History

Historic Timeline for Traditional Catholics in the Archdiocese of Vancouver in the Province of British Columbia in Canada

1970 – 1979
1970’s: Fr. Normandin begins to say the traditional Mass exclusively. He is forced out of his diocese and travels in North America to offer the Mass.

1975

14th May Fr. Normandin begins to say the traditional Mass exclusively;

Late 70’s possibly early 80’s traveling priests such as Fr. Normandin offer traditional Mass in Vancouver.

1980 – 1989
Conservative priests in the Vancouver Archdiocese such as Fr. Neilson at St. Pius X Parish begins using some Latin in the Novus Ordo Masses.

In the mid 80s, he and three other priests left to form an Oratory in Ottawa.

Msgr. Newman, at St. Michael Parish, begins offering a Sunday Novus Ordo Latin Mass for our community.

1988: 2nd July: the Motu proprio Ecclesiae Dei was proclaimed by Pope John Paul II on 2nd July 1988 and shortly thereafter we decided to form a society of traditional Catholics to obtain access to the traditional Latin Mass. Almost all of the individuals involved at this time were familiar with the Mass, having attended it prior to 1962.

1989: A letter writing campaign was undertaken requesting access to the Mass.

23rd May: Abp. James F. Carney sent us a letter informing us that he had completed arrangements with Reverend Joseph Favotto, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in New Westminster to celebrate Mass according to the 1962 Missal.

4th June: the first Traditional Mass, authorised by Archbishop Carney, was held at Holy Spirit Parish.

13th July: Vancouver Traditional Mass Society (VTMS) formally receives incorporation documents incorporating it as a Charity under the laws of British Columbia.

1990 – 1999

1990: Since the original Una Voce Canada organization based in Ottawa was terminating, the VTMS made the decision to affiliate with Mr. Bob Opell President of the Traditional Mass Society, headquartered in San Juan Capistrano. A few years later this affiliation came to an end.

1995: Mr. Michael Davies president of Una Voce International (FIUV) visited us in Vancouver on many occasions and since Una Voce International had no representation in Canada, Michael asked us to become a member of FIUV and represent Canada;

30th Sept: Summary of Activities 1989 to Sept. 1990

21st October: VTMS was accepted at the request and recommendation of Mr. Michael Davies, as a member of the Una Voce International, at the XII Statutory General Assembly held in Rome. This means that as of this date Canada was officially back in the Federation and the VTMS became their official representatives in Canada.

1997

14th Oct.: Dr Borghild Krane RIP

1998

 7th February: Archbishop Adam Exner, OMI visited and preached the sermon at Holy Spirit Church Abp. Adam Exner attends Holy Spirit;

28th March  Bishop Timlin bestowed upon Christopher Blust, one of the Seminarians we support, the orders of exorcist and acolyte;

June: Michael Davies president of FIUV keeps in touch and relates ‘An important statement. Cardinal Medina Estevez, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments’;

27th June: Fr. Philip Creurer, a seminarian born in Kelowna, who had practiced law in Vancouver, will be ordained, in Ottawa, this month;

5th July: Fr. Philip Creurer, FSSP, one of the Seminarians we supported, celebrated his first Mass at Holy Spirit and Bp. Monroe, then Mgr. Monroe, gave the sermon;

26th Sept.: VTMS 10th AGM, Fr. Horgan was our guest speaker;

18 – 29 October: Mr. David Reid represented the VTMS in Rome. This was a Padre Pio pilgrimage which permitted us to attend the Ecclesiae Dei celebrations:

1999

4th April: Fr. Devillers of the FSSP celebrated the Easter Triduum. This was the first Triduum celebrated since the changes introduced in the 60s;

15th April: A letter was sent to Abp. Exner officially thanking him for making the Triduum possible.

March: Urgent request sent out to the entire traditional community to begin a novena to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. If our requests to establish a Quasi Parish are granted we promise them to have a monthly Mass said, for their relief and release, for as long as we exist.

26th July: VTMS formally petitions Abp. Exner for establishment of Quasi Parish with Sacraments in traditional Rite, Priest from FSSP etc.

Sept.: VTMS website online at http://www.vancouvervtms.com and Michael Davies writes “I have just been examining your Website, one of the best that I have ever seen! It certainly ranks with Bill Basile’s.  In Domino, Michael”

9th October: Fr. Richard Trezza celebrated Mass and was the guest speaker at our X AGM;

October: Protocol 1411 VTMS becomes involved;

October: Archbishop Adam Exner was contacted as to the status of our requests and we were informed that they would be considered in Council in November.

1st November: Second petition letter is sent to Abp. Exner for Quasi Parish.

27th Nov.: First traditional Wedding (Jamie Mackey and Lindon Scott Pinkerton) in the Vancouver Archdiocese.

7th December: Despite our information that the Council of Priests opposed the establishment of the Quasi Parish. Abp. Exner overruled the Council. He requested a meeting with the VTMS. We met with Abp. Exner and all our requests were granted.

2000 – 2009

2000

Jan.: Michael Davies sends Congratulations on obtaining a quasi parish.

March: Preparation begins for quasi parish.

18th April: Fr. Devillers arrives in Vancouver to meet with Abp. Adam Exner and to again celebrates the Easter Triduum for our community.

17th July: VTMS hosts dinner dance, reports on the death of Fr. Gordon who said the traditional Mass in Vancouver in the 70s and submits 3 names to Abp. Adam Exner for quasi parish.

Aug.: VTMS News:

15th September: Fr. Ryan returned to Vancouver to begin his new assignment as Pastor for the Divine Mercy Quasi Parish and Chaplain for the Royal Columbian Hospital.He will be in residence at St. Michael’s parish.

2001

7th January: Divine Mercy Quasi Parish legally established by Abp. Adam Exner.

12th Feb.: BC Catholic ‘Archdiocese Approves ‘Quasi-Parish’.

23rd to 27th Feb.:  Fr. Ryan & Fr. Carr celebrate Mass at Holy Family.

23rd June: VTMS News ‘2001 AGM‘.

9th Aug.: Fr. Christopher Blust celebrates his first mass in Vancouver.

12th Aug.: Traditional Latin Mass in Vancouver mentioned in Hong Kong.

13th Aug.: for the first time in the history of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Community, the Sacrament of Confirmation was administered in the Traditional Rite.

23rd Sept.: It is the 16th Sunday after Pentecost and Fr. Ryan has been with our community for a year. Father,  in his sermon, recaps the year in what he terms as a ‘State of the Union Address’.

26th Sept.: Fr. Ryan was invited to offer the traditional Mass at St. Pius X in North Vancouver and give a talk on the Old Mass. The occasion was a complete success and brought back many happy memories to those of us who were parishioners when Fr. Neilson was there. Congratulations to Timothy and Peter, our Altar Servers, for a job well done.

13th Oct.: VTMS Attends Una Voce International XV Statutory General Assembly in Rome.

25th Dec.: Our Parish celebrated the first Mass Of Christmas at 19:30 on Christmas Eve as this was the only slot open for us. To our delight and surprise Fr. Ryan had arranged a Solemn High Mass with himself, Fr. Ashley and Joseph Orlowski as deacon.  We wish to thank Mark Donnelly and the Choir for doing a wonderful job.

2002

20th July: This is the second time that Confirmation in the Traditional Rite has been held for members of the Divine Mercy Quasi Parish. Fr. Ryan administered the Sacrament to four members of our Parish on 20th July, 2002.

2003

  27th March – 2nd April : Bishop Fernando Arêas Rifan from Campos in Brazil visited Vancouver at the invitation of the traditional Catholic community. While in Vancouver he celebrated a Pontifical High Mass at Holy Rosary Cathedral the first since the early 60s. He attended a formal dinner at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Hall and was in attendance at our Sunday Mass celebrated at Our Lady of Fatima. On Monday he conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation.

11th – 12th October: FIUV XVI Statutory General Assembly

16th November: VTMS XIV Annual General Meeting

2004

25th January: Divine Mercy Parish starts a second Sunday Mass in Aldergrove.

16th Feb.: Calgary contacts Una Voce Canada wishing to become an Una Voce Chapter.

History by Richard Parks

12th June: Fr. Erik Deprey FSSP (ordained in April) says his first Mass, with Fr. Charles Ryan FSSP (parish priest of the Divine Mercy quasi parish in Vancouver) as assistant, in Creston which is in the Kootenay Diocese in BC Canada. Most of the board of directors of Una Voce Canada drove to Creston and attended Fr. Deprey’s first Mass in Canada. Tridentine Mass Celebrated At Creston, B.C. Canada

25th Sept.: Michael Davies RIP

5th Nov.: Mrs. Moira Garneau RIP

21st Nov.: The Vancouver Traditional Mass Society Annual General Meeting took place in Holy Spirit’s Church hall. At this point in time we are sill Divine Mercy quasi parish. The guest speaker was Fr. Arnaud Devillers Superior General of the F.S.S.P. who spoke about the history of the FSSP and its worldwide growth.

See VTMS XV Annual General Meeting for further details

27th Nov.: Most Reverend Adam Exner, OMI Archbishop Emeritus of Vancouver has agreed to ordain an F.S.S.P. seminarian, from our Divine Mercy Quasi Parish, in the Traditional Rite of Ordination. The Ordination will take place at the Holy Rosary Cathedral. This is a great and another historic first for British Columbia Canada and we wish to express our deep gratitude to our Archbishop who is certainly looking after his flock of Traditional Catholics.

2005

29th April: We mourn the loss of the founding president of FIUV Dr. Eric de Saventhem.

May-June: Issue of ‘The Traditional Mass Newsletter’ produced by Una Voce Canada (Vancouver Traditional Mass Society)

8th & 9th Oct.: Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce XVII General Assembly
13th Nov.: VTMS XVI AGM, Trip To Calgary – Gaudete Sunday

2006

January – February: Issue of ‘The Traditional Mass Newsletter’ produced by Una Voce Canada (Vancouver Traditional Mass Society)

March – April: Issue of ‘The Traditional Mass Newsletter’ produced by Una Voce Canada (Vancouver Traditional Mass Society)

2007

25th Feb.:  The Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society was held in Holy Spirit Hall on Sunday 25th Feb., following the 12:30 High Mass of Divine Mercy quasi Parish. The guest speaker was Prof. J.P. Oostveen President of the International Federation Una Voce.

Follow the link to view the article:

Vancouver Traditional Mass Society XVII AGM

May – Aug.: Issue of ‘The Traditional Mass Newsletter’ produced by Una Voce Canada (Vancouver Traditional Mass Society) motu proprio issued on 7/7/7

Sept. – Dec.: Issue of ‘The Traditional Mass Newsletter’ produced by Una Voce Canada (Vancouver Traditional Mass Society) motu proprio issued on 7/7/7

  • Fr. Kenneth Baker Summorum Pontificum And The Future Of The Liturgy
  • Dr. John Rao The Freed Mass, the Formless Society and the Second Front

26th Aug.: Divine Mercy Parish Picnic

10th – 11th Nov.: FIUV XVIII Statutory General Assembly – Rome

2008

4th June: Decree of Establishment. Holy Family personal parish was established by Most Reverend Raymond Roussin SM Archbishop of Vancouver. From the document:

I hereby decree as follows:
For the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls, by virtue of my pastoral office, I do hereby establish canonically a personal parish (canon 515, §1) to be known as ‘Holy Family Parish’, to serve the faithful of the Archdiocese of Vancouver who remain attached to the Roman Missal promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962.

29th June: This year the Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society, also known as Una Voce Canada, will be held in Holy Spirit Hall following the Divine Mercy Parish High Mass. Mr. Jim Bemis, a writer and enthusiastic promoter of tradition as well as a regular contributor to the Latin Mass Magazine, will be traveling from California to be this year’s guest speaker. He is currently writing a series of articles on and will be speaking about the crisis of Faith and the state of the Church in Europe. His talk will follow a short business meeting and the annual election of members of the Executive Committee.
Follow the links:

1st July: The Feast of the Precious Blood, was our first Mass as Holy Family Parish. The celebrant was our rector, Father Erik Deprey FSSP; the deacon was long-time friend and supporter of the Vancouver traditional Catholic community Father William Ashley; and the subdeacon was Father Daniel Geddes FSSP, who is joining Fr Deprey at Holy Family as assistant.

Follow the links for more information:

8th Nov.: This was an eventful year for the traditional Catholics in the Archdiocese of Vancouver in BC Canada. On 4th June  Holy Family personal parish was established by Most Reverend Raymond Roussin SM Archbishop of Vancouver  (Decree of Establishment) and on 29th June the Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society, also known as Una Voce Canada, was held in Holy Spirit Hall following the Divine Mercy Parish High Mass. Mr. Jim Bemis, a writer and enthusiastic promoter of tradition as well as a regular contributor to the Latin Mass Magazine.

1st July: the Feast of the Precious Blood, we held our first Mass as Holy Family Parish and now in the video below we have Fr. Bisig the Superior General of the FSSP visiting us:

2009

13th Dec.: The Annual General Meeting of Una Voce Canada also known as the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society was held at Holy Gamily Church, which is a personal parish of the FSSP, in the Archdiocese of Vancouver in BC Canada, exclusively celebrating the Mass of the Ages. The guest speaker this year was Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, creator of the blog What Does The Prayer Really Say.

Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s Mass

Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s Sermon at Mass

Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s Talk at AGM

2010 – 2019

2010

17th Oct: This year the Annual General Meeting of Una Voce Canada was held at the Vancouver Alpen Club following the 10:30 a.m. High Mass. This year’s guest speaker will be Mr. Michael Matt, editor and publisher of The Remnant Catholic newspaper, which was founded by his father in 1967. While Mr. Matt is a published author, columnist, lecturer, and co-founder of FACT (Federated Association of Catholic Traditionalists), he considers his most important roles in life as those of husband and a father of six.

22nd Nov.: Video of the installation of new altars to replace the previous ones at Holy Family personal parish in the Archdiocese of Vancouver in BC Canada

28th Dec.: Archbishop Miller visited Holy Family to perform the Consecration_of_new_altar_stone for our new High Altar

2011

5th – 6th Nov.: FIUV’s XXth Statutory General Assembly

2012

21st Oct.: Una Voce Canada Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society was held at Holy Family Church, which is a personal parish of the FSSP, in the Archdiocese of Vancouver in BC Canada, exclusively celebrating the Mass of the Ages. The guest speaker this year was Dr. Michael P. Foley, whose topic will be “What the Traditional Latin Mass Can Teach the World.” 

Michael Foley holds a doctorate in Catholic systematic theology and is an associate professor of Patristics in the Great Texts Program at Baylor University in Texas. He has published many scholarly articles as well as more popular pieces that have appeared in periodicals such as First Things and The Latin Mass magazine. He has also edited or authored several books, including ‘Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Friday?’, ‘The Catholic Origin to Just About Everything’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). A southern California native of Irish and French Canadian descent, Dr. Foley now lives in Waco, Texas, with his wife, Alexandra, and their six children. He is the Master of Ceremonies at his local parish for the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass.

Dr. Michael’s Foley’s talk:  ‘What the Traditional Latin Mass Can Teach the World

2014

5th Oct: Vancouver Traditional Mass Society Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society was held at Holy Family Church, which is a personal parish of the FSSP, in the Archdiocese of Vancouver in BC Canada, exclusively celebrating the Mass of the Ages. The guest speaker this year was Christopher J. Malloy Associate Professor of Theology The University of Dallas, Irving, TX. Dr. Malloy will speak on Mary Co-Redemptrix.

 

2015

14th Nov.: This year’s Annual General Meeting of Una Voce Canada, will be held on Saturday, November 14, at approximately 12:00 noon. Please note the change from Sunday, which has been the traditional day for the meeting in the past. We are extremely happy to inform you that Bishop Athanasius Schneider, O.R.C. (Order of the Holy Cross), titular Bishop of Celerina and Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Maria Santissima in Astana, Kazakhstan and President of the Liturgical Commission and General Secretary of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Kazakhstan, has accepted our invitation to be this year’s guest speaker. The topic he will be speaking on is “The unchangeable truth about marriage and family”.

To begin the day on Nov. 14, a Solemn Pontifical High Mass will be celebrated by the Bishop at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Family Parish, the Traditional Roman Rite personal parish of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, co-sponsored by the VTMS, Holy Family Parish and the Knights of Columbus Fr. Kenneth Walker Council at Holy Family.

Please follow the links below for more information:

  1. Pictures
  2. Bp. Schneider Pontifical High Mass
  3. Bp. Schneider guest speaker’ talk
  4. Bp. Schneider Q & A
  5. Bp. Schneider interview by Mr. Clayton Long

2016

1st July: The feast of the Precious Blood and the eighth anniversary of the establishment of Holy Family as a personal parish for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Holy Family pastor Fr. Daniel Geddes, FSSP,  was the celebrant; Fr. Brian McDonnell, FSSP, the deacon; and Fr. Anthony Uy, FSSP, the subdeacon.   Follow the link for more information

12th Nov.: The Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society was held at Holy Family Church, which is a personal parish of the FSSP, exclusively celebrating the Mass of the Ages. The guest speaker this year was the ever prolific author, scholar and professor Dr. Peter A. Kwasniewski,  Wyoming Catholic College.

Follow the links to view: Dr. Kwasniewski’s talk text and as an audio file or  Pictures

2017

11th Nov.: Una Voce Canada (the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society) held its AGM, at Holy Family Parish, a personal parish in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, dedicated to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and in the care of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter since 2008. We were privileged to have as our guest speaker historian and prolific writer Dr. John Rao, professor of history at St. John’s University in New York City and director of the Roman Forum, a Catholic cultural organization founded by the late Professor Dietrich von Hildebrand. We are pleased to present a recording of Dr. Rao’s talk, “My End Is My Beginning: A Historical Guide to Catholic Hope in an Age of Unprecedented Collapse,” and the question-and-answer session that followed.

2018

20-22 July: Una Voce Canada was pleased to be one of the sponsors of the BC Sacred Music Symposium which was held at Sts. Joachim & Ann Parish in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia.

The aim of the BC Sacred Music Symposium is to invite people with a general interest in sacred music, especially those involved in parish music ministry, to come and learn, to experience the riches of the Church’s music tradition, and to be inspired.

30th May: The Society of St. Dominic, a private association of lay faithful in Winnipeg, Manitoba, will confer on His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider its Regina Sacratissimi Rosarii Award for the Fatima centenary. The award will be presented on the Society’s behalf by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski of Wyoming Catholic College at the Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway, Winnipeg.

10th Nov.: Una Voce Canada (the Vancouver Traditional Mass Society) held its 2018 annual general meeting on Saturday, November 10, at Holy Family Parish, a personal parish in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, dedicated to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and in the care of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter since 2008.

We were privileged to have as our guest speaker the renowned scholar Professor Roberto de Mattei, Associate Professor at the European University of Rome until his retirement, and President of the Lepanto Foundation. It is our great pleasure to be able to bring you a recording of his complete talk and the question-and-answer session that followed.

  1. Text of talk
  2. Audio