Nov. 30, 2009
Dear Athletes and Participants of the 2010 Winter
Olympic Games,
Vancouver has been preparing for your
arrival for many years! In addition to opening many
splendid new buildings and dramatically improving
roads and transit, we have also been volunteering to
make this event a success. The Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Vancouver has embraced the theme
of “radical hospitality” for our initiatives; that is, to see
Jesus as both guest and host at these Games.
While you are here, we hope you will
consider visiting one of the Archdiocese’s downtown
hospitality centres for athletes. We are hosting one
at Holy Rosary Cathedral on 646 Richards Street,
and another at our offices on 150 Robson Street,
across from BC Place. We think you will find these
places to be “sanctuaries” while you take a break
from the rigors of competition, and we hope you will
find a common language in the love of Jesus Christ.
During your visit, Christians also begin their
journey on the path towards Easter. I invite all of you
to attend Ash Wednesday Mass on February 17,
2010 at one of our churches and, of course, to
celebrate Sunday Mass with us while you are here.
You can find the locations of our churches and Mass
times on our website: www.rcav.org.
We wish all of you who have come to our
beautiful city a satisfying and rewarding competition
during the 2010 Olympiad but, most of all, we hope
you will experience the “radical hospitality” of
Vancouverites.
With cordial best wishes that the Olympic
Games will draw us all closer together in a spirit of
solidarity and friendship, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend J. Michael Miller, CSB
Archbishop of Vancouver