Sister Denece Billesberger, Directress of Novices for the Sisters of the Child Jesus, with Sister Heather Charest, the order’s newest novice. It was during a mission trip to Haiti that her life changed, prompting her to ask herself, “What am I doing?” She will profess her vows with the Sisters of the Child Jesus later this month. (Terry O’Neill photos)
By Terry O’Neill Listen to that voice within. Listen to the voice of God calling you. This is a usual part of the advice given to men and women seeking guidance about a religious vocation. For many on the path of discernment, it’s difficult to hear that voice – to hear it amid the distracting...
By Paul Schratz If the Church in North America is a canvas, Barb Dowding is one of the artists helping to paint it, and that includes capturing all its subtleties, from the abstract to the realist. The special assistant to Archbishop Miller was part of an 18-person synod writing team of individuals appointed by the...
Holy Cross Vice Principal Jeff Cabralda leads student musicians providing music for the Catholic Educators’ Conference and Mass. (Nicholas Elbers photos)
By Nicholas Elbers Catholic School teachers attending the annual Catholic Educators Conference were called to pursue truth first in their work towards reconciliation with Indigenous people as a potentially painful and necessary part of the healing process. “My dream is that our speakers at this year’s conference will further help to inform and transform our...
A monk walks down a hallway toward Father Dunstan Massey’s The Temptation of St. Benedict. The work was the first of Father Massey’s frescos completed in 1974. (Nicholas Elbers photos)
By Nicholas Elbers It’s hard to imagine Westminster Abbey without Father Dunstan Massey’s artistic fingerprints brushed and carved over and into seemingly every surface. Throughout the corridors, halls, and church of the Mission abbey, paintings and carvings bear the distinctive style of the Benedictine monk and prolific artist who passed away Dec. 26 at the...
Fraser Health Authority documents received by The B.C. Catholic under a freedom-of-information request show the implementation of euthanasia caused “ethical dilemmas” for some care providers. A doctor who headed the authority’s palliative-care team resigned in protest. (Adobe)
By Terry O’Neill B.C.’s largest regional health authority has finally taken the wraps off unpublished documents showing the introduction of assisted suicide in Fraser Health Authority hospitals and residences sparked emotional concern and opposition among health-care staff. The documents, requested by The B.C. Catholic under a freedom-of-information request, show the implementation of euthanasia became “an...
Detective Constable Marty Cayer, centre, has added a second vocation to his Vancouver Police responsibilities. The Catholic deacon now serves as a VPD chaplain. Shown with him are Vancouver Police Sgt.-Maj. Ray Gardner and Sgt. Dave Moe. (Terry O’Neill photos)
By Terry O’Neill Marty Cayer’s business card describes him as Detective/Constable #2023 with the Youth Investigative Unit of the Vancouver Police Department. Since October 2021, however, the 22-year veteran officer has embraced a second vocation that he considers even more important: that of a permanent deacon, currently serving at Christ the Redeemer Parish in West...
Archbishop J. Michael Miller receives his pallium as Archbishop of Vancouver from Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. In his homilies following the death of the Pope Emeritus the Archbishop spoke about the gifts of the Pontiff he worked for in Rome for three years. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano) (June 29, 2009)
In the days following the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Archbishop J. Michael Miller spoke about the life and legacy of Pope Benedict XVI and offered prayers for the Pontiff he worked with in Rome for three years. During his homily for the First Vespers of the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God on...
