her control in less than 12 hours. On her second day there, doctors came to “chat.” Within two weeks she was dead by MAiD, even though I know she was opposed to it for at least her first week.

What an absolute betrayal. This woman was finally experiencing the love of family for the first time in decades. Fear of pain led her to “choose” death.

Hospice care has to mean more than removing pain at any cost.

Colleen Roy
Chilliwack

In your Aug. 11 issue you noted that we seldom hear of a “good death.” I would like to share the obituary of my sister, Rose Marguerite McLaren, because I consider it a wonderful story.

Rose Marguerite McLaren
January 30, 1919 – December 15, 2005

Although this is a very sad day for us, for Mom it is an occasion of great celebration. For us, it marks the end of having Mom, Rose, Granny with us—the end of being able to talk with her and to hear her laughter. But for her, it is the completion of a rich life and the beginning of something new. We know she is here in the church with us, her sparkling eyes and wonderful smile waiting for us to begin the celebration of her life’s ending.

The celebration takes the form of a solemn Catholic Mass—a liturgy that always brought her great comfort.