The feast of the Dedication of Saint Michael the Archangel will be celebrated on Thursday 29 September, with High Mass at 7:30pm.

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio, contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude. Amen.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life individuals standing for 90 minutes praying for our nation and for an end to abortion.  It is a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian community that abortion kills children and that the Church supports the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death. Life Chain events take place in cities across North America.

This year’s Vancouver Life Chain will take place at the corner of Oak Street and 29th Avenue, between 1:30 and 3:00 pm, on Sunday 2 October. This is across the street from the Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia.

Parishioner Benjamin Laggui has made available photographs of the Holy Family pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2010, led by Father Deprey. The full set can be viewed here.

This year, Father Deprey will lead a pilgrimage to Fatima, Spain and Lourdes, 2–14 October. For more details or to reserve a space, please contact the clergy.

Photographs of our recent procession on the external solemnity of Corpus Christi, Sunday 26 June, 2011.

At the altar is one of our seminarians, Brian McDonnell, who was recently ordained to the Diaconate. Please keep him in your prayers as he prepares to be ordained as a Priest next year.

His Grace Archbishop Miller will attend Holy Family parish on Monday 23 May to administer the sacrament of Confirmation. The service will commence at 7:00 pm, and will be followed by Benediction. Afterwards, there will be a simple reception in the parish hall. If you plan to attend the reception, please sign up on the sheet posted in the narthex (church foyer), and bring a plate of finger foods to share if you are able.

Please pray for those preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation.

Father John Berg, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, will visit Vancouver in May to update us on the work of FSSP apostolates throughout the world and on developments at the Vatican relating to the Fraternity and to the traditional Roman Rite. We will also have a question-and-answer session and refreshments. The conference will take place at Holy Family on Tuesday, May 10, beginning with recitation of the rosary before the Blessed Sacrament at 6:30 pm, followed by Benediction. Father Berg’s talk will commence after Benediction, in the parish hall.

We are most grateful that Father Berg was able to shorten his visitation to the Archdiocese of Seattle to make this possible.

Saturday 9 April, 7:30 pm

Please join the choirs of Holy Family for an evening of Renaissance and classical polyphony, Gregorian chant, and seasonal readings, featuring the music of Palestrina, Byrd, Victoria, Morales, Scarlatti, Lobo, and Anerio. Admission is by donation.

In celebration of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Friday 25 March, we will have a solemn high Mass at 7:30 pm.

This is a solemnity (first class feast), so a relaxation of your Lenten observance is permitted on this day.

On Fridays during Lent, beginning 11 March, we will pray the Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm. This will be followed by Low Mass.

Tuesday 22 February 2011. High Mass at 7:30 pm.

This feast brings to mind the mission of teacher and pastor conferred by Christ on Peter, and continued in an unbroken line down to the present Pope. We celebrate the unity of the Church, founded upon the Apostle, and renew our assent to the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, extended both to truths which are solemnly defined ex cathedra, and to all the acts of the ordinary magisterium.

Since early times, the Roman Church has had a special commemoration of the primatial authority of Saint Peter. As witness one of the most renowned of the Apostolic Fathers, the Roman See has always held a peculiar place in the affection and obedience of orthodox believers because of its “presiding in love” and service over all the Churches of God.

We shall find in the Gospel that Jesus Christ, willing to begin the mystery of unity in His Church, among all His disciples chose twelve; but that, willing to consummate the mystery of unity in the same Church, among the twelve He chose one. He called His disciples, said the Gospel; here are all; and among them He chose twelve. Here is the first separation, and the Apostles chosen. And these are the names of the twelve Apostles: the first, Simon, who is called Peter. [Mt. 10, 1-2] Here, in a second separation, St. Peter is set at the head, and called for that reason by the name of Peter, ‘which Jesus Christ,’ says St. Mark, ‘had given him,’ in order to prepare, as you will see, the work which He was proposing to raise all His building on that stone.

All this is yet but a beginning of the mystery of unity. Jesus Christ, in beginning it, still spoke to many: Go, preach; I send you [see Mt. 28, 19]. Now, when He would put the last hand to the mystery of unity, He speaks no longer to many: He marks out Peter personally, and by the new name which He has given him. It is One who speaks to one: Jesus Christ the Son of God to Simon son of Jonas; Jesus Christ, who is the true Stone, strong of Himself, to Simon, who is only the stone by the strength which Jesus Christ imparts to him. It is to him that Christ speaks, and in speaking acts on him, and stamps upon him His own immovableness. And I, He says, say to you, you are Peter; and, He adds, upon this rock I will build my Church, and, He concludes, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [Mt. 16, 18] To prepare him for that honor Jesus Christ, who knows that faith in Himself is the foundation of His Church, inspires Peter with a faith worthy to be the foundation of that admirable building. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. [Mt. 16, 16] By that bold preaching of the faith he draws to himself the inviolable promise which makes him the foundation of the Church.

It was, then, clearly the design of Jesus Christ to put first in one alone, what afterwards He meant to put in several; but the sequence does not reverse the beginning, nor the first lose his place. That first word, Whatsoever you shall bind, said to one alone, has already ranged under his power each one of those to whom shall be said, Whatsoever you shall remit; for the promises of Jesus Christ, as well as His gift, are without repentance; and what is once given indefinitely and universally is irrevocable. Besides, that power given to several carries its restriction in its division, while power given to one alone, and over all, and without exception, carries with it plenitude, and, not having to be divided with any other, it has no bounds save those which its terms convey.

Excerpted from The See of Saint Peter by Jacques Bossuet.