Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

Very nice church. Very big with a huge dome. Interior is decorated with colorful icons and paintings. Very peaceful atmosphere. It is located only a couple of blocks or so from the City Hall. When walking back to the Broadway-City-Hall" sky-train station you get phenomenal views of the city. Enjoy your visit. God Bless."

It's brings you closer to reality.

September 9th, 2018, we attended Mass at this local Ukrainian Church because Alex’s ancestors come from this area and we wanted to listen to the language, intermingle with Ukrainians and follow their traditions.We were invited to their annual picnic.We were welcomed to the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Vancouver, BC by the Deacon who was showing the Church to an invited Montreal Priest who gave the Mass.We were wearing Montreal T-Shirts so the Priest stopped and said how coincidental that we were all visiting.St. Mary’s is a  church in the Byzantine Rite. The Parish is part of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster.The Byzantine Rite is the Greek Rite or Constantinopolitan Rite, is the liturgical rite used by the Eastern Orthodox Church, originally developed and used in Greek language and later translated into local languages in many parts of Eastern Europe.The rite consists of the divine liturgies, canonical hours, forms for the administration of sacred mysteries which are the sacraments and the numerous prayers, blessings and exorcisms developed by the Church of Constantinople.The Church architecture, icons, liturgical music, vestments and traditions have evolved over centuries in the Eastern Orthodox Church. For example, the congregation stands throughout the service, and an iconostasis –a wall of religious paintings and icons- separates the sanctuary from the nave of the Church.The faithful are very active in their worship, making frequent bows and prostrations, and feeling free to move about the temple.Actually, a member of the congregation came over and gave us the translation of their readings, sitting next to us to point us to the right pages. A most welcoming environment.The tradition of the Church of Constantinople ascribes the older of the two main Divine Liturgies to St. Basil the Great –pictured here- whose goal was to streamline services to make them more cohesive and attractive to the faithful.Our favorite part of this mass style was the fact that the choir / faithful… join in song throughout the hour, chanting almost all readings!St. Basil followed the Apostolic Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, a collection of treatises on moral conduct, liturgy and Church organization.Charismata… or the extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit is key during the Mass.

So much for a welcoming Catholic/Christian environment. Just moved in town from Australia and kindly asked if they had a perpetual adoration chapel or if they have a chapel that’s opened to the public during regular hours. Very intimidating and rude office administrator addressed my questions in a dismissive manner.The photos sure do look nice though. Probably another under utilised/watered down parish fallen to the left and only opened for aesthetic purposes.Hoping to find a community that celebrates the traditional Latin Mass.

I called yesterday asking if I could meet a pastor because I am depressed and I need to get closer to God. I thought talking with a pastor could be a great option. But then when I arrived the doors are closed so I call and they transfer me to the pastor: I have never faced someone that rude to me. He asked me why I was here and I could hear him whispering over the phone and saying oh dear..."

The caretaker? (older stocky white man) was extremely rude for no reason, and after reading other reviews it sounds like this is far from an isolated incident. Not somewhere I would go or recommend as a positive part of the community.

Breathtaking interior!One of the members helped us understand the writings and spent half an hour explaining the story behind the pictures for us.It was a great experience.

Was roller skating in the parking lot with a couple friends and a man came out of the church and rudely asked us to leave. We asked why and he wouldn’t look at us and just shouted for us to leave again. There was a big empty parking lot but a few women roller skating was threatening to the church apparently. The way the man spoke to us seemed against what the church should be about, not to mention we weren’t bothering anyone! I understand if he wanted us to leave and we did but it was no reason to be rude. Is this how you want your church portrayed to the community?

I was shocked how rude and nervous priests monk was when I ask to open the church to pray inside. Why the church is closed, in the first place ? What do the Basilian Fathers, who are in charge of the church and Parish, do after morning liturgy whole day? The priest, Fr. Joseph Pidskalny, OSBM, demanded to know his how do I know his last name!!!! He is mental because his name can be found on the Internet and Parish website and church catalogue! Doesn't he know that as a priest he is a public person? His pics and contact information are public! Idiot priest! Anyway, he was dressed casual and run inside his residence denying my request to pray inside the church and receive the sacraments. I traveled thousands of kilometers to visit that church! It is not surprising that Parish membership is declining. Instead, Koreans opened its mission in the church to serve Koreans inside the church Ukrainians built for the Ukrainian like me. I hope his boss, Bishop Ken Nowakowski will read this post and take some disciplinary actions against this rude and nervous priests monk. Shame to bishop who hired that priest, too!

school and senior home community area all around this beautiful church