As Vancouver prepares to host its first-ever FIFA World Cup match on June 13, the Archdiocese of Vancouver, in partnership with Catholic Christian Outreach, will open the doors of Holy Rosary Cathedral for a Nightfever event, inviting fans from around the world to step inside for prayer and encounter amid the excitement.

The event is being coordinated by team lead Mathew Joseph, a missionary with Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) at the University of British Columbia. With a deep personal passion for soccer, Joseph said he has long noticead an overlap between his faith life and love of the sport.

“ I remember thinking about the World Cup a year or so ago and just being so excited that the tournament was going to be in my city. I felt called by Jesus to do some sort of mission, and I saw it as a great opportunity. We landed on a Nightfever event at the cathedral, which is right by the stadium and where there are going to be thousands of people nearby. It just seemed like the obvious choice,” he said.

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Nightfever events are often youth and young-adult-driven, where volunteers invite civilians passing by a church to spend time in prayer inside. Holy Rosary will remain open for the evening as Eucharistic adoration, music and prayer are offered alongside opportunities for candlelit prayer, encounter and general fellowship. 

“We really just want to see people be able to encounter Jesus in whatever way He’s calling to them. It is a little bit of a ‘choose your own adventure’ when you step in, but to be a place that people can walk in wherever they come from and wherever they are in their faith journey allows us to be a tool the Holy Spirit can use to help facilitate an encounter with each person,” he said. 

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The event is set to run as the lead-up to Vancouver’s inaugural match between Australia and Türkiye on June 13, which kicks off at 9 p.m. PST. Following 5 p.m. Mass at the cathedral, Nightfever begins at 7 p.m. and extends into the evening. Joseph shared his hopes of potentially including a make-shift watch party for the match in the hall.

Joseph and company see the World Cup’s arrival as its own powerful equalizer in bridging sport and spirituality. 

“ We are trying to jump on this growing excitement. The city’s energy is high, fans are in good moods, and I think that is the perfect place for people to encounter them. Soccer brings people together from all different interests and backgrounds, and so I’m always trying to think about how I can use soccer as a jumping pad into something deeper,” he said.  

Vancouver’s Nightfever will primarily be supported by young adult volunteers, notably from CCO communities at UBC and Simon Fraser University, including student leaders and students who have taken faith studies. Having worked with young adults extensively himself, Joseph revealed that training for such events often focuses on meeting people where they are, listening well and facilitating excellent spiritual conversations guided by the Holy Spirit, no matter the occasion. 

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The Archdiocese of Vancouver is also bringing attention to its online Mass Finder during the World Cup, giving out-of-town visitors an easily accessible way to find Mass times and locations while they are in Vancouver to support their team. 

“ I want Catholics to see this World Cup as a mission opportunity because soccer brings people together; it’s a game that makes you hug strangers and chat with people that you don't know for hours as if they were your buddies. The base of evangelization is always relationship, and when the  Holy Spirit guides the conversation, it makes for a great opportunity here,” Joseph said.