New Notre Dame school on Project ADVANCE list

By JEFF GRAHAM

For the last 25 years Project ADVANCE has been all about funding worthy projects. Since 1980 the fund-raising body for the Archdiocese of Vancouver has raised millions of dollars in an effort to better serve the faithful.

Artist’s sketch of the new Notre Dame Regional Secondary main entrance.

This year is no different. Numerous educational and social justice initiatives are receiving money. On April 1 at St. Patrick’s Parish in Vancouver, Project ADVANCE kicked off the campaign for 2006 with a luncheon, highlighting groups and projects that are receiving money, while presenting the most recent version of an old classic: the Project ADVANCE video.

Archbishop Raymond Roussin, SM, accompanied by about 30 priests, was on hand, along with parish representatives and recipients of money, for the celebration.

“Project ADVANCE asks us to commit ourselves to the project,” said Archbishop Roussin, “In some way, all of the projects within Project ADVANCE are fulfilments of the 10 commandments.”

The projects receiving money from Project ADVANCE are signs of great life and growth in the archdiocese. Between thriving youth ministry, social justice, and young adult programs as well as new schools and churches, the fund is contributing to numerous important and life-giving projects.

Perhaps the most ambitious project is the construction of a new school building for Notre Dame Regional Secondary in Vancouver. Originally constructed in 1953, the existing school building is in poor condition and overcrowded.

The school building will be razed and a new $12.6 million facility will be built in its stead. To do this, the Archdiocese of Vancouver will be contributing half of the funds for the project, while the other half will come from the 10 feeder parishes for the school.

While a lot of money is required for Notre Dame and other projects, Archbishop Roussin stressed that contributing to Project ADVANCE should not be as much about the money as it is about the act of giving.

“As much as it hurts, giving will make us more peaceful and joyful,” he said. “Giving should not be done as a gesture of ‘it has to be done by somebody’ but as an act of faith.”

“Do it out of love for the needs of the Church.”

He also stressed that faithful should not be concerned about giving equally, or giving the same amount of money as another parishioner, but rather with sacrificing equally and giving money according to their means.

“We should be concerned not with equal gifts, but with equal sacrifice,” said the archbishop.

This year Project ADVANCE will be contributing to Catholic secondary schools, Catholic Christian Outreach, Catholic Charities, the New Sites Fund, Bountyfull House Counselling Centre, Youth Ministry, St. Thomas More Collegiate, Vancouver College, Vanspec, Agape Street Ministry, Sancta Maria House, and Domestic Abuse Services.

“We were able to assist many who could not help themselves, especially the hungry, the imprisoned, and those struggling to rebuild their lives,” said Archbishop Roussin.

Both Bountyfull House and Sancta Maria House are two groups that will benefit for the first time from the 2006 program.

Bountyfull House is a Catholic ministry devoted to the mental and spiritual healing of people who have had difficulties with addictions, negative compulsive behaviour, and substance abuse.

An offshoot of Agape Street Ministry, Sancta Maria House is a recovery house for women aged 18 and older trying to escape the clutches of alcohol abuse and drug use. The Sancta Maria House program is based on Catholic values and facilitates 12-step groups.

Archbishop Roussin challenged attendees of the luncheon to imitate Christ in their commitment to Project ADVANCE and to such worthy initiatives.

“Jesus Christ gave Himself to others, and in a way we are all called to do the same thing,” he said, “so let us speak as Christ, with words, yes, but with deeds also.”

In addition to the archbishop’s talk, the Project ADVANCE video debuted at the luncheon and gave a face and a name to the beneficiaries of the project. The movie will be available for every parish in the archdiocese.

As in years past, parishes will be given a financial goal by the archdiocese. Any money raised above and beyond this goal through Project ADVANCE can be put toward the needs of individual parishes, such as building a church hall, a new rectory, or implementing new programs.

“Our archdiocese has already accomplished a great deal of what we set out to do: our churches are full to overflowing, our Catholic schools are expanding, and it is clear the archdiocese of Vancouver is very much alive,” concluded Archbishop Roussin.