Cathedral Pastoral Team members (front): Annette, Rita and Anna; (back): Matthew, Iason, Giordano, Fr Dean and Steve. (Fr Claude is absent, on holidays). My current home in Victoria BC is at 740 View St, at the heart of downtown, just a half mile from the picturesque Inner Harbour (Google it!), dominated by the BC government building. I live in the rectory, a three-storey complex of apartments and offices, attached to St Andrew’s Cathedral.
Rectory
This rectory was re-fitted about 20 years ago, to withstand earthquakes; fortunately the building hasn’t been tested by any seismic event recently. The upper storeys contain priests’ apartments, each with a bedroom and bathroom, and a study space, with a fridge for cool drinks. There is also a communal kitchen in which we individually prepare meals, with a tv room attached. Two other priests live here with me; Fr Sean Flynn, the chaplain to Catholics in all Victoria’s hospitals, and Fr Claude Makulu, the Norbertine assistant priest.
Downstairs is an elaborate office complex, in which each member of the cathedral staff has their own space, along with numerous meeting rooms and kitchen facilities, linked via the sacristy to the cathedral proper, the focus of all our work.
We begin and end with prayer, knowing everything fails without divine help”
The cathedral’s pastoral team meets weekly here, at 8.30am on Wednesday mornings; Fr Dean Henderson, the cathedral Rector, chairs each gathering. The format of each meeting is identical. First, every person speaks about how life is for them, their health, family, holidays etc; to help us catch up with each other. Then each team member details the week ahead, plans are shared and arrangements for cooperation made firm. We begin and end with prayer, knowing everything fails without divine help.
Members
These are the members of the cathedral’s pastoral team (see photo):
Rita is the Office Manager and organiser of the whole plant, making sure the cathedral has the supplies it needs, keeping ministry rotas in check and managing the rectory building as well as the church;
Anna, her recently-appointed assistant, staffs the reception desk, answers the rectory front door and phone, and helps in the administration work;
Matthew, the parish’s fulltime pastoral assistant, coordinates all the sacramental and catechetical programmes and ensures the liturgies run smoothly. He delivers the announcements at the end of Sunday Mass, making sure parishioners know what’s happening in this way and through the weekly bulletin which he edits. The cathedral parish doesn’t have a school, so those who wish to be Confirmed must enrol and participate in preparation classes at the cathedral; these form part of Matthew’s work also. [Because the order of sacraments is reversed in this diocese as in many Canadian dioceses, Confirmation precedes First Communion; in fact most children receive Holy Communion for the first time from the bishop at their Confirmation Mass.]
Fr Dean, our rector, coordinates all, celebrates the main liturgies with energy and good humour and keeps all his team on track”
Annette coordinates pastoral ministry. Working under the ‘Respect Life’ heading, her work supports women considering abortion as well as families tempted by physician-assisted euthanasia. Once a month, intercessory prayer opportunities are offered after Mass, which people experiencing trauma deeply appreciate; Annette coordinates this ministry also;
Iason is the cathedral’s recently-appointed Music director. As organist, he directs the cathedral choir on the balcony at the 11am Sunday Mass; at other times he plays the grand piano beside the altar, leading the singing at weddings and funerals also, and for the numerous diocesan liturgies based at the cathedral.
Giordano works with teenagers and builds community among them in group gatherings and other activities;
Steve is the cathedral’s custodian (janitor).
And Fr Dean, our rector, coordinates all, celebrates the main liturgies with energy and good humour and keeps all his team on track. More about Fr Dean later (and his wife Linda, and their family)…..
Questions or comments welcomed by Fr Bernard Cotter, 740 View St, Victoria, BC V8W 1J8, Canada, or email BCinBC26@gmail.com.