A Grand Celebration in Langley, BC

It was forty years ago that three families first came together, hardly knowing one another and being far spread out over the Lower Mainland of B.C. The reason for the gathering was to be gratefully present at the first Traditional Latin Mass since all the parishes had changed to the Novus Ordo, about five years earlier. And what local priest agreed to say the Mass of All Time? None at all. It was a priest all the way from Montreal, Fr. Yves Normandin. He had been locked out of his church for adhering to the old Mass and we parishioners had walked away from ours.

Thus was to begin a fifteen year journey from home to home and from hall to hall. Twice we were able to find a semi-permanent home in a parishioner's basement. Then we did not need to carry the portable altar and sacristy necessities back and forth every time. At one home, we were even able to keep the Blessed Sacrament. For a while we used a motel room very close to the airport so that Father would not need to spend too much time traveling and could be quickly off to the next group of faithful.

It was not until 1990 that the tireless efforts of mostly one family secured for us the facility that is now Christ the King Church. On 22nd February 1991 Bishop Bernard Fellay, then Bursar General of the Society of St. Pius X, blessed the new church, with its official dedication to Christ the King. It has undergone much restructuring and beautification since its days as a Baptist church. Thankfully, most of that was done after the horrific fire that gutted the whole building only one year after its dedication.

After Fr Normandin stopped his cross-country travels, a young priest by the name of Fr. Daniel Couture, started serving our congregation. Frs Violette, Castel, Rusak, Brandler, Greuter and so many others left their mark on our minds and souls. For many years we were just a mission church, served by the priory in Winnipeg. It was not until 2001 that we had a resident priest in BC and in 2005 that the house next door was purchased by Fr. Boulet for a priory.

One of our longest serving pastor was one of our own vocations—Fr Loren Gerspacher. Under his direction beautiful hardwood flooring and wainscoting was added to the sacristy and a baldachino crowned it all. Great efforts at fund raising helped with these projects as well as with stained glass windows to give the finishing touch of a true church.

Our thoughts and prayers at this occasion also include those who used to belong to our congregation and we hope that they will find their way back again one day. In the meantime, new souls, including our prior Fr Paul Morgan, have joined us and are becoming part of our new history.

Thank you to all the priests and faithful who have made the Christ the King Parish what it is today. God bless you all!