Diocese On-line Marriage Preparation Course

https://www.rcdvictoria.org/marriage-prep

 

December 18, 2025

1) Bishop Gary Gordon has written a message to the people of the Diocese of Victoria on the occasion of Christmas 2025. The message may be read online at: https://www.rcdvictoria.org/news/bishop-gary-gordons-message-for-christmas-2025

​

2) On Sunday, December 28, the Diocese of Victoria will join the worldwide Church in celebrating the Rite of Closing of the Jubilee Year. The Rite of Closing will happen at the 11:00 am Mass at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Victoria, with Bishop Gary Gordon presiding. All are invited to participate in person or via the livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BBauIl-9vo

 

3) We’re getting close to our goal for the 2025 Bishop’s Appeal: Love & Unity campaign—thank you to everyone who has generously donated so far! If you’ve been waiting to give, now is a wonderful time to participate. To receive a 2025 tax receipt, donations must be received by the Diocese before December 31, 2025. To learn more or give online, please visit: https://www.rcdvictoria.org/bishops-appeal

 

4) The recap blog of the 2025 Diocesan Faith Day, held on November 22, 2025, is now available on the Diocesan website. A handout from speaker Dr. Erin Barisano on “The Active Silence” can also be found at the bottom of the recap page: https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/faith-days-recap-finding-renewal-through-the-active-silence

 

December 11, 2025

1) Mass times for Christmas and the Solemnity of Mary are now available on the diocesan website. The schedule includes times and locations provided by parishes across the Diocese of Victoria. Please find this list of Mass times here (more Mass times will be added as they become available): https://www.rcdvictoria.org/events/2025-christmas-mass-times 

 

2) In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope declared by Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV gifted 62 cultural artifacts from the Vatican Museums’ Anima Mundi collection to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, for immediate transfer to Indigenous communities in Canada. Learn more about the return of these artifacts: https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/vatican-artifacts-return-to-canada/ 

 

3) The Diocese of Victoria is seeking an Assistant to the Director of Faith Formation and Evangelization. The Assistant will help to carry out the primary mission of the Diocesan Ministry of Faith Formation and Evangelization: as agents of the Bishop of Victoria, serve the People of God to know, celebrate, contemplate, and live the Christian faith in the One Triune God. For more information and how to apply, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/employment. Applications must be received by January 5, 2026.

 

4) All are warmly invited to join Katesismong Pilipino (KP), the Filipino Catechism community of the Catholic Church in Victoria, for Simbang Gabi 2025, held December 15–23 at 7:00 pm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Simbang Gabi, meaning “Night Mass,” is a cherished nine-day devotional tradition celebrated by Filipino Catholics as a joyful preparation for Christmas. Everyone is welcome to come and share in this prayerful and festive season of faith.

​

5) Our next series of online Pastoral Care Outreach Training sessions will be held on Saturday mornings from 9:30 – noon, starting January 24 and running until March 28 (with no session on March 7).  We ask again for your help in promoting the sessions. 

​

November 27, 2025

​1) The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops presents Journey through Advent with the Most Rev. Wayne Lobsinger, Auxilliary Bishop of Hamilton. Follow each week’s reflection on the Scriptures for the Sundays of Advent 2025: https://www.cccb.ca/evangelization-catechesis-catholic-education/video-resources/journey-through-advent/ ​

​

November 13, 2025

1) Registration is now open for the annual Diocese of Victoria Camp Homewood Retreat, taking place from January 30 to February 1, 2026, at Camp Homewood on Quadra Island. Youth in grades 7–12 are invited to register for this weekend retreat. This year's theme is "Blessed Are You." The cost is $195 per participant, which includes all food, accommodation, and activities. Please register at: https://camp-homewood-2025.eventbrite.ca. For more information, please contact: stpatrickhw@gmail.com  

 

2) The Diocese of Victoria Health Care Committee has released two resources for families before and after a loved one dies and enters eternal life. A limited number of copies will soon be available at your parish offices upon request. Digital and downloadable copies of the A Catholic Perspective: What Family Members Need to Know Before and After a Loved One Enters Eternal Life resources are available on the Diocesan website here: https://www.rcdvictoria.org/care-of-the-dying ​

​

October 23, 2025

1) Rachel’s Vineyard on Vancouver Island offers safe and confidential retreats for women and men seeking healing and peace after abortion. To learn more, please email rachelsvineyardvancouverisland@gmail.com or visit https://www.rachelsvineyardvanisland.org/ ​

​​

October 16, 2025

1) On 9 October 2025, Pope Leo XIV released his first Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), a reflection on the Church’s call to care for the poor. In this document, Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to recognize the love of Christ made visible through love for the poor—by caring for the sick, opposing slavery, defending women who face exclusion and violence, ensuring access to education, accompanying migrants, practicing generous charity, and working for equality in all its forms. Read the full Dilexi te here: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html 

 

Read Pope Leo XIV’s accompanying letter to the Bishops of the world here: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/10/09/251009i.html ​​​​​

​​

May 8, 2025

We rejoice in the announcement of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, who has been chosen to lead the Catholic Church as the Successor of St. Peter. 

 

Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, was elected the 267th pope on May 8, 2025. He now takes on the sacred responsibility of shepherding the faithful around the world.

 

Please keep Pope Leo XIV in your prayers as he begins his ministry, asking the Holy Spirit to guide him with wisdom, compassion, and courage. May his papacy be blessed with peace and unity for the Church and the world.​

​

February 20, 2025

1) The Catholic Bishops of British Columbia have released a Pastoral Letter on Catholic Schools that highlights Catholic education's key role in evangelization and whole-person formation. It calls for Catholic schools to maintain their identity, integrate faith with learning, and work with families, educators, and pastors to build a Christ-centred community serving both students and society. The letter may be read online at: https://www.rcdvictoria.org/news/pastoral-letter-on-catholic-schools

2) The Vatican has released Antiqua et Nova, a document on the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence. It highlights the distinction between AI and human intelligence and calls for ethical guidelines to ensure AI respects human dignity and serves the common good. To read the full document, please visit:https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20250128_antiqua-et-nova_en.html ​

​

February 13, 2025

The national Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) has released Sacred Fire Stories, a powerful new video highlighting inspiring stories of hope from IRF-funded projects. Watch the video here to see the meaningful impact the IRF is making in Indigenous communities: https://irfund.ca/en/welcome/ 

The first project featured is from our own Diocese—the Michif Language Revitalization Circle (MLRC), which supports Métis in reclaiming self-identity through learning the Michif language. As a reminder, the next application deadline for the local Indigenous Reconciliation Fund is coming up on February 15. For more information and the application package, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/irf or call 250-800-3167​

​

January 30, 2025

On the first anniversary of their Pastoral Letter on social media, “Let Your Speech Always Be Gracious”, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched a video series and resources to explore its pastoral and moral insights. These materials are available for personal or group use and can be found on a new webpage dedicated to the Pastoral Letter: https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/launch-of-video-series-and-resources-for-the-pastoral-letter-on-social-media

​​​

August 17th, 2023

1) A post has just been added to the Diocesan website with photos from our delegation’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2023.  The post can be viewed at https://www.rcdvictoria.org/diocesanblog/world-youth-day-2023.

​

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has released four Pastoral Letters – to the First Nations, the Métis, the Inuit, and the People of God. The Bishops of Canada decided to write these letters after being updated on discussions with Indigenous partners during their plenary meeting last September.  They outline a set of specific commitments which are meant to guide local reconciliation.

These letters can be viewed at: https://www.cccb.ca/indigenous-peoples/that-we-may-walk-together-series-of-pastoral-letters-2023/

​​

Working Towards Freedom: Study guide on human trafficking now available

“Working Toward Freedom” is a new study guide created in response to a call to mission: to reduce the harms of human trafficking in our local communities and uphold the dignity of every child of God.

The guide was developed jointly by the Diocese of Victoria, the Archdiocese of Vancouver, and the Diocese of Saskatchewan. Based on the CCCB's recent Pastoral Letter on Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation in Canada, it delves deeper into the letter and animates it in each specific community's context.  Through prayer and education, the guide leads participants to become more aware of the human trafficking that is occurring in our midst, and helps them learn how to bring to light situations where people may be in danger.  The authors of the guide are Evelyn Vollet, Sr. Nancy Brown, Barbara Renaud, Myron Rogal and Annette Turgeon.

The guide will be launched this month with a one-hour webinar.  All are invited to join and learn more about the guide, either on Thursday, November 24 at 9:00 am PST, or on Saturday, November 26 at 10:00 am PST.  The webinar will provide an overview of each section and recommendations on how to use the guide.  The webinar is free, but advance registration is required at https://form.jotform.com/222704961965262.

Pope Francis describes the Church’s mission as a permanent state that calls us to go to the peripheries of society.  No one is exempt from being able to do something about this horrific crime taking place within our communities.  For more information, please contact Annette Turgeon at tcrmi1@telus.net.

​

April 1, 2022

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has released a statement welcoming the apology made by Pope Francis today in Rome to Indigenous Peoples.  The statement can be read at https://www.rcdvictoria.org/indigenous/canadas-catholic-bishops-welcome-popes-apology-to-indigenous-peoples

​

​

Canadian Reporting System for Sexual Abuse or Cover-Up by a Catholic Bishop

 

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, the Bishops of Canada launched a national, bilingual service for reporting situations of sexual abuse either committed or covered-up by a Bishop.  This service furthers their commitment to responsibility, accountability and transparency in matters of clergy sexual abuse and their commitment to facilitate healing and justice for victims-survivors.

 

Individuals can access the reporting system online (BishopReportingSystem.ca) or by calling toll-free 1-866-892-3737 from anywhere in Canada, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.

 

The reporting system was developed by ClearView Strategic Partners, a Canadian provider of an independent reporting platform.  ClearView’s technology benefits anyone wanting to make such a report by providing them with a secure and confidential platform, allowing them to remain anonymous if they so choose, and ensuring all communications are documented and preserved.

 

The Catholic Bishops of Canada condemn the sin and crime of sexual abuse in the strongest possible terms. No one should ever have to endure the pain, humiliation, and long-term suffering it causes, nor should anyone have to doubt that serious consequences await a perpetrator of sexual abuse or cover-up. With this reporting system, the Bishops make themselves accountable to live with integrity and to address reports of sexual abuse according to Church and civil law. The Church grieves with victim-survivors and profoundly regrets the tremendous harm caused. The Bishops of Canada wish to reach out and accompany victims-survivors along the path that restores justice and promotes healing.

 

Reports of current or historical sexual abuse by any other member of the Diocese of Victoria (clergy, religious, employees or volunteers) may be made by calling 1-800-968-3146.  This number connects to an independent reporting service which can assist in contacting the appropriate authorities and help access counselling services. For more information about Responsible Ministry and Safe Environment in the Diocese of Victoria, please visit https://www.rcdvictoria.org/responsible-ministry.

 

Thank you for your prayers and the support you provide to victim-survivors in the ongoing work of healing.

​

​