Category: BC Catholic

Over the years, I’ve worked for publishers who came from the business world, and for publishers who came up through the newsroom. The former got upset when advertisers got upset. The latter … they were pretty much always upset.

For the past three decades, though, all my publishers have been bishops. They didn’t seem to get upset. They just got determined.

I remember Archbishop Exner taking public stands that drew so much anger the Vancouver Police advised him to stay away from his office windows at night.

Archbishop Roussin had the courage to take on TELUS publicly when it considered entering the pornography market, and he did that while battling mental illness.

Then Archbishop Miller arrived, bearing the motto Veritati Servire—to serve the truth. It didn’t take long to see he also wasn’t one to shy away from what needed doing.

Shortly after he got here, I asked him to climb up to the roof of 150 Robson Street with a group of Catholic school students. I wanted a front-page photo of him, the kids, and a Canadian flag, with B.C. Place in the background to welcome the world to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

It was probably the last thing he wanted to do that day, but up he went, climbing the stairs and posing until we got the shot just right.

Over the years, he tackled the hard things. He confronted what needed confronting. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. I’m also sure there were times he wished his newspaper would keep quiet. Or that some stories or letters had stayed unpublished. Delicate situations can get more awkward when mishandled in the media.

But he always listened when I asked for his ear. He understood the importance of readers knowing what was happening, and of giving them a space to share their thoughts.

There were certainly times when that openness made things messier. But he never stopped the paper from publishing news, opinions, or letters. He never put restrictions on the stories we reported or the views we printed. Although there was one time when an editorial crossed the line from political to personal, and he let me know it.

Still, he believed the newspaper was a place where the voices of the faithful could be heard. Not pushing the boundaries of faith, but the limits of comfort. People make noise when they’re uncomfortable. And the Church should be a place where that noise can be heard.

Pope Francis says people are messy. The world is messy. Newspapers are literally messy. But Archbishop Miller made space for the mess—for the voices in the pews.

He ordained permanent deacons, established a First Nations ministry, and opened the Archdiocese’s sexual abuse files.

As the universal Church looks twoard the papacy of Leo XIV, Vancouver Catholics celebrated their last Eucharist with Archbishop J. Michael Miller at Holy Rosary Cathedral on May 13.

Feelings were bittersweet and well summarized by Deacon Zak Santiago in a comment to The B.C. Catholic.

Deacon Santiago said that while the Mass was a celebration of Archbishop Miller’s 18-year legacy and his 50 years of priesthood, “there is a tender melancholy as we say farewell to someone who brought such new beginnings to our diocese.”

“I might be minorly biased,” the deacon said, “because he has been my immediate shepherd and ordained me, but I truly believe he is one of the greatest bishops we could have ever asked for. There are some bittersweet feelings, but also it is a celebration.”

Precious Blood Parish Parishioner Icelina Kroutil told The B.C. Catholic she will miss Archbishop Miller and remembers when he first arrived in Vancouver.

“I went to Our Lady of Sorrow for the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe,” she told The B.C. Catholic. “He gave the ultimate homily about the image of Guadalupe. I remember telling him ‘Father, I have been here for so many years. I am Mexican, and I have never heard such a beautiful homily. I will always keep him in my heart. I will pray for him. I will miss him dearly.”

On the other end of the spectrum, younger Catholics, some of whom have no strong memories of previous archbishops, reflected on their sense of the magnitude of Archbishop Miller’s presence in the local Church.

Rachel Wong, a parishioner at St. Matthew’s in Surrey, said what many young adults were feeling. “I feel like it’s the end of an era, because I really started to pay attention to my faith at a particular part of my life when Archbishop Miller was the face of the Church here in Vancouver.”

“When this is all I’ve ever known, it will be interesting to have that change. It’s a bit exciting, but also sad. It’s bittersweet [to see him go] because obviously he deserves the rest—it is long overdue for him.”

Annabella and Daniel Ma, members of the farewell Mass choir and founders of the local Sacred Music Sunday apostolate, said the Archbishop inspired them and always supported their musical ministry.

Both have memories of his episcopacy stretching back to childhood.

“He confirmed me in Grade 7!” said Annabella. “I don’t really remember the past bishop, so he’s always been ‘the Archbishop.’ I was getting emotional during the Mass.”

For over a year, The B.C. Catholic has been publishing a series of articles that examine more than a century of truth, healing, and reconciliation between the Archdiocese of Vancouver and Canada’s Indigenous peoples. The series has highlighted the complex history of that relationship, the Archdiocesan Synod’s First Nations recommendations, and progress made through dialogue and prayer. This week, the focus is Archbishop J. Michael Miller’s legacy of acknowledging the Church’s role in the residential school system and committing to ongoing healing and reconciliation.

First Nations Ministry

In 2009, Archbishop Miller announced the creation of the Archdiocese’s First Nations Ministry Office. Its mandate was to implement the Archbishop’s pastoral vision, oversee a strategic plan for First Nations ministry, and promote healing. Rennie Nahanee, a parishioner of St. Paul’s in North Vancouver, member of the Squamish Nation, and former Aboriginal liaison to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, was appointed coordinator.

At a June 2009 celebration marking the 125th anniversary of St. Paul’s Indian Catholic Church, Archbishop Miller echoed Pope Benedict XVI’s sorrow over the suffering caused by residential schools. “It is necessary for me, as Archbishop of Vancouver,” he said, “to acknowledge, regret, and repent for ways in which some members of the Church have failed to respect the cultural differences among us.”

Residential Schools and Structural Sin

In 2010, Msgr. Mark Hagemoen, Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Services for the Archdiocese, and Sister Marie Zarowny provincial for the Sisters of Saint Ann in Western Canada represented the Archdiocese at a residential school awareness event hosted by the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. They pledged to dismantle discriminatory attitudes and foster conditions where First Nations have a rightful place and voice.

A year later, Archbishop Miller awarded Sister Zarowny an honorary doctorate, thanking her for challenging the Church to embrace its social teaching. With the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) coming to Vancouver, he said: “We must be especially alert to the great questions of reconciliation of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples and other Canadians.”

In 2013, the bishops of British Columbia and Yukon, including Archbishop Miller, issued a letter inviting Catholics to attend the Vancouver TRC event in September and expressed deep regret and apoligized for abuses that took place in residential schools.

At the TRC gathering on Sept.

What did you think of the news?

As a Filipino, in my heart, I was expecting Tagle! (Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization)

Really?

Then Prevost—he’s like a wild card. He’s our brother. I worked with him.

He actually celebrated Mass with us. He was our provincial. We were in the same province. In fact, our province just sent greetings. This was never expected.

I was so excited—a big shock—because nobody expected this. Even me, as an Augustinian, I never expected him to go as far as he has today.

On Thursday, Archbishop Miller was celebrating Mass, and someone said, “There’s white smoke.” I whispered it to him before the Gospel.

After Mass I asked, “Who do you think it’ll be?”

He didn’t know, although we Filipinos thought Tagle’s name was strong. I noticed Tagle and Prevost were always sitting beside each other.

Then when he came out—Prevost! That’s our brother! He was our provincial in Canada. Later he became general. And when he was general, I became provincial of the Canadian province. He was the one who installed me—at Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Toronto. He was general when we started working with the federation.

We never expected one of us to be Pope! I by own mind he is still our brother Bob. I was so excited–shocked in a good way.

His big word was always “community.” We are of one mind and one heart, inspired by St. Augustine himself. That’s our contribution to the Church—not just as friars or Augustinians, but following the witness of St. Augustine, one of the greatest sinners who became one of the greatest theologians.

And Prevost—when we had meetings, he was always big on collaboration: “What can we do together?” Because together, we are stronger.

He assisted the process of the Canadian province being included into the Chicago province. The Canadian province was in decline and he said, instead of trying to survive on your own, come together and share your strengths—for the sake of the Church and the ministry.

Despite its growing popularity, I have been reluctant to comment on The Chosen, the television series produced by “Loaves and Fishes” that narrates the story of Jesus. 

In large measure, my delay has been due to the fact that, although the series is currently available for free and through some streaming services, it remains incomplete — only four of the proposed seven seasons are available. Season five is apparently about to be released. However, having viewed the first four seasons, I feel confident that anything I have to say will also apply to the remaining productions.

In fact, my reaction to what has been released is largely positive, though potential viewers should be aware of some caveats.

The first of these is that, unlike many previous attempts to portray the life of Christ on screen, The Chosen does not offer a clear narrative easily followed by those unfamiliar with the Gospels. Instead, the series plunges the viewer into the dramatization, often without identifying characters or explaining their role. Viewers are expected to piece together the story using what they already know of the Gospels.

Persistence pays off. This approach appears deliberate — the purpose of the series seems to be, above all, to ask the viewer to rethink the familiar.

The Chosen relies heavily on imagined interactions between characters. They are introduced almost haphazardly, and viewers gradually come to know them. This results in significant invention by the writers. For example, there are frequent, entirely imagined conversations among the disciples, often involving the kinds of questions many of us would want to ask. Characters given only brief mention in the Gospels are granted lengthy reflections on the events portrayed. Martha and Mary, for example, are given larger roles than one might expect. Thomas — he of doubting fame — is fleshed out in a way that logically builds on what little we know of him but gives him unusual prominence.

In other words, the point of the series is to flesh out the characters so that we can reconsider the import of the Gospels. The show raises the kinds of questions we might have asked if we had been there. This encourages deeper meditation on the Gospel stories. Because of this, many will welcome the fictional interplay among characters, the extension of minor incidents, and even moments of comedy.

For me, the biggest stumbling block is the portrayal of Jesus. I suppose this is inevitable, but the performance — for me, at least — lacks the gravitas and charisma that Jesus surely had to compel twelve men to follow him on a perilous journey. That said, I acknowledge that giving a convincing interpretation of Jesus is almost impossible.

As white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning, Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, was at Sacred Heart Church in Ladner, celebrating Mass ahead of the March for Life in Victoria. 

Pastor Father Francis Galvan, OSA, leaned over after the first reading and quietly said: “There’s been white smoke.” 

“That gives about a 40-minute window before the new Pope is announced,” Archbishop Miller recalled. “And so I was on the way back to Vancouver — actually just at the Massey Tunnel — when I was following it on the media. Cardinal Prevost had been elected as Leo XIV.”

“It was certainly a surprise, frankly, to me,” he said. “Although he had been sort of in a wider group of so-called ‘papabile’, he wasn’t in the top five or six that the media had identified — and that I, too, had more or less identified as the top runners. But we were all surprised. The Holy Spirit had a different plan in mind.”

He reflected on the fact that someone from Chicago, in the United States of America, is now the successor of Peter. “It’s the first time anyone from North America has succeeded to the Petrine office. It’s amazing. It’s really a wonderful testimony that the electors went beyond political considerations — like American superpower status — simply to find the best man available, who in a sense happened to be an American.”

He has “enormous experience in Latin America, where he served as a bishop in Peru — not in his home country,” said Archbishop Miller. “He’s spent time in Rome, studied with the Dominicans, was rector of a seminary in Peru, taught canon law, and most recently he’s been a cardinal for a little less than two years. But in his position as head of the Dicastery for Bishops, he obviously enjoyed the trust of Pope Francis and of his fellow cardinals.”

The election was “rather quick,” he said. “This is only the second day — maybe the fourth or fifth ballot — which shows great unanimity. There was no major kind of blocking or power plays that endlessly delay the election.”

Archbishop Miller found the Pope’s chosen name particularly striking. “When I heard it — Leo XIV — I said, ‘Wow, what an interesting and bold choice of name.’ That’s really a throwback to a nineteenth-century Pope.

Leo XIII, from 1878 to 1903, “was sort of the father of modern Catholic social teaching. He revived interest in St. Thomas Aquinas at the end of the 19th century. He was a great devotee of Thomism. That fits very much with the profile of the new Pope,” he said.

In one of his last public acts before he retires later this month, an emotional Archbishop J. Michael Miller spoke to a cathedral filled with uniformed first responders, political officials, faith leaders, and grieving friends and family members of victims of the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy, reminding them “that our lives are bound together and that we cannot face tragedy” as isolated individuals.

“We need a community of solidarity to support and help us as we walk through this valley of darkness,” the Archbishop said, in reference to Psalm 23, read as the Responsorial Psalm during the liturgy.

Reaching out to everyone affected by the horrors of “this grim day in Vancouver’s history, but especially to our Filipino brothers and sisters and their friends,” the Archbishop spoke of the temptation during catastrophe to forget the needs of others. “Our gathering this evening in our cathedral tells a different story about who we are in Vancouver,” he said. “Instead of surrendering to either helplessness or self-interest, we have chosen to cultivate the simple virtue of kindness” through consolation and practical assistance.

He assured those mourning “that they are not alone in their grief,” and that “we are with you in the sorrow that shakes all of us to the very core of our being,” as they remember the “innocent victims and those injured so senselessly on Saturday evening.”

He then spoke of the gratitude the city of Vancouver has for the many gifts the Filipino community brings. The “vibrant” Filipino community inspires others “with its spiritual resilience founded on faith, openness to others in difficulty, and the importance it gives to the treasure of family life.”

Although everyone at the cathedral was united in sorrow, the Archbishop spoke of how faith among believers forms an interconnectedness that is “even more profound because it engages us supernaturally” and forges “bonds of communion between the living and the dead.”

By offering one another “our thoughts and prayers,” he said, “we recognize that we can pray for one another, even for those who have preceded us in death. Our prayers for the deceased express our kindness and our confident hope in the certainty that death doesn’t have the last word.”

Authentic kindness entails not only words and prayer, he said, but also practical assistance. He noted the many civic associations and faith-based ministries offering spiritual care at their places of worship and health-care facilities.

The Archdiocese of Vancouver is providing counselling and spiritual support, he said, and a special collection this weekend will support ongoing healing and outreach services for victims and their families.

Pope Benedict XVI said music can open hearts and minds to the good and beauty created by God. If so, this year’s edition of Blooms into Rooms might just have helped scores of seniors catch a glimpse of the divine.

In addition to the customary Holy Saturday distribution of flowering plants and greeting cards to retirement homes, group residences, and long-term-care facilities in the north of the Fraser area, three of the volunteer teams this year sang songs for the seniors.

The performances have never been part of the regular Blooms into Rooms program, said Blooms co-founder Wim Vander Zalm. “They seem to have grown organically as volunteers looked to bring light and love into the seniors’ lives. It’s wonderful to see.”

At Chartwell Willow Retirement Community in Maple Ridge, for example, family members of St. Patrick’s parishioner Elizabeth Loch presented a program of 13 religious and secular songs, including Amazing Grace and Edelweiss, accompanied by piano and guitar.

“Not many of the seniors were able to sing along, but they all clapped heartily after each piece,” Loch said.

This Easter marked the 31st year that parish and school Blooms into Rooms teams from Coquitlam to Chilliwack have visited seniors to lift their spirits and bring to life the Church’s reverence for life. 

At Eagle Ridge Manor in Port Moody, a St. Joseph’s parishioner serenaded three separate groups with Broadway show tunes, including Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin.’ Some seniors were so lifted by the performance that they continued singing and clapping well after the performer left.

Choir members from Holy Cross Regional Secondary augmented their annual Blooms into Rooms tradition of flowers by serenading residents of Elim Village retirement community in north Surrey with a variety of songs, including Let it Be. Volunteers also included parishioners from St. Luke’s Parish in Maple Ridge and students from Our Lady of the Assumption School in Port Coquitlam.

Art’s Nursery provided 1,500 African violets — one for each senior — at wholesale cost to project organizers, who were supported by cash donations from the Life Compass Society and several individuals and parish groups.

Loch said a wonderful byproduct of the Easter-flowers event is the joy it brings to staff serving the seniors. “They said they loved how the flowers, companionship, and music lifted their patients’ spirits,” she said. “And that, in turn, lifted their spirits, too.”

Martha Bonnet, who led the team visiting the Westbrooke Seniors Living Community in Pitt Meadows, said everyone from receptionists to nurses is buoyed by the visit.

“The nurse said, ‘If my patients are happy, I am happy. And they are very happy and grateful,’” Bonnet said.

Not surprisingly, the sick and elderly who received the flowers, cards, and visits were grateful, too.

After 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we have finally reached the Easter season of rejoicing. Although we are now free to leave fasting behind and celebrate, our prayer is that we carry the Lenten pillars with us in new ways as we move forward in the hope of the Resurrection.

As St. Augustine of Hippo wrote in Confessions VIII, “There is no pleasure in eating and drinking unless the discomfort of hunger and thirst have preceded them.” How spiritually fulfilling is our Easter feasting now, having experienced the hunger and thirst of Lent!

During Lent, we focus on improving our relationship with God and on becoming more self-aware, both of ourselves and others. In addition to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we aim to grow through repentance and renewal. We are all called to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once during Lent. And now, with Easter hope and joy, we are called to keep converting our hearts every day.

St. John Paul II once said that Lent is “a time to be dedicated in a special way to conversion and renewal, to prayer, to fasting, and to works of charity.” Lent allows our hearts to be transformed and our vision refocused on our heavenly goal. The good habits we embraced during Lent must not be left behind. They are tools that help us grow closer to God throughout the year. There are many distractions in life, but when we recall our Lenten commitments, we pray they will sustain us during Easter and beyond.

St. John Paul II also said, “… after these weeks of penance, we will experience the joy of Easter. Our eyes, purified by prayer and penance, will be able to behold with greater clarity the face of the living God.” Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice inspires our behaviour and assures us that he has paved the way to eternal life.

We know that Christ has triumphed over death and sin. He has opened the path to heaven. But as Easter people, we are called to live in a way that reflects that truth. Yes, Christ showed mercy to the Good Thief in his final moments, but we who know the story of salvation must not wait until death to turn to God. Each day we are called to grow in self-awareness, to seek forgiveness, to deepen our relationship with Christ and others, and to live with gratitude for his mercy.

In her diary, St. Maria Faustina shares Christ’s message of Divine Mercy, especially from Good Friday until Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter. During the joyful celebrations of the Easter Octave, we are called to intentionally seek God’s loving mercy.

The Philippines made history on April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday, by becoming the first nation in the world to consecrate itself entirely to Jesus through divine mercy.

In 2016 at the Pan-African Congress on Divine Mercy Sunday in Rwanda, bishops in Africa consecrated the continent itself to divine mercy. However, the Philippines is the first singular nation to do so.

“This is remarkable; this is really unprecedented. Never has this been done before in the history of the world — a country consecrating themselves to the divine mercy,” said Father James Cervantes of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (MIC), a congregation devoted to spreading the message of divine mercy. “I believe the bishops are being inspired by the Holy Spirit to lead our country to holiness.” 

The bold initiative began with a single spark — a heartfelt letter from Father Cervantes to bishops across the country calling for a nationwide consecration to divine mercy. Dioceses responded enthusiastically, and soon the idea spread like wildfire.

The Permanent Council of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) gave its official approval, declaring that a national consecration to divine mercy would take place during all Masses on April 27 as part of the 2025 Jubilee Year celebrations.

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the CBCP, issued a statement calling on all dioceses, parishes, religious communities, and Catholic institutions to participate in this landmark spiritual initiative.

“This nationwide consecration will be a profound expression of our trust in the divine mercy — a trust that remains our final refuge in these times of uncertainty and trial,” Cardinal David said. “As Our Lord Jesus said to St. Faustina, ‘I desire that my mercy be worshipped, and I am giving mankind the last hope of salvation; that is, recourse to my mercy.’” 

He described the national act of consecration as a “collective response of faith and hope” amid grave challenges facing the country and global community today — such as the threat of global war, widespread corruption, the erosion of truth, and persistent opposition to Church teachings on life and family.

The consecration was to take place during all Masses across the country on the second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday. The Prayer of Consecration to the Divine Mercy was to be recited in place of the general intercessions.

“It’s not just about reciting a prayer,” Father Cervantes told CNA. “It’s about being properly disposed — understanding what it really means to consecrate ourselves as a nation to the divine mercy.