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By David F. Dawes
For a future record of the fact: Placed by God, through
no merits of our own, in the sublime seat of the Prince of the Apostles, we
turn our gaze with vigilant zeal upon all parts of the Catholic world, and
those things which tend beneficently, prosperously and happily to foster
the Catholic name and the eternal salvation of the faithful, we hasten to
execute with ready will.
THUS began a 1908 papal bull from Pope Pius X. With
further linguistic flair, the pope addressed the practical reason for
his declaration:
“We, of our own initiative and with certain
knowledge and mature deliberation in the plenitude of our apostolic
authority, raise by these presents the . . . diocese of New Westminster to
the metropolitan dignity; and we declare its see transferred from the city
of New Westminster to the city of Vancouver, whence it is to be hereafter
called the Archdiocese of Vancouver.”
The centennial of the archdiocese is being celebrated
with a variety of events this year.
The official day of the anniversary, September 19, was
marked at Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver. The service began with the
pealing of the cathedral bells.
Archbishop Raymond Roussin then proclaimed to the
congregation: “We feel a sense of joy, of hope for the future!”
There are several more events to come.
A Centennial Gala Dinner was scheduled for October 31
at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, featuring the music of Dal Richards and his
Orchestra.
A Centennial Celebration is scheduled for November 23
at GM Place.
Mass will be conducted, and Quebec cardinal Marc
Ouellet will speak; the event will go from 1 to 4 pm, and is free of
charge.
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The final event marking the anniversary will be a
December 13 concert at the Orpheum Theatre, featuring Handel’s Messiah. It is co-sponsored by
the Archdiocese and the Vancouver Chamber Choir.
Earlier this year, a ‘Rally in the Valley’
was held May 18 at Rotary Stadium in Abbotsford. One of the highlights was
the presentation of commemorative certificates to several hundred children,
who chose this year to receive their first communion.
Coadjutor Archbishop Michael Miller exhorted the
4,000-strong crowd, saying Christians had the same commission from Christ
as the original apostles: “Go . . . and make disciples of all the
nations.”
Further, he stated: “When we walk in festive
procession, this walking recalls that we are to bring Christ, present under
the sign of bread, into public view, onto our streets.”
– with files from The B.C. Catholic
November 2008
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