The date was October 12, 1962 and our Church was about to be forever changed. That was the date when bishops from around the world gathered in Rome for the start of the Second Vatican Council, or, Vatican II. Over the course of the following three years, bishops met with a desire to connect the Church with the modern world of that time. Vatican II is fundamental to the Catholic Church in the present day and has become known as the Herald of Good News for the ages.
This is when the Church was set on a path to stand the test of time and remain a beacon of hope for all people. There was a newfound vigor and commitment to evangelization, to set aside barriers to help the Church reach out to non-Christians. The reverberations of Vatican II on the church and throughout the world continue to be felt to this day. The conversations in the 1960’s were complex, but came down to this idea of making the Church more accessible.

As Deacon Ray and I were brainstorming what could we do here at St. Victoria to not only commemorate the 60th anniversary of Vatican II, but how could we continue to honor the spirit of Vatican II by reaching out to non-Christians, we came up with the idea of “Vatican II Documents in a Year”. What if we were able to explore the continued relevance of the Vatican II Documents in our current times? What could we learn about our Church and ourselves? We are really excited about the brilliant minds who have accepted our offer to share their experience and expertise. The Vatican II Documents in a Year series will run through June 29, 2024. All you have to do is show up, there is no registration needed. We hope you will attend as many sessions as your schedule allows.

Fr. Bob and Deacon Ray

April 20, 2024
Declaration on Christian Education
— Presented by Emily Klinker and Ann Esping

May 11, 2024
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World
— Presented by William McDonough, STD

June 29, 2024
Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity & Conclusion:
“Vatican II 60 years later: Where do we go from here?”
— Presented by Fr. Bob White