"The [synod-inspired] pastoral plan for the parish is meant to be
both practical and prophetic. We already do much to serve the Lord
and His people, but could always strive to be more effective. We
need to do more in order to better evangelize and nourish the faith
and commitment of our parishioners, as well as to draw new people to
the Lord and His Church. We need also to be challenged to reach out
and venture into new initiatives that have yet to be tried."
These concluding words to the basic vision for Holy Rosary's synod
implementation reflect an eagerness to take advantage of the
parish's unique but difficult position in the archdiocese. Holy
Rosary Parish belongs to the Vancouver West Deanery.
"People come here for Mass, and we don't ever get their names or
know their family," said rector Father Glenn Dion, summarizing one
challenge. Many people at Vancouver's downtown cathedral, Holy
Rosary, come for weekday Mass after work and before going home. ESL
students from the downtown language schools also attend until they
find homes at, for example, St. Andrew Kim Korean Parish.
People connect less than at regular parishes because Holy Rosary, as
Father Dion points out, ministers to the entire city.
The cathedral's priests hear confessions from people from all
around, as many avoid receiving the sacrament from their own parish
priests. In addition, especially in the summer, Holy Rosary welcomes
people from all over the world, as the church is the closest to the
cruise ships and major Vancouver hotels.
Though lots of young adults and singles attend Mass on Sunday, very
few children do, because families seldom live in the downtown core.
The parish therefore does not offer catechism training for children.
Conversely, its Basics of the Faith / RCIA class for adult
catechumens meets every Tuesday night from September to May, and its
adult confirmation classes meet on Wednesdays in the weeks after
Easter. Father Dion said that many Catholics never got around to
receiving confirmation at the appropriate age, especially if they
didn't attend Catholic school. They come from all over the city,
since many parishes do not have enough demand to hold their own
classes.
Confirmation classes for adults take place once a year, usually
after Easter, 3 sessions only, and confirmation follows on a Sunday,
sometimes Pentecost Sunday. This year Father Dion confirmed 14
adults.
People connect most strongly at the liturgical level, Father Dion
pointed out, with singers, musicians, lectors, servers,
extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and ushers all playing a
vital role.
The cathedral hosts about five classical music concerts a year,
"trying to make classical music presentable to the average music
lover," Father Dion said. Tickets cost $20 for the concerts, emceed
by the rector and organized by the organist Denis Bedard. The next
one will be on Friday, Feb. 22, with organist and composer Rachael
Laurin.
The parish web site notes that the series features "Holy Rosary's
magnificent symphonic organ. This instrument, built in 1900 and
restored in 2000 by Casavant Freres, is one of the most beautiful
organs on the West Coast."
The audience tends to be people who appreciate this music, rather
than a general audience or people coming off the street. A big
screen is set up in the sanctuary to show live close-up footage of
the performer.
All of the high expenses for this huge and old building come from
the people in the pews. Unlike in some older and important parishes
or Protestant congregations, no great fund supports every decision.
The CWL, as in so many parishes, plays a vital role, as in its
annual Spring Fair and Yard Sale. The budget, at around $700,000 per
annum, also pays for the maintenance, support staff, and priests,
10-12 paid staff in all.
Jane Rosenthal, president of the Catholic Women's League at the
cathedral, explained that the parish had been without a CWL for
several years, but a new council was officially installed Nov. 4,
and there are 24 members.
"We are still in the early stages of discerning where our main focus
for the parish will be. However, all our ladies are very active in
all ministries and areas of the parish," she said. "We serve as
lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, sacristans, and
RCIA team leaders, and in marriage preparation, hospitality, and
registration."
The CWL is taking on a big role in synod implementation, Rosenthal
continued: "In the area of Prayer and Spiritual Life, we are
currently in the process of assisting with the implementation of a
Bible Study Program which will start this month.... We are also in
the process of organizing guest speakers from various offices, e.g.,
the Office of Service and Justice, the Respect Life Office, to
inform and inspire us."
The work of the CWL and others in the parish is so important because
of the Catholic heritage for which these groups are responsible.
Holy Rosary Parish was originally established "as a Memorial of the
Solemn Homage to be paid to Our Lord Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the
Human Race, and dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary," according
to a booklet on its history titled, Holy Rosary: A History of the
Cathedral of the Last 100 Years.
In 1899, Father James McGuckin decided to build a new church, and
this project "became a major financial burden undertaken by the
Oblate Fathers, with their Mother House in Paris having to be
mortgaged." The building was then known as "McGuckin's Folly."
The cornerstone for the new building was laid on July 16, 1899. When
it opened Dec. 9, 1900, it was "described in the press as `the
finest piece of architecture west of Toronto and north of San
Francisco,'" according to the booklet. "At the time the centre of
the Archdiocese was New Westminster, with Holy Rosary given
pro-Cathedral status, and being declared the Cathedral in 1916."
As well as being the cathedral of the archdiocese, Holy Rosary is an
inner city parish with other issues to deal with. Virginia Yago
described some of this work.
"The Cathedral Youth Outreach (CYO) was formed for the many
multinational young people in and around the cathedral parish and
for the growing population of street youth. Its motto is taken from
Isaiah 59:8, `Others will I gather to Him, besides those already
gathered.' Father Alessandro Lovato is the chaplain and the director
of this group. There are two subgroups under this umbrella: the
Karol Wojtyla Club and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Youth Outreach."
Karol Wojtyla was Pope John Paul II's name before he became Pope.
"Karol Wojtyla Club: members are young people ages 18 to 35 from
many nations. The purpose is to deepen their life with Christ and to
invite non-Catholics and non-practising Catholics back to church
through fellowship (events inside and outside the church), and through prayer life in the
group, with talks and open discussion with a priest, sharing,
retreats, and other Catholic activities."
The Youth Outreach reflects the evangelical spirit of the synod, as
in Proposition 8, which sees "expand[ed] Catholic presence in
health-care facilities and other institutions as an opportunity for
evangelization." The outreach also reflects the goal of Proposition
17: "Teach methods and practical skills for evangelization projects,
recognizing cultural and social diversity," through its Sacred Heart
of Jesus Youth Outreach work.
Yago commented about the work with young street people: "The purpose
is to bring God's love to these broken young souls, so that they in
turn will love Him. The program includes social activities and
buffet lunches in a special setting where they feel important and
loved. For four years, due to their sensitivity to religion,
evangelization is introduced through these activities with a very
short talk about God and a short prayer.
"The second phase of this program is to enhance the evangelization
through [the] medium that attracts them most: movies and lunch.
Movies with a Christian tone will be selected. This will be carried
out on consecutive Saturdays so that there is continuity. A bigger
TV screen and more food supply will be needed."
"The third phase," Yago added, will be "a Broadway show where these
young people can express and exhibit their talents. Each one of them
has a talent, either in visual, performing, vocal, or written arts.
As working artists, they will be given incentives. This way,
hopefully, their self-esteem and self-worth will be greatly
enhanced.
"The group's emphasis is to make them realise that God has given
them a gift even from birth, and they in turn are a gift to others.
Hopefully, through the Holy Spirit they will accept Him, know Him as
the source of their gifts, seek Him out, come to Him with free will,
and love Him wholeheartedly."
Globe-trotting bells
As befits a big cathedral, the story of its bells is a story in
itself, as told by a booklet from 2000:
"The solemn blessing of the bells took place on Sunday, Oct. 21,
1900. At the time there were seven bells, named after the seven
sacraments. They were hung continental style, with their mouths
facing downward. They were cast in Savoy, France, at a cost of
$9,000, and were shipped to Vancouver across China and the Pacific
Ocean.
"The bells were not tuned to scale, and a decision was made to send
them to a foundry near Bristol, England, where they were melted and
recast to make a ring of eight bells, an octave. In 1906, after a
third ocean crossing, they were re-hung in `English change-ringing
style,' with their mouths facing upward. The heaviest bell weighed
1,700 pounds."
When the bells finally made it back to Vancouver, customs wanted to
charge a 30 per cent import tax, an unexpected expense and an
unprecedented charge on church bells. After a local MP intervened,
the bells were allowed to enter tax-free.
