As co-masters of ceremonies for the annual Archbishop’s Dinner on Nov. 10, Clayton Imoo and Sister John Mary Sullivan were called on to juggle many duties all evening —including, as it turned out, performing an actual juggling act.
The pair put on the juggling show as a way to bring to life the evening’s more-serious purpose: raising funds for the Archdiocese’s Marriage and Family Ministry. Each time Imoo listed a challenge facing Catholic families, he pitched a juggling ball to Sr. John Mary, who then added the latest catch to those she was already expertly keeping in the air.
“We all know how important and beautiful family life is,” Sister Sullivan observed, to which Imoo responded, “busy, over-scheduled and crazy.” Just like juggling.
It was one of several entertaining moments during the tenth annual iteration of the dinner, which saw 739 persons from throughout the archdiocese and beyond pack the Regency Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Vancouver. As with all such events now, strict pandemic precautions were in place, including a requirement to show proof of vaccination.
The highlight of the evening was, as usual, Archbishop J. Michael Miller’s keynote “state of the archdiocese” speech, which focused on several key issues, including: pandemic-related challenges, not the least of which is the fact that attendance at Mass has dropped by one-third compared to pre-pandemic times; ongoing efforts towards truth and reconciliation with First Nations; opportunities connected to preparation for the Synod of Bishops to be held in Rome in October 2023; and, of course, the need to strengthen marriage and families.
The evening was also a celebration of community, marking the first time the archdiocese has staged such a large event since the pandemic descended in March 2020. “It’s so good to be here together to celebrate in person,” Archbishop Miller exclaimed, adding that the past 20 months “have been a time of trial and testing, but also of grace and blessing.”
Among those celebrating along with the archbishop were long-time event sponsors Don and Ausma Vicic of St. Anthony’s Parish, West Vancouver. The 85-year-old Don, who was a member of the 1964 Grey Cup Champion B.C. Lions football team, said his continuing support for the event is directly related to his faith.
“One of my favourite things that I say many times a day,” Vicic said, “is, ‘Jesus Christ, be my coach. Holy Spirit, be my coach.’ And that’s why I am here.”
Another noteworthy attendee was Manny Jules, former chief of the Kamloops Indian Band and current Chief Commissioner of the First Nations Tax Commission. Earlier in the day, Archbishop Miller met in person with Chief Jules and via Zoom with Phil Fontaine, a former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, to discuss reconciliation initiatives.
Wearing a beaded lapel poppy given to him by Chief Jules to mark Remembrance Day, Archbishop Miller devoted a major part of his speech to underlining his commitment to righting the wrongs done to First Nations people.
“The Indian Residential School system was deeply flawed, and we Catholics profoundly regret the attitudes, neglect and abuse that led to so much harm. For this, we are – all of us – truly sorry,” the archbishop said. “However, if these words of apology are to restore life and bring healing, they must be accompanied by tangible actions that foster the full disclosure of the truth. Truth comes before reconciliation.”
Archbishop Miller promised that the archdiocese will be fully transparent with its archives and records related to all residential schools. He also said the archdiocese and First Nations leaders are working on agreements that will strengthen the Church’s relationships with local Indigenous communities.
To further that goal, funds raised during the archdiocese’s recent Special Collection for Healing and Reconciliation will support an Indigenous-led committee to review proposed projects related to these projects: healing among survivors and their families; strengthening First Nations language and culture; commemorating the departed; and fostering reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Disbursement of funds could start as early as next month.
The goal of the evening was to raise funds for another cause close to Archbishop Miller’s heart, strengthening marriage and families. Brett Powell, the archbishop’s delegate for development and ministries, told eventgoers the funds will support archdiocesan ministries that focus on such issues as marriage preparation, parenting, and strengthening Catholic families.
“Christian families, well-lived, become spiritual outposts in the evangelizing mission of the Church,” Powell said. “To a world that has forgotten how to blush, Christian families model modesty and preserve the sanctity of sexuality, keeping it hidden in the sacrament of marriage.”
More than anything else, he said, “Christian families remind us of our evangelical nature,” Powell said.
“Rather than recluse themselves, Christian families look at the world around them with heads held high and chest out. They fear little, they observe all, and they are open to the good things within culture because of their disciplined moral, intellectual and spiritual lives lived within the four walls of their home.”
Sponsorships, ticket sales and other donations totalled more than $275,000 for Marriage and Family Ministries as of press time. Donations are still being received and the dinner will be broadcast Nov. 24 at 8 p.m. for those who were unable to attend and contribute. See details at rcav.org/dinner2021.
The continuing success of the Archbishop’s Dinner left another of its special guests, John Nixon, with an especially big smile on his face. Nixon was the newly appointed archdiocesan director of development when, challenged by Archbishop Miller to find a way to support archdiocesan projects, he settled on the idea of an annual Archbishop’s Dinner.
“There were very successful archbishop’s dinners in Toronto and Ottawa,” Nixon said, “so I talked to people who run those and got some pretty good advice and concluded that this is something that would likely become a real hit in this archdiocese.”
Looking back over 10 years of dinners, he said, “It makes me feel great because it’s really worked, and the funds that have been raised will support programs and projects for decades to come. Everyone who’s ever attended one of the dinners should be proud of what we’ve all been able to accomplish.
Highlights
Along with addressing major issues such as reconciliation with First Nations and preparation for the 2023 Synod in Rome, Archbishop J. Michael Miller used his address at the Archbishop’s Dinner to highlight 15 successes achieved by the archdiocese over the past year. They include:
- Establishing the Catholic Health Care Ethics Fund, a partnership between St. Mark’s College and Providence Health Care. The fund, which is supported with proceeds of an earlier Archbishop’s Dinner, facilitated the arrival of a Visiting Scholar, Dr. Scott Kline.
- Moving the Catholic Charities Men’s Shelter to a new site and expanding its services.
- Addressing food security through the “All Were Fed” initiative, which saw 10 parishes distributing 78,180 servings of food over 10 months.
- Distributing nearly $1 million to organizations adversely affected by the pandemic.
- Ordaining two priests and nine permanent deacons.
- Supporting the Filipino community’s staging of several events to celebrate 500 years of evangelization of the Philippines.
- Completing three major building projects, including undertakings at Corpus Christi parish, and Notre Dame and St. John Brebeuf high schools.
- Fostering adult faith formation, a project that saw more than 100 small-group faith studies taking place.
“These projects show, I believe, that despite the challenges we face, the Catholic Church in Vancouver is internally flourishing and making a significant contribution to the well-being of the wider community,” Archbishop Miller said.
