About

Frequently Asked Questions



Behold Vancouver is the gathering place or community for Catholics in the Archdiocese of Vancouver. This website and content created here is meant to be an addition to the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s current digital presence. We want to ask questions, explore topics, encourage one another, and gather together. We are a place for the weekly Mass-goer as well as those who may want to ask deeper questions.

The word “behold” in essence suggests pausing and taking stock of the majesty of something, which goes to our core need as Christians and as humans to ask big, deep questions about happiness and the meaning of life. When we behold something beautiful, something stirs inside of us. Our faith is beautiful and majestic, something we can behold and gaze at. Presenting it through Behold in an inviting and welcoming way.

We were inspired by the universal call to missions by Pope Francis.  Our research shows large numbers of weekly churchgoing Catholics have never had a deep encounter with Christ and community. They may wonder if there is more to being a Catholic than going to church on Sunday. Think of Behold as Jesus leaving the 99 sheep to go in search of the one, although in this case leaving the few in search of the many.

The archdiocese site has a more administrative and informative function, similar to the former Catholic Vancouver site, with announcements, employment and volunteer opportunities, and statements from the bishop. Followers of the old website will continue to stay connected with it as well as with Behold since we believe its content will be more meaningful for them.

During the pandemic, we’ve seen how important and powerful digital expressions of faith can be as parishes, motivated to keep people engaged and stay connected, took extraordinary measures to keep parishioners connected. The pandemic showed us how real a digital platform can be, and opportunities that we didn’t know existed have turned out to be more powerful and effective than we could have imagined. In short, digital tools can accompany us in our missionary efforts by reaching out to the curious, the seeking, with beauty and answering questions they’re asking. Behold is helping us create that digital environment.

The funding of Behold did not come from any operating budget. While we were in the discerning process, several donors came forward to tell us they felt called to contribute to efforts to help reach people more effectively online. As a matter of fact, through Behold and other online sites, we have seen record-breaking donations to the Catholic Charities Men’s Shelter and the Door is Open. This wouldn’t have happened without creating awareness and sharing that message online. We have to remain relevant online if we want to reach potential donors.

There is certainly a lot of high-quality Catholic content online, and in fact some of our content will be curated from other publishers like Ascension when it’s particularly relevant locally. However, what sets Behold apart is our ability to reach local Catholics online and invite them to an offline encounter, perhaps by attending one of our events or participating in one of our services. Behold emphasizes the local – articles, video, photos, and other creative content  – and we already have more than 40 local contributing partners. We’re also open to more, so please contact us if you’d like to contribute content or ideas.

What we wanted was to create a site that is more missional in nature, a platform to show the truth, beauty, and goodness of the Catholic faith, to reach people online to draw them into authentic encounter offline.

Behold is Catholic and its opening words are, “Welcome to the Community for Catholics in Vancouver.” 

The design and photography used on the site is not expressly religious but deals with topics like parenting, marriage preparation, counselling, addiction, etc. that those browsing online for may be searching for. They will be more likely to engage with Behold rather than immediately dismissing it as only for those who embrace a very Catholic identity. Behold is aimed at providing opportunities for encounter with local Catholics, events, experts, communities. A father who finds his heart softened by an article addressing his human desire to be a good dad might be more inclined to attend one of our events than if he gets an invitation from the archdiocese. 

The heart of Behold is still parish and family, relevant content, and great events that help grow people grow in faith and welcome them to dive deeper in pursuing God, or allowing God to pursue them, in the parish or in the home.

We’ve changed our existing Catholic Vancouver accounts on Facebook and Instagram into Behold, which also has a YouTube channel. We’ve created new Facebook and Instagram accounts for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. We also have Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. 

While the administrative functions of Archdiocese of Vancouver social media channels are important, our evangelizing mission is primary. We want Behold to have the widest reach among Catholics in Vancouver, and changing the pages was the easiest way to do so.

Proclaim, is a movement of evangelization that primarily, but not exclusively, uses the Alpha program and CCO Discovery faith study. The digital presence for Proclaim is designed to mobilize, train, and equip individuals who desire to share their faith with family, friends, and associates but need more practical training to feel comfortable doing so. Proclaim exists to awaken disciples to proclaim Jesus.

Behold, on the other hand, is not for training or equipping. It is for the many people who are simply not into their faith that much. They may be in our church one hour a week, or have drifted away from the faith altogether. But they have longings and felt needs that take them to the internet to search bigger questions and explore meaningful topics. They have a desire to seek God but perhaps haven’t yet experienced him in a personal way or may not feel comfortable going to a Church or priest to talk about it. They wish to explore in the comfort of their own home.

By reading a local experience or story that invites them to go deeper into the faith, people can enter into dialogue and connect with people who can offer information that answers their big questions.


The Archdiocese of Vancouver’s digital ecosystem

MOBILIZE
Proclaim is for Catholics who are missionary disciples. It exists to awaken disciples to proclaim Jesus.
You can find Proclaim at
weareproclaim.com and through our Facebook groupInstagramYouTube channel, and podcast

NURTURE
Behold is for Catholics who are parishioners and seeking answers. It exists to invite people into deeper encounter with Christ and community. You can find Behold at beholdvancouver.org and on FacebookInstagram, and YouTube

DIRECT
The Archdiocese of Vancouver’s social media and web presence is for the general public and local Catholics. It exists to be the official administrative face of the Archdiocese. You can find the Archdiocese at rcav.org and on FacebookTwitterYouTube and LinkedIn

INFORM

The B.C. Catholic is the news site of The Archdiocese of Vancouver, telling stories that reveal the heart of Jesus and draw people to him and his Church. You can find The B.C. Catholic at bccatholic.ca and on Facebook and Twitter

Also follow Archbishop Miller on Twitter and Facebook