Archbishop Miller calls its findings good news for local Church

VANCOUVER–The Archdiocese of Vancouver has released its first annual report.

Containing information on how many people received the sacraments, how many priests and deacons were ordained, and how much money was raised in 2015, the data is good news, says Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB.

“As you read through the pages of this annual report, it is my hope that you will be filled with gratitude to God who is rich in mercy and who enables the faithful of the Archdiocese of Vancouver to accomplish so much good with the help of His grace,” the Archbishop wrote in the introduction.

According to the report, more than 85,000 people attended Sunday Mass each week in 2015. There were 7,473 children in PREP class, 3,177 First Communicants, and 625 Catholic marriages. Nearly 600 people took the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program last year.

Sixteen permanent deacons were ordained, and another 17 men are currently in a formation program to become permanent deacons. Meanwhile, 1,090 people participated in 15 marriage preparation courses and 153 parents attended parenting workshops.

Project Advance raised $7 million in 2015, $3.7 million of which went to parishes while $3 million was allocated to projects and special grants such as school and parish upgrades, evangelization projects, Catholic Charities, and outreach to youth and people with special needs.

The report also outlined some efforts to reach the vulnerable. The archdiocese processed over 700 refugee sponsorship applications and welcomed 135 refugees in 2015. In 2016, it welcomed 110 refugees from Syria alone.

In the Downtown Eastside, the archdiocese’s men’s shelter gave 37,186 guests a warm, dry place to stay, while its drop-in centre and soup kitchen served 136,760 meals in 2015.

The report aims to show the archdiocese’s commitment to repairing relationships with First Nations people. From 2014-2016, the St. Kateri Centre hosted 12 healing sessions with Patricia Vickers of B.C.’s First Nations Health Authority, and 80 cultural programs, where people learned to make traditional vests, moccasins, and drums.

“The archdiocese has never produced an annual report so we felt this would be a great vehicle for sharing our story and encouraging the hearts of the faithful,” said Brett Powell, director of the office that produced the report.

While the archdiocese has made audited financial statements available online in the past, it has never released an annual report with informational graphics and data about ministries and outreach.

The John Paul II Pastoral Centre and all 76 parishes are “full of amazing people who are committed and efficacious in the evangelizing mission of the Church,” said Powell.

The Archdiocese of Vancouver, established in 1908, spans 120,000 square kilometers and includes about 400,000 Catholics.

The full report can be read at www.rcav.org/annual-report.