‘We don’t want COVID to steal Christmas’: archdiocese launches Blue Light holiday campaign

With the pandemic competing with the Grinch to snuff out Christmas cheer this year, the Archdiocese of Vancouver wants to rewrite the ending of the Christmas 2020 story as one of hope amidst a challenging time for families.

To brighten up dark evenings, the archdiocese is launching a Blue Light Campaign, inviting everyone to use blue lights when decorating their churches and homes as a sign of hope and solidarity with families who have lost loved ones and are experiencing a “blue Christmas” this year.

“We don’t want COVID to steal Christmas,” said Brett Powell, the archbishop’s delegate for development and ministries.

“This has been a tough year for all of us. What [the Church] offers, though, is we can’t take away all the negative circumstances, but we can bring Jesus into those circumstances.”

The plan to make Christmas extra special this year started to snowball about three months ago, when Father John Horgan wrote a letter to Archbishop J. Michael Miller, offering his concern that the lockdown that shuttered churches just weeks before Easter, leaving them very little time to prepare, might happen again for Christmas.

Fast forward to the last days of November: Catholics are under a second lockdown, unable to participate in Mass due to a government ban on all public worship services until Dec. 7. (The first lockdown, at Easter, was at the request of Archbishop Miller).

It’s not known if the ban will be extended or if the faithful will be able to file back into their churches by Dec. 24, but Powell hopes whatever happens, this year’s Christmas campaign will offer people some hope this season.

“Christmas is such a time of hope, family, and all those things that seem to be under threat of being robbed. So let’s not let that happen,” he said. Should restrictions carry into Advent and Christmas, “the joy of Christmas is in our hearts and cannot be taken from us.”

Blue is traditionally the colour of Mary and a symbol of hope and purity, said archdiocesan project manager Mary Jane Norris. Somehow, it seems to suit hymns like Silent Night.

“There’s something about that colour, blue, that draws me into a place of sacredness and stillness,” she said. While the campaign is launched by Catholics, anyone of any faith is welcome to join in decorating their homes blue and entering a photo contest for the most blue and beautiful Christmas decorations.

“We would love to see the city turn blue!”

Children will also get a chance to participate in their own contest. Those in Grade 4 and younger will receive an Advent calendar from Catholic school teachers, PREP teachers, or Vanspec coordinators. Each day on the calendar includes a choice between two activities, and all those who complete their calendars can submit their photos for a prize draw.

A series of virtual events are also offered in the spirit of the season. An online Advent retreat, featuring Father Juan Lucca and Barb Dowding, is scheduled for Dec. 4 and modeled after a successful Lenten retreat that attracted nearly 1,000 viewers in the spring.

From Dec. 26-28, the archdiocese is inviting people to view The Chosen, a new TV series about the life of Jesus. These “watch parties” are intended especially for people who are not Catholic or do not go to church, but may be curious about religion.

Leading up to Christmas, the archdiocese is also offering Dec. 12 as a Day of Mercy, dedicated to offering the sacrament of reconciliation to anyone seeking grace and forgiveness.

Confessions are allowed under current health orders, as they are private meetings between a penitent and a priest. Powell said the intention is not to have crowds or line ups, but for each parish to work out a drive-thru, sign-up, or other system that works best for them.

“It’s time for the church to elevate Christmas as the celebration of the birth of our Saviour who can redeem everything, who can bring hope where there is utter darkness,” said Powell.

“That is our hope: that he becomes hope for all.”

For more information about the Christmas Blue Light Campaign, visit rcav.org/christmas. Photos for the Blue Light and Advent calendar prize draws can be submitted to [email protected].