Spiritually recharge for Lent with a silent retreat led by the priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. These separate retreats for women, men and youth are open to everyone, and are a great opportunity to invite a friend to join you in contemplation, prayer and the sacraments. Please bring a bagged lunch.
Women’s retreat: [...]

The Church prescribes fasting and abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these days, only one full meal is allowed, in addition to which two smaller collations are permitted according to need, which,  if combined, would not be equal to a full meal.  Catholics aged 14–59 are bound to abstinence from meat;  [...]

Homes are traditionally blessed during the Octave of Epiphany (6–13 January). The blessing  is done with exorcised Epiphany Holy Water, blessed chalk, and exorcised incense (frankincense with myrrh).
Since for the most part we all live quite a distance from one another, priority will be given to homes that haven’t yet been blessed, then to those [...]

This is the schedule of Christmastide services at Holy Family Church in Vancouver. Sunday services will be at the usual times.
Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December
7:30 am & 9:00 am
Christmas Day, Friday 25 December
Midnight Mass
8:00 am Low Mass
10:30 am High Mass
Feast of Saint Stephen, Saturday 26 December
7:30 am & 9:00 am
New Year’s Day,  Friday 1 January
(Holy [...]

This Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are the autumn Ember Days. Four times a year, the Church sets aside three days to focus on God through His wonderful creation. These ‘Ember Days’ (or Quatuor Tempora in Latin) take place around the beginnings of the four natural seasons, and are each kept on a successive Wednesday, Friday, [...]

Homes are traditionally blessed during the Octave of Epiphany (6–13 January). Those of you who haven’t had your homes blessed yet should arrange to do so. The blessing is done with exorcised Epiphany Holy Water, blessed chalk, and exorcised incense (Frankincense with Myrrh). Since, for the most part, we all live quite a distance from [...]

When the secular world starts putting its ‘holiday’ things away, and as shopping malls stop blaring ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’, Catholics should just be getting started! The cleaning and baking during penitential Advent pays off now, and the feasting and carolling begin. The days from the Feast of the Nativity to the Epiphany are known [...]