$10,000 Grant Received for the Padre's Fund

The Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Vancouver Commandery has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Padre's Fund to support the Cathedral's Regimental ministry to the British Columbia Regiment (BCR) Reservists. This is primarily Pastoral and Spiritual Support, Resilience and Outreach Ministries to the Troops and Veterans of the British Columbia Regiment (BCR)-Duke of Connaught’s Own. The Cathedral has been the Regimental Church of the British Columbia Regiment since the Colours were first laid up in 1919.

Over the past four years, the Dean of New Westminster has established this new ministry that engages with and supports the troops and their needs in areas that are not being met by other sources. This ministry as been funded from a line item in the Cathedral Budget, and since 2023 also from the annual Playing fo the Padre fundraiser with the BCR Irish Pipes and Drum, the Pipes and Drums of the Seaforth Highlanders and the 15th Field Artillery Regimental Band. 

The Padre’s Fund provides much needed infrastructure and support in areas of spiritual and emotional resilience, spiritual care, physical resilience and economic and emergency support for the women and men who serve Canada at home and abroad.

The Padre’s fund is meant to primarily support the active members of the BCR, a Primary Reserve Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment that is the oldest in British Columbia and also one of the most diverse in Canada. The members of the unit originate from all over the Lower Mainland and parade weekly on Wednesdaya in the Beatty St Drill Hall in Vancouver from Sept to June. The members are female and male, range from 17 years to 60+ years old and represent Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and no or other religions. They are “citizen soldiers” who are students, tradespeople, teachers, longshoremen, public servants and other professions. They are parents, grandparents, children and siblings from large to small families and din addition to Drill nights they have served as emergency responders to the flood in the Fraser Valley, the fires in the interior and some are also deployed for a period to Europe. 

The project seeks to address some of the areas that do not receive adequate funding or emphasis from other sources that are critical for the spiritual, mental and physical health and well-being of the troops. In addition offering emergency support and preventative care. This coming year we will be focusing on physical and mental resilience and team building through the expansion of grappling, and boxing training. This will require equipment (mats, gloves, pads) and coaching. The goal is to increase the wellness, confidence and morale of the members as well as providing psychological benefits. The fund also offers spiritual, crisis and mental support and seeks to purchase spiritual resilience guides, suicide prevention curriculum/ training and peer support infrastructure. The fund also seeks to provide instruments and an equipment for the BCR Bands.

Over the past 4 years the Regimental Ministries has and will continue to:

• Offer Pizza w/ the Padre Nights once per month on Parade Nights which provides meals, team building and unit cohesion for the BCRs.
• Created a resilience training program by engaging and supporting the establishment of grappling and boxing training for the regiment to build physical resilience, self-confidence and mental wellness.
• Provided children’s Christmas gifts, “hampers” and support for members and families of the BCRs for whom the holiday budget is stretched tight.
• Provided ad hoc employment opportunities for members of the regiment to supplement their income.
• Provided rent, repair and emergency request funding for members.
• Provided pastoral support and spiritual counseling to members including access to professional coaching and leadership support.
• Engaged in spiritual and mental resilience building, mental wellness as well as morale and team building.
• Subsidized wedding, and funeral access for members of the regiment.
• Commissioned an historical memorial cabinet display in the Cathedral.
• Provided Leadership support and advocacy for the Jr ranks and Sergeants and Warrants as well as support for the Officers.
• Organized an Annual Pipe, Drum and Music Concert to support the Regimental Ministries and provide entertainment.
• Sponsors Remembrance Day services and other special services for members of the units and the general public.