Living Hope Newsletter – Summer 2025

Picture Of the Sacred Heart Parish building with a tall steeple and cross on top, located at the corner of a street. Several cars are parked along the street, and trees surround the area. A signboard is positioned in front of the church.

Claretians Sow Seeds of Hope in Vancouver, British Columbia

The Claretian Missionary dedication to a dynamic and inclusive approach to ministry, deeply rooted in the charisms of their founder, St. Anthony Mary Claret, makes them well-equipped to go “where the need is greatest.” In 2024, they embarked on a new effort in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Catholics are many in number but struggle with connection and alienation, fiscal needs, and a host of other social problems. In keeping with the Claretian commitment to justice, peace, and the transformative power of the Gospel in action, the team immediately rolled up their sleeves to address the very real needs they encountered.

As “Servants of the Word,” the Claretian mission includes an inherent call to engage with underserved communities to assess, and address, the greatest needs. That includes living among the populations where Claretians serve and joining them in life’s journey. This foundational spirit from St. Claret guides Claretian endeavors in diverse urban centers such as Vancouver, where multiculturalism and social challenges meet.

A small but mighty team of dedicated Claretian priests arrived last year with a shared purpose to serve some of the most vulnerable communities in the Archdiocese. Fr. Ray Smith oversees Sacred Heart Parish, and Frs. Lukose Kochupurackal and Arthur Gramaje oversee nearby Christ the Redeemer Parish. Fr. Tony Diaz serves as Superior of the Claretian community in Vancouver and is a part of Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver. Their collective efforts aim to create communities rooted in compassion, learning, and dialogue. Their ministries are as diverse as the city itself, encompassing everything from service-oriented programming and faith formation to community building and education.

Interior view of the Sacred Heart church during a service, showing many people standing in pews facing towards an altar at the front. The church has high vaulted ceilings with ornate arches and columns.

A Confluence of Cultures and Needs

Vancouver, with its vibrant, diverse tapestry and underlying social challenges, offers fertile ground for the Claretians to manifest the charisms of the congregation. Amid the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver grapples with homelessness, immigration issues, and the need for intercultural dialogue and understanding. As communities here face these many issues, Vancouver’s largely Catholic population faces its own crises of faith, as engagement with the sacraments (Mass, marriage, confirmation) is declining along with a growing need for parish renewal.

Fr. Ray’s many years working in overseas missionsin Indonesia and the Philippines, then serving in campus ministry, vocation promotion, and parish administration provided him with the right mix of gifts to help invigorate Sacred Heart, a church at the heart of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. His heart for multicultural communities, Hispanic ministry and scripture, as well as his many years working with young people gave him immediate insights for ways to inspire community engagement and spiritual renewal in a population that struggles with scarcity on many levels, including the challenges of an open-air drug crisis. Fr. Ray started his work in a manner that is hard to resist: he initiated listening sessions with parishioners that culminated in a parish-wide retreat (delving into the life and mission of St. Anthony Claret). From there, ideas for ways to re-engage and serve grew from the shared vision of the parishioners and its leaders together.

group of people sit in chairs arranged in rows inside a room, facing a person standing at the front who is giving a presentation using a projection screen. The room has posters and framed pictures on the walls, along with shelves containing books and decorations.

One of the most notable initiatives since Fr. Ray arrived is formation of a vibrant Hispanic ministry. Many of the large Spanish-speaking community here are students studying English or pursuing academic degrees; others are working and making Vancouver their permanent home. Introducing Spanish-language mass and other outreach in Spanish created an immediate influx of people who now felt more at home in a church that engaged with them where they are, in their language and cultural rootedness. “We added Spanish Mass, and that nearly doubled the size of the parish,” says Fr. Ray. “We also went from zero to two youth groups, one in English, one in Spanish,” he adds. “I wasn’t able to get kids to come at all at my last parish!”

What began with a Mass celebrating the Independence of Mexico, Central America, and Chile at Sacred Heart Parish has flourished into a thriving Sagrado Corazón community. This ministry, first established to relieve the burden on the neighboring cathedral’s Hispanic outreach, has expanded rapidly, growing exponentially in just a few months. Devotion to St. Jude, an integral part of the Claretian mission with their National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago, is blossoming in Vancouver as well, with regular bilingual masses devoted to St. Jude. Fr. Ray’s own vocation began at the National Shrine, where he first encountered the Claretians. It was there that he prayed for guidance, and it was St. Jude who answered. He didn’t waste any time weaving the hope and strength of St. Jude devotion into the fabric of his parish.

That hope extends to the indigenous ministry for First Nation neighbors here. A monthly “Drumming Mass” brings together a good turnout of people. “I know to go slow,” says Fr. Ray. “We are continuing to get some of these folks back, but it needs to be gentle and slow."

A man and Father Ray Smith stand in front of a building's double door entrance. One man wears a jacket while Father Smith, dressed in clerical attire, gestures with his hand. Signs are posted on the doors, including one above that reads 'THE DOOR IS OPEN.

In response to the city’s many challenges, there is Fr. Ray Smith is installed as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, beginning a a wealth of service-oriented organizations in the area, all aiming to provide relief and assistance to neighbors in need. “Sacred Heart Parish is in a poor area,” says Father Ray. “But we have a wealth of ministries here.” Building bridges, and strength in numbers, is a meaningful strategy of Claretian ministries wherever they are in the world. Collaborating with the many organizations and individuals providing help in their communities, the Claretians find positive outcomes— and the ability to get more done for others, together.

Fr. Lukose and Fr. Art also dove directly into a collaboration with parishioners to continue current and create new-fitting ministry programming—along with a warmth that draws the local community in. As one parishioner says, “this place feels like home; everyone is welcoming, no matter the time of day or night.” Another comments, “this Parish is a home, where you know there is somebody out there waiting to show you Christ’s love. This has really helped me to thrive as a Catholic.”

The continuing mission of the Claretian Missionaries in Vancouver is one of hope, solidarity, and transformation. All of the ministries the Claretians undertake are designed to be inclusive, welcoming people of all backgrounds and fostering a spirit of openness and understanding. By drawing from their rich tradition and adapting to contemporary needs, the Claretians and their communities embody the Claretian spirit anew, striving to weave it into the fabric of one of Canada’s most dynamic cities.