Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It gives me great pleasure to reach out to the Asian Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and offer my prayers and best wishes for a Happy New Year – gong hei fat choy!

The Lunar New Year, which falls on Saturday, Jan. 25, is an annual festive occasion for our Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian communities, who this year will celebrate the Year of the Rat, regarded as the first animal of the traditional 12-year Chinese cycle. As such, this new year is particularly associated with new beginnings, and a new day. It seems appropriate, then, to invite you to use this opportunity to renew relationships with the peace of Christ as you gather with loved ones during this time of celebration.

As has become customary at this time, I ask that you use this occasion to keep in your prayers the ongoing persecution of Chinese Catholics and other Christians in China and for the situation in Hong Kong. Let us invoke the patronage of Mary, Mother of the Prince of Peace, putting the longstanding political and religious conflict of that region in the hands of her and her son.

May you and your loved ones have a joyous celebration and a blessed coming year.

With cordial greetings and the assurance of my prayers, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+J. Michael Miller, CSB
Archbishop of Vancouver

主內親愛的兄弟姊妹：

我有幸能藉此機會，向溫哥華總教區的亞裔天主教群體，獻上我對他們新年的祈禱與祝願 ── 恭喜發財！

今年一月二十五日、星期六，是農曆「鼠年」大年初一，是華裔、韓裔、越裔及各亞裔團體每年的喜慶節日。「鼠」既是十二生肖之首，正好把今年的新年，聯繫上一個完全嶄新的開端、新的一日的開始！也應該適合地邀請你們，當與親朋共聚互賀之時，更新彼此在基督內平安的關係。

我亦慣性地藉這個機會，請你們為中國境內，持續受迫害的天主教同胞及其他基督徒祈禱，也請為香港的局勢祈禱。讓我們懇請「和平之王」的母親、聖母瑪利亞的護佑，把當地長久以來政治與宗教的摩擦，托付在她和她聖子的手中。

願你們和親友們，有一個喜樂的慶祝和蒙福的來年！

在熱切致候和祈禱中，我常是你們

主內的擎友

+ J. Michael Miller, CSB

溫哥華總主教

Photo courtesy of St. Francis Xavier Parish