Precursor On 24 July 1846, the
Diocese of Vancouver Island was erected on territory split off from the
Apostolic Vicariate of Oregon (based in the US
Oregon Territory; now
Diocese of Victoria).
Oblates of Mary Immaculate years On 14 December 1863, the
Apostolic Vicariate of British Columbia was erected on territory split off from the Diocese of Vancouver Island. A French priest, Louis-Joseph D'Herbomez, from the
Oblates of Mary Immaculate, became the first vicar apostolic of the newly formed territory. He was soon ordained
Titular Bishop of
Miletopolis in 1864 and served the Catholic community until his death in 1890. On 2 September 1890, the pre-diocesan Apostolic Vicariate of British Columbia becomes the
Diocese of New Westminster. Another Oblate of Mary Immaculate French bishop, Pierre-Paul Durieu, took over the responsibilities and served the community until his death in 1899. On July 27, 1894, during his tenure, the US
Territory of Alaska was lost in the creation of the
Apostolic Prefecture of Alaska. Another French bishop, Augustin Dontenwill, took governance of the Diocese of New Westminster in 1899 and served the community until he resigned, to become the
superior general of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, in 1908. Under his tenure the Holy Rosary Church was commissioned.
Under the Archdiocese of Victoria In 1903, the Diocese of Vancouver Island was elevated to
Archdiocese of Vancouver Island and in 1904, it was renamed as the
Archdiocese of Victoria. A German-born bishop, Bertram Orth, was appointed archbishop in 1903 and led the Archdiocese of Victoria and its suffrages until he resigned in 1908. On 19 September 1908, the Diocese of New Westminster was elevated to the
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vancouver Archdiocesan synod The archdiocese concluded a nine-year
synod in December 2006. Lay and religious representatives from every parish, Catholic school, religious community, the local seminary, and Catholic organizations took part, as well as non-Catholic observers who were invited to the process. Although it formally ran from October 2002 to October 2003, extensive preparation went into the synod as far back as 1998 during the period leading up to the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. The synod's aim was to bring the Church of Vancouver into the 21st century, from the “maintenance” mode it was in to more of a mission-driven model, as former archbishop emeritus
Adam Exner, OMI, put it. On December 3, 2006, at Holy Rosary Cathedral, Archbishop
Raymond Roussin officially declared the synod closed, officially setting in motion the initiatives proposed. According to the archdiocesan newspaper
The B.C. Catholic, the first 20 declarations from the synod were to come into effect almost immediately. "Among the highlights are initiatives to encourage pastors to delegate more duties to the laity, to promote the faith formation of teachers, to initiate an adult faith formation strategy, to establish an office and vicar for evangelization, and to initiate a support group for priests."
Current situation The archdiocese is now working on a significant infrastructure upgrade. This includes upgrades to many churches and schools. The vision is focused on intentionally helping people experience God's merciful love through four key ways: Making Every Sunday Matter, Getting Closer to Jesus, Strengthening Marriages and Families, and Developing Parish Leadership and Support. The Archdiocese of Vancouver is considered to be among the most conservative of Canada.
Indigenous relations In 2013, the Archdiocese of Vancouver issued an Expression of Apology and Hope to the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada over its role in implementing the Canadian government's residential schools system. All records held by the Archdiocese of Vancouver regarding residential schools were submitted to the TRC, and they remain available for review. The TRC approved of the submission made by the Archdiocese, and
Archbishop Michael Miller addressed the Commission in September 2013 at the
Pacific Coliseum. In June 2015, the archdiocese repeated its "sincere and heartfert apology for the role that the Church played in the federal government's policy which involved forcibly separating children from their families and placing them in residential schools". In June 2021, the Archdiocese issued a formal apology to First Nations over its role in the genocidal residential schools system, with Archbishop
J. Michael Miller stating that "the Church was unquestionably wrong in implementing a government colonialist policy which resulted in devastation for children, families and communities."
Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Vancouver have worked with local Indigenous leaders to build bridges to a deeper understanding of history and a clearer path towards reconciliation. Following the TRC Calls to Action, Points 61.1 to 61.5, the Archdiocese of Vancouver is involved in projects honouring Indigenous art, music, and language preservation and revitalization, and looks forward to more opportunities to create understanding, empathy, and respect. In February 2022, the Archdiocese of Vancouver pledged $2.5 million over five years to the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund, which seeks to support projects that are determined locally, in collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit partners. Funds will be focused on projects and programs that respond to the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action #60, 61, and 73–76, which called for healing and reconciliation for communities and families, survivor-directed work related to cemetery sites of former residential schools, and language, culture, education, and community support. In 2019, the Archdiocese of Vancouver released a Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse, with 31 recommendations and responses. The report publicly named nine clergymen who were criminally convicted of sexual abuse or who had civil lawsuits related to abuse settled against them. It was also acknowledged that the archdiocese was aware of 36 sex abuse cases since the 1950s, which involved 26 children. The lead plaintiff, identified only by the initials K.S. in the court documents, said the priest in charge of St. Francis of Assisi School, Father Michael Conaghan, sexually assaulted her while she was a student at the school in the '80s. The three priests named were also not previously listed on the Archdiocese of Vancouver's credibly accused list. == Coat of arms ==