The year 2025 will be remembered as one of transition for the Catholic Church in Vancouver and around the world. Marked by the Jubilee Year of Hope, it invited Catholics to pause, pray, and rediscover hope amid uncertainty.
Thousands made pilgrimage to holy sites in Vancouver, Agassiz, and Rome, seeking God’s grace.
It was also a year of significant change.
Catholics in Vancouver bade farewell to Archbishop J. Michael Miller after 18 years of leadership that shaped a generation, and welcomed Archbishop Richard Smith from Edmonton as the Archdiocese of Vancouver entered a new chapter.
Alongside moments of joy and celebration were periods of grief, public tragedy, and searching questions about life, dignity, and the Church’s role in a wounded world.
Here is a chronological reflection on the moments that shaped the life of the Church in Vancouver during the Jubilee Year of Hope.
January: Skulls and saints
The Jubilee Year began with an encounter with the Church’s living memory. In early January, Catholics across the Archdiocese venerated the relics of the Canadian Martyrs, including the skull of St. Jean de Brebeuf and a first-class relic of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Indigenous North American saint and patron of First Nations peoples, during a relic tour across the Archdiocese.
Later in the month, hope took flesh in a new vocation. On Jan. 24, Thomas The Hiep Truong was ordained to the priesthood, joining the Congregation of St. John the Baptist. His ordination fulfilled a vocation his father once hoped to pursue before war and persecution closed seminaries in Vietnam, a quiet sign of God’s faithfulness across generations.
February: A new shepherd
A defining moment of the year arrived on Feb. 25, when Pope Francis named Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton as the next Archbishop of Vancouver, accepting Archbishop Miller’s retirement and formally beginning a new chapter in the life of the Archdiocese.
March: Welcome to Vancouver
In early March, Archbishop Smith made his first visit to Vancouver since being named archbishop, emphasizing co-responsibility and shared mission as essential to the Church’s future.
Later that month, the John Paul II Pastoral Centre marked 10 years since opening its purpose-built home in Vanc0uver’s Cambie Corridor.
April: Loss and grief
On Easter Monday, Catholics awoke to the news of Pope Francis’ death. One day earlier, despite declining health, he had offered the Urbi et Orbi blessing and greeted the faithful, a moment later recognized as his farewell.
Days later, Vancouver was shaken by a deadly attack following a Filipino street festival that claimed 11 lives. Archbishop Miller called the city to prayer, as the Archdiocese mobilized spiritual and mental health supports.
May: Goodbye and hello
On May 2, the province observed a Day of Remembrance and Mourning for the victims of the attack, with Archbishop Miller presiding at a Mass of Remembrance at Holy Rosary Cathedral.
As the month continued, Archbishop Miller offered final interviews and farewell reflections on his 18 years in Vancouver.
Soon after, Sister John Mary Sullivan said farewell after 10 years of ministry.
In response to the spring’s tragedies, the Archdiocese launched a new Mental Health Ministry, appointing Jane Waldock as its first coordinator.
On May 8, following a two-day conclave, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV. Archbishop Miller later reflected on the election and the surprising choice of an American Pontiff, saying the Holy Spirit had “a different plan.”
That joy culminated on May 23, when Archbishop Smith was formally installed as Archbishop of Vancouver and addressed Premier David Eby, affirming that “the Church will be there for British Columbians.”
June: Community and witness
In June, humour and evangelization met at a Catholic stand-up comedy night in Burnaby.
At a Surrey young adult event, a young man shared his journey from atheism to the Catholic faith.
The month also featured sustained reporting on Medical Assistance in Dying, including a B.C. Catholic investigation and concerns raised by physicians.
Summer: Hope on the move
In July, Vancouver youth joined thousands of Canadians in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth.
That month, a Langley MP sponsored legislation to ban MAiD for mental illness.
September: A new school
In September, St. John Paul II Academy opened in Surrey, marking a milestone in Catholic education.
October: Rosary for peace
On the first Saturday of October, more than 500 people gathered in person and over 2,000 joined online as Archbishop Smith led the first monthly Rosary for Peace.
November: Looking ahead with hope
In November, Archbishop Smith reflected on his visit to the Downtown Eastside, calling Catholics to renewal and solidarity in an interview on justice and complacency.
Later that month, a South Vancouver parish showed how simple hospitality can foster belonging.
Near the close of the Jubilee Year, Archbishop Smith met Pope Leo XIV in Rome and reflected on the Pope’s gift of 62 Indigenous cultural artifacts, linking the gesture to the spirit of the Jubilee of Hope.
December: Carrying hope forward
The calendar year and the Jubilee Year drew to a close with a celebration for priests and the Archbishop’s annual Pro-Life Mass, Archbishop Smith’s first in Vancouver. As the Jubilee Year of Hope concluded, he called Catholics to carry its graces into daily life through renewed prayer, parish renewal, and accompaniment of those seeking a way back to Christ and the Church.
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