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Welcome |
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Anniversaries help us recall the people and events that have played significant roles in leading us to the present day, and they provide an opportunity for us to remember with gratitude those who have helped us along the way. But anniversaries also provide an opportunity for reflection and planning: for looking back, and for planning ahead. They remind us that time is passing and encourage us to re-examine our priorities and commitments. They are a time to pause, to consider what has happened, and to begin making provision for the future. This year, 2003, our parish of Saint Stephen’s in North Vancouver celebrates its fortieth anniversary. As anniversaries of Catholic parishes go, this is not exactly an historic milestone; indeed, it is probably analogous to something like a child’s second birthday. We are a young parish in a young community, but we have a lot to think about, remember, and celebrate. One of the characteristics of our parish community is its mobility. We live in a suburban community with many young families and a high degree of mobility. People move in and move out, some within a very brief period. Relatively few parishioners have lived in the parish for a long time, and many parishioners know little about how the parish got to where it is today.
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Anniversaries, whether of events in
the life of an individual or of a parish community such as Saint Stephen’s,
mark major milestones. They provide an opportunity to commemorate, to honor
the memory of an important event: a birth, a wedding, a graduation, a death,
a new beginning. 