Archbishop Visit's St. Mary the Virgin, Vancouver
In today’s world different folks have different relationships with church and churches. Yet a church should be a haven to all who walk through its doors. St. Mary the Virgin in Vancouver works to be exactly that: a place where newcomers to Canada – often migrant workers of some form- find community, belonging and support regardless of where they are in their faith journey. Archbishop John Stephens thanked the parish for being such a haven for the community during his visit to the parish on Sunday, September 7. His visit was also a moment to celebrate the 115th anniversary of the parish.
Following Jesus is not always easy – in scripture Jesus talks about his followers giving up some of the easy shortcuts this world tells us we should take. But as followers of Jesus there are expectations of us as individuals and as a community.
Following those expectations and putting God’s love at the centre of our lives allows incredible things to happen. This can be seen at St Mary’s. The Sunday service presided over by the archbishop highlighted this in many ways.
The service began with the archbishop giving a short children’s talk. About 15 children sat around the archbishop on the steps of the sanctuary as he talked about being part of a family of faith that is wider than the parish.
During the service Archbishop Stephens baptized Nalini, a toddler who is part of the parish community.
Members of Migrante BC were part of the service and the festivities after the service. Migrante BC is a volunteer-led, volunteer-powered, non-profit organization of migrant Filipinos and allies in solidarity. The organization advocates for the rights and welfare of migrant Filipino workers in British Columbia.
While many members of Migrante are also parishioners, not all are. Still, they find their haven at St. Mary’s. Diana Zapata, the Vice-Chairperson of Migrante BC, spoke at the festive gathering after the worship service. Zapata said in April 2025 when a driver drove into a crowd at festival marking Lapu Lapu Day – a day marking a 1521 battle in which a Filipino chief fought off European forces attempting to colonize the island - injuring and killing innocent bystanders, the community found safety and comfort at St. Mary’s. When Filipino migrant workers need support, they come to St. Mary’s where they know they will find support and belonging.
Archbishop Stephens thanked the parish for their openness to the wider community and the way they make the church a haven for all.
You can view a gallery of photos from the archbishop's visit HERE.