Parishioners at St. Ann’s Church in Abbotsford watched in admiration last summer as workers endured a record-setting heatwave to install a new roof on their church. They had no way of knowing that, just a few months later, the roof would end up protecting the church from the effects of another episode of record-setting weather, November’s atmospheric-river deluge.
“We knew for the past decade that our leaky roof needing replacing,” one parishioner told The B.C. Catholic. “As it turned out, it was perfect timing.”
“We are very happy with the new roof, and it looks very striking now,” said Father Richard Zanotti, St. Anne’s pastor.
“The new windows in the peak and roof lines give a more modern look to the church compared to the original 1967 tile roof. And we no longer have to worry about leaks in the ceiling.”
Father Zanotti said the project could not have been completed without the financial support of the St. Ann’s community. “Thank you to our parishioners for their donations to Project Advance over the years,” he said.
The Archdiocese of Vancouver’s Project Advance team drew attention to the St. Ann’s project as a way of reminding parishioners throughout the archdiocese that they still have time to donate to Project Advance before the end of the year.
Parishes that exceed their Project Advance goal receive a rebate equalling that excess. The rebate helps the parishes fund a variety of projects, from catechism classrooms to kitchen renovations. In 2020, Project Advance rebated more than $4.7 million to parishes.
“Project Advance supports our parishes and our communities by providing assistance to our parishes for projects that will address emergent needs within the parish, allow us to gather as a community, and better evangelize to our neighbours,” said Charissa Hurt, Development Coordinator in RCAV’s Development Office.
Hurt said funds raised from Project Advance also go toward the various ministries that operate within the Archdiocese – evangelization, youth and young adult ministry, anti-human-trafficking, and prison ministry.
“This year, for example, Catholic Christian Outreach received a grant to help them to continue to respond to the rising online needs that they are experiencing due to the pandemic and to better evangelize to university students,” she said. “This included a digital platform for interactive faith studies.”
Hurt noted that most parishes have met their Project Advance goals for 2021, “which means any gift you give to your parish’s Project Advance appeal will directly benefit your parish and the project they identified.”
Donations can be made online at projectadvance.ca.
