We Are Proclaim 2.0 showcases Vancouver Catholics living out their mission

In 2023, the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s Proclaim team gathered testimonies from Vancouver Catholics who were inspired to pick up the mantle of Christ and lead ministries in their communities and parishes. 

This month marks the two-year anniversary of the #WeAreProclaim campaign, highlighting stories of everyday missionary disciples boldly living and sharing the Gospel. 

Now we’ve launched We Are Proclaim 2.0, and a new group of evangelizing Catholics is stepping forward to share faith stories and describe how working in Catholic ministry has enriched their relationships with God and their fellow Catholics.

From parish leaders to parents, students to seniors, Proclaim 2.0 puts the diversity of the Church on full display. These stories highlight the courage, creativity, and compassion that define the Church in Vancouver and those who answer the call to service.

The common thread uniting each testimony is their mission: to proclaim the name of Jesus, Proclaim director Eric Chow told The B.C. Catholic.

“Through these stories, we hope you’ll be inspired, challenged and reminded: you are not alone in the mission. We are a people sent. We are missionary disciples.”

The annual Upper Room conference, which launched the original Proclaim movement, will take place on September 20, at Pacific Academy in Surrey. 

We will be publishing these inspiring stories over the coming weeks. 

Journeying from restlessness and emptiness to beloved son of God

By Alfredo Chu

In my early years after arriving in Canada, I lived for the moment—parties, pleasures, and chasing every temporary high the world could offer. If I earned it, I spent it. Life was loud, fast, and fun on the surface, but deep down, I was restless, spiritually empty, lost in confusion, not knowing who I really was or what I was living for.   

Then came marriage. Gabriela and I loved each other deeply, but that first year was no honeymoon. Once we moved in together, the differences in our lifestyles clashed hard. Suddenly, love had to meet reality, and I wasn’t ready. I doubted myself as a husband. As for being a father, I didn’t think I had what it took. I felt overwhelmed, unqualified, and, honestly, scared.

That’s when I knew I needed something more, and not just advice or quick fixes. I needed transformation from the inside out.    

So I returned to church, not just to find answers, but to find God. And he met me there.

Patient, kind, steady, he began reorienting my life, peeling away my layers of pride, fear, and selfishness, and showing me a new way – his way.    

Somewhere along that path, an incredible thing happened: I discovered who I really am.

I am a beloved son of God.  

That truth changed everything. Now I’m not just trying to be a better man, I’m learning to live my true identity. I’m not working for God’s approval, I’m living in his love.

This Divine Filiation—being adopted into God’s family and becoming his son—gives me the confidence and peace I was missing. I now know who I belong to.  

The journey hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been real. Over the years, God has placed mentors, spiritual fathers, and brothers in faith directly in my path – men who have walked with me, challenged me, and helped me grow. Through them, I’ve learned to live with greater trust, joy, and a Christ-centred heart.  

One of the greatest gifts in my life has been my weekly men’s group. These are not just friends, but brothers. We share our struggles, victories, and prayers. We call each other higher. We laugh, we cry, we sharpen one another.

The virtuous friendships we’ve built are the kind I simply can’t live without. They’ve helped me become a better man, a better father, and a more faithful disciple.  

God has been reshaping my heart, turning it from stone to flesh, and from self-centeredness to service. He’s teaching me to live with integrity: to be the same man at work, at home, and in church: no more masks, just an honest life, with God first.  

I’ve also come to realize that my first mission field is my family. Before I share the Gospel with anyone else, it starts with my wife and sons – loving them, leading them, pointing them toward Jesus.   

But the mission doesn’t stop at home. God calls each of us to look for opportunities to be on mission every single day, whether through service, encouraging someone in need, or simply being present and listening. We are Christ’s hands and feet in the world.

 Being on mission isn’t a one-time event, it’s a lifestyle. It’s waking up each morning and saying, “Here I am, Lord. Use me.”  

The Archdiocese of Vancouver has been a powerful part of this journey. The resources, formation, and support I’ve received have helped me grow in faith and share it in ways that are simple, relatable, and life-giving.  

I’m thankful – for the community, for the brotherhood, and, most of all, for the God who never gave up on me and calls me his son.

And I’m learning, more and more each day, to live like it.

One Catholic’s mission to make friends for Jesus

 By Clara Lum

Ten years after entering the Church, I am still in awe at God’s work in and around me, and find myself asking:

• How did I get here?
• Is this where God is calling me?
• How can I serve him?
• How can we love him more?
• How can I bring along others to know and love him and to invite others along?

Faith is a lifelong journey toward God, and one best travelled alongside others. As I look back, I’m filled with gratitude for those whom God placed to guide me at just the right time.

One of them was my boss and friend, Richard.

It started with my sister asking, “What is faith?,” a question I took to Richard. After all, he had a crucifix, a Bible, and pictures of Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II on his desk.

His response, inspired by the Holy Spirit, went straight to my heart, becoming a moment that sparked the first of many conversations. It also marked a turning point in my life because it was that exact moment that, by the grace of God, I was found.

Richard patiently responded to each of my questions (even the most nonsensical), my moments of wonder, and even my doubts. His willingness to talk about the faith led me to RCIA and the growing question: what comes next?

At the Easter Vigil, as I stepped into the Church, I made a promise to Jesus to follow him. I didn’t want to become a lost sheep. I knew my promise meant I was accountable, not just in words but in actions, including how I loved others.

It’s in loving others that our gifts and works root themselves in God. This love opened my eyes to God’s presence in those around me. Every friendship became a blessing, often unexpected, always grace-filled. Every encounter with someone whose eyes are fixed on him strengthens my own faith. Among them are:

• My small Connect Group of committed, amazing, faith-filled women. We grow in faith together and lift each other up in friendship, each showing me how to trust God and always have gratitude, especially when life isn’t easy.
• Father Andrew, with his patience, encouragement, and ability to listen well.
• Father Oscar, who showed me the beauty of creation and how to love well.
• Marie at Opus Dei, walking with me in friendship and introducing me to the silent retreats that keep me on God’s path.
• Richard, for modelling how to live my faith at work and in my personal life.
• And lastly, Archbishop Miller, who entrusted me with God’s work when so many others seemed more equipped.

Each of these people has shown me what it means to live selflessly, trust God’s work, and be the doorway for others to see God. Through them, and many more, I continue to see God move in my life.

Through my faith journey, I have been fortunate to serve in his kingdom and witness his works through others. Through Alpha, The Search, and now The Rescue Project, as well as my involvement with Sancta Maria House, I’ve witnessed lives touched, hearts stirred, and souls awakened.

At times, I wanted to say “no,” especially while balancing full-time work. Looking back, I am grateful that I didn’t allow fear to stop me from saying “yes”. My responses have helped bring me to where I am today. They also brought my husband into full communion with the Church.

As St. Paul writes, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1). So if we are called to holiness—to become saints—then we must learn to love him first and trust that wherever he leads us is for our salvation and for others. It’s by loving him that we learn to love others. If we can love others authentically, then we become the doorway for others to see God.

My name is Clara, and my mission is to make friends for Jesus.

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