Sorrento Centre Associates’ Work & Study Week 2017
From May 7-13 2017, two dozen Sorrento Centre associates from BC and Alberta gathered to spend the week prepping the Centre’s grounds and buildings for the busy months ahead. During this week, associates worked six hours per day on jobs which included: grounds and Shuswap Lake waterfront maintenance; building maintenance and cleaning; indoor and outdoor painting; landscape maintenance, weeding, planting, pruning; serving meals and meal cleanup. Save for a few brief periods of rain, the recently temperamental BC Interior weather cooperated quite nicely in order to complete the tasks at hand.
A component of this annual work week is the daily one hour morning study session following morning worship. This yea the sessions were led by Castlegar BC based spiritual director Joan Alexander. Her course was entitled Spiritual Practices for Everyday, and she guided participants through a different spiritual practice each day of the week. These practices included walking the labyrinths (indoor and outdoor) and Lectio Divina.
On Monday May 8th, Sorrento Centre board chair/president Bishop James Cowan announced that the Very Rev. Louise Peters, the Centre’s beloved Executive Director, would be leaving in August to begin her new position as Vicar of St. James Cathedral in Toronto on August 15th. All in attendance were genuinely saddened to hear that she would be leaving the Centre, but all were also pleased to congratulate Louise (and her husband the Rev. Bruce Chalmers, the present rector at St Mary’s Anglican-United Church in Sorrento) on this upcoming and exciting phase of her ministry. Louise’s warm presence, many talents and leadership will be greatly missed.
On Friday May 12th, a Celebration of Life and interment of ashes was held in the memorial garden of Sorrento Centre for long-time associate, Kathryn Maclean. It was attended by associates, current and former Sorrento staff members (including the Right Rev. Barbara Andrews, a former Executive Director of Sorrento Centre and current Suffragan Bishop of the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior – Territory of the People) and Kathie’s family and friends. Her daughter Robin Light (one of four children with former husband Bishop Gordon Light) beautifully eulogized her Mom.
The Venerable Andrew Pike presided over Friday’s Closing Eucharist. During this service, the Very Rev. Louise Peters offered words of thanks for all that had been accomplished and shared during the week. The Centre’s AGM was held on Saturday morning, chaired by Bishop James Cowan.
The Associates’ week is a special week at Sorrento Centre with people gathering together to give of their time and talents to devotedly work at the Centre, while also spending time together in worship, study and social time. Please look at the Centre’s calendar in this link http://www.sorrento-centre.bc.ca/landg-calendar.html to book your time there this summer.
IMAGES
- Tulips in full bloom outside of Spes Bona
- During Closing Eucharist, the Centre's Executive Director, the Very Rev Louise Peters, offered words of thanks to the associates for all of the work which they completed during the week .
- The Venerable Andrew Pike
- The author and photographer Jane Dittrich of Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver cleaning and staining the bench outside of Spes Bona