Rain or shine – banners are up!

By BARBARA DOWDING

The Archdiocesan offices on Robson Street led the way on Feb. 7 with the installation of two synod banners announcing the key synod themes: Prayer, Teaching, Liturgy, Evangelization, and Community and Fellowship.

Laureen McMahon / The B.C. Catholic A workman puts the final touches to a banner on the Robson Street side of the building housing the offices of the archdiocese before installing another banner on the Cambie Street side.

The banners remind us of our call to become an active church, to ensuring that we heed the call of the Holy Spirit.

Archbishop Raymond Roussin’s call to holiness will be realized when we take care of one another. The banners remind us to Pray, Teach, Worship, Evangelize, and Serve in new ways.

The Declaration on the Archdiocesan Synod has been distributed throughout the archdiocese. The message from our archbishop is clear: each of us, as individuals, must be more than ever before a reflection of Jesus Christ. He also offers a concrete way to assess how we measure up in caring for the needs of all the faithful.

In asking parishes to prepare a pastoral plan by next September, the archbishop has opened the door to implementing the synod propositions at the parish level. By following the synod formula to see, judge, and act, parishes can measure how well they are serving the needs and what or who needs more care.

Next time you see the banner, remember what it stands for. In the words of Archbishop Roussin in the Prayer at the Conclusion of the Synod: “We thank You, we praise You, Oh Lord our God, for having been with us throughout our synod work.

“As we now go forth we do so by calling upon the Holy Spirit to help us live according to Your loving Will, and we ask that Your Son, Jesus the Christ, be with us as we seek to be holy communities and holy people reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need.”