Purpose & Goals

Purpose & Goals

The Una Voce Canada (UVC)/Vancouver Traditional Mass Society (VTMS) is an association of the lay faithful, formed in accord with Canon 215 of the 1983 New Code of Canon Law, which recognizes the right of the Christian faithful to establish and direct associations which serve charitable or pious purposes or which foster the Christian vocation in the world. This fundamental right of association is further confirmed by Canon 298.1 and 299.1.

The Society was formed on July 13th, 1989 and is incorporated as a charitable society under the laws of the Province of British Columbia.

In October 1995, at the request of Mr. Michael Davies, the VTMS applied and was accepted as a member organization of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce (FIUV), representing Canada.

The purpose of this international organization is detailed in the Objects and the Aims shown below.

Article 1 – The Objects of the International Federation UNA VOCE

1.1 The International Federation UNA VOCE (hereinafter FIUV or the Federation), founded in Rome on 12th April 1966, has the following Objects:

  1. To offer a structured link to the various autonomous associations which pursue aims identical with or similar to those of the UNA VOCE Movement;

  1. To represent their common interests on an international level and with the central authorities of the Church;

  1. To be a means of communication, exchange and information between the Members of the Federation and to assist in their development;

  1. To provide evaluations and reports on new liturgical legislation and developments;

  1. To promote the formation of autonomous associations having the same Aims in any country or territory where such associations do not yet exist.

Article 2 – The Aims of the UNA VOCE Movement

2.1 The International Federation UNA VOCE has the following aims:

  1. To work as a lay movement within the Church for an organic restoration of the Liturgy in conformity with its nature and with the Latin tradition;

  1. To work to ensure that the traditional Roman Mass as codified in the Missale Romanum edited by Pope John XXIII is maintained – both in practice and in law – as one of the forms of Eucharistic celebration which are recognised and honoured in the universal liturgical life of the Church;

  1. To work to obtain freedom of use for all other Roman liturgical books enshrining previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition;

  1. To safeguard and promote the use of Latin, Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony in the Liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church;

  1. Actively to encourage the establishment of non-territorial parishes and/or chaplaincies in which only the liturgical books used in 1962 are employed;

  1. To serve the Church by helping the members of the movement and, through their apostolate, and all the Christian faithful better to understand, and more fruitfully to participate in, the Catholic Liturgy as a sacred action founded upon the principle Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi est.

As a member organization of Una Voce International, we work to support the aims of the Una Voce Movement.

Una Voce Canada, besides the above, also:

  1. seeks to raise interest and to educate people about the history, spirituality and theology of the Traditional Latin Mass. To this end we run an introductory class on the Mass, which takes place on the first Sunday of each month;

  1. produces a bimonthly newsletter and a separate bimonthly online publication that educates and keeps our members informed about various aspects of traditional Catholicism;

  1. financially supports seminarians in traditional orders such as the Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri (F.S.S.P.) and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICRSS)

  1. for 2021 will have 500 Masses said every  for the following intentions:

    • 300 for the relief and release of the Holy Souls in Purgatory;

    • 24 for the final perseverance of parishioners and their families of all Canadian TLM communities, and the return to the Church of any who have left;

    • 52 for those enrolled in the St. Monica Society, for their conversion or return to the Catholic faith;

    • 100 for the final perseverance of our benefactors UVC/VTMS members and their families and the return to the Church of any who have left;

    • 12 for the Priests and Seminarians of the FSSP  and ICKSP, and;

    • 12 for the establishment of the traditional Mass in all dioceses of Canada.

  1. works across Canada to establish Una Voce Chapters and to help them get access to the EF of the Mass. To this end we also petition PCED on their behalf when and if necessary. Our model for any diocese would be the establishment of a personal parish whenever possible;

  1. maintains the unavocecanada.org website;

  1. runs various fundraisers such as monthly book sales, Gaudete raffles and silent auctions and fundraises on CanadaHelps.org