VANCOUVER (CCN) — Mass goers in the Archdiocese of Vancouver are beginning to pray for renewal as a regular part of Sunday Mass.
The new ‘Prayer for Renewal’ is part of the archdiocesan process launched by Archbishop Richard Smith at Pentecost earlier this year. Since then, the Archbishop has been asking clergy and lay leaders: What does God desire for his Church in Vancouver, and to what is he calling us?
Archbishop Smith says that the prayer is a request for all Catholics to participate in the process.
“This prayer invites a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit and asks the Lord to renew our parishes, clergy, schools, stewardship, and liturgical life,” Archbishop Smith said, referring to the five areas of renewal that were announced last Pentecost.
Since then, five corresponding task forces have been discerning through these topics. But while this work may feel separate from parishioners in the pews, Archbishop Smith says that all the faithful have a part to play in where the Lord is calling us.
“Renewal is not simply an administrative process,” the archbishop said. “Plans, consultations, and pastoral initiatives have their place, but lasting renewal begins with prayerful openness to the Holy Spirit.”
“I encourage everyone to pray the Prayer for Renewal on their own or with their family and loved ones, but praying as a community is of particular importance. This is a powerful moment in the history of our local Church, and all of us need to take responsibility of listening to where the Lord is directing us right now.”
The archbishop cited the words of St. Paul saying that all of us make up the body of Christ here in Vancouver. “When we pray together as a community, we renew our hope in the Lord as well as our shared commitment to one another.”
“Behold, I make all things new”
From Revelation 12:5, the biblical text guiding the process of renewal is “Behold, I make all things new.” Announcing this theme back in May, Archbishop Smith explained that these words “assure us that Christ is renewing his Church, and that our task is to listen, discern, and follow.”
An accompanying visual features a crucifix over mountains and rivers.
The archbishop says that the centrality of the crucifix reminds us that there is no renewal without Christ, and that all our own efforts and contributions must cooperate with His.
From the crucifix, everything about the process of Renewal flows. This is symbolized by the rising mountains and flowing rivers flowing from the crucifix – a testament to our geographical landscape that makes up the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
The imagery of the river also symbolizes the work that is already in motion – what Archbishop Smith has called a “current of grace” that is at work in the archdiocese. A lot of this work is not necessarily new; rather, it is a continuation of what the Lord is already doing.
The Prayer for Renewal
Written by Archbishop Smith, the Prayer for Renewal opens with a general petition, calling for “a new Pentecost for the Archdiocese”. The archbishop cites Pope Leo XIV’s words that “all genuine renewal in the Church has the care for the poor at the centre.”
What follows are five short intentions, each of them drawing from scripture and Church documents to tie them to one of the five pillars of the process of Renewal: priestly life, parish renewal, liturgy, Catholic schools, and infrastructure.
Archbishop Smith closes the prayer with a reminder of what is at the heart of renewal: that it is “first and foremost the work of the Lord, and that we must entrust all our efforts and prayers to Him.”
Though thousands of Catholics are praying at different parishes during Sunday Mass, Archbishop Smith hopes that the new Prayer for Renewal can unite the faithful in a single act of shared hope for the future of the archdiocese.
“It brings to mind Mary praying with the apostles in the Upper Room,” Archbishop Smith said. “I pray that this is the start of a ‘new Pentecost’ that will renew our local Church, our parishes, and each of us. It is my hope that we may remain attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, grateful for the grace already at work among us, and open to where the Lord desires to lead us.”
Prayer for Renewal in the Archdiocese of Vancouver
O God,
who make all things new in your Son, Jesus Christ,
grant us, we pray, a new and mighty outpouring of your Holy Spirit and renew your Church in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Open our hearts to the cry of your poor and enliven our pastoral charity.
Make our celebrations of the Sacred Liturgy fitting offerings of praise to your great glory.
Sanctify our archbishop and priests and send them anew as compassionate shepherds of your people.
Revitalize our schools as communities of Catholic faith and authentic humanity.
Grant us new wisdom to steward our resources well in service of the Church’s mission.
Infuse our parish families with apostolic boldness to announce the joy of the Gospel.
Thoroughly renew us all, Heavenly Father, by your love and mercy. Inspire us to embrace once again our baptismal call to holiness and mission.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
