Thanksgiving Associate's Weekend at Sorrento Centre
Author Alice Walker wrote, “In nature nothing is perfect, and everything is still perfect”. Sorrento Centre, the Ecclesiastical Province of BC/Yukon’s retreat and conference centre was evacuated in mid-August due to the Bush Creek East wildfire which swept very near the Centre. Sorrento staff were able to re-open in mid-September. Ravaging wildfires in British Columbia have greatly increased in recent years. This is not perfect. From October 6-9th, approximately 45 Sorrento Centre associates, board members, valued friends and leaders gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving, to work outside on the verdant property which was bursting with rich autumn colours, and to give thanks for the work and many blessings of Sorrento Centre. This was perfect!
The Thanksgiving Associates’ work and fellowship weekend is an annual event. This year, the Board of Directors met daily for strategic planning sessions and were guided in strategic listening and planning by Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver's deacon, the Rev. Alisdair Smith. Board of Director's member, Archbishop Lynne McNaughton, diocesan bishop of Kootenay and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province joined in on some of the meetings remotely. Jason Cruickshank of Victoria BC serves as the current President of the Board of Directors. Jason's father, the late Bishop Jim Cruickshank, was the founding director of Sorrento Centre, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
All were blessed by the presence of the National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, the Most Rev. Chris Harper and his wife Tracy. Archbishop Harper is the diocesan bishop of Saskatoon. He was installed as National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop in May of 2023. Archbishop Harper led various worship services and presented several talks over the long weekend.
Throughout the four days, associates worked on the property: painting, mowing lawns, chopping wood, storing things away for the winter season, working on the gardens, raking leaves and cleaning exterior windows of buildings. The weather was glorious which made for excellent working conditions. On the Sunday afternoon, October 8, former Executive Director, the Rev. Dan Meakes (who worked on the property over the weekend) was moved by the beautiful colours of the leaves on the trees, the glory of the property, and the extra blessing of the Centre having been spared by the fires. This prompted those in the conversation to reflect on their many decades of memories and the Centre’s deep meaning in their respective lives. The Rev. Meakes warmly named this moment “the nostalgia of the privileged”.
Many from the Diocese of New Westminster were on site over the course of the weekend including the Dean of the Diocese and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral, the Very Rev. Chris Pappas; the Rev. Alisdair Smith; Erin and Rick Barr of St. Laurence, Coquitlam, and the Diocese of New Westminster's Missioner for Indigenous Justice, Kerry Baisley ODNW.
On the Saturday, following board meetings and the workday on site, Executive Director, the Rev. Michael Shapcott led a gathering to reflect on the 60 years of the Centre. Many offered memories, what working there (many on the board of directors had served as summer youth staff in their teens) and what attending/holidaying there has meant to their lives, their families, their faith journeys and their personal and professional growth. On Sunday, Archbishop Chris Harper presided and preached at the Thanksgiving Eucharist service at St. Mary's Anglican-United Church in the community of Sorrento. All were treated to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, prepared by the Centre's chef and food services manager, Simon, and his staff. Many of the vegetables and fruits prepared for the harvest dinner were grown on the Centre's farm. From John 1:16, “from his abundance, we have all received one gracious blessing after another”.
Please visit the website (www.sorrentocentre.ca) to learn about upcoming events and programs, how you can become an Associate and for other ways to support the work and ministry of Sorrento Centre.
IMAGES
1. The welcome sign outside of the Centre’s office building, Spes Bona (which is Latin for “Good Hope”)
2. Associates, staff and board members gather to share their memories of Sorrento Centre. In this photo, James Barr (great grandson of Canon Herbert O’Driscoll) shares some stories of his own
3. Beautiful colours outside of Caritas Lodge
4. Christ Church Cathedral’s deacon, the Rev. Alisdair Smith receives the Body of Christ from the Most Rev. Chris Harper, the National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop
5. A Flying V of geese flew over the Centre. The large tree which they are seen flying over was famously struck by lightning several years ago.
6. The Most Rev. Chris Harper, the Rev. Heather Hamlin Gravells (incumbent, St. Mary’s Anglican-United Church in Sorrento) and deacon, the Rev. Michael Shapcott (Executive Director of Sorrento Centre) pose following the Eucharist service on Thanksgiving Sunday
7. A crab apple tree in the foreground of St. Francis’, the Centre’s outdoor chapel.
8. Jane Dittrich, James Barr (great grandson of Canon Herbert O’Driscoll) and Erin Barr (daughter of Canon Herbert O’Driscoll).
9. Dean Christopher Pappas’s son worked hard on the property all weekend. In this photo he is readying the ride-on mower in preparation to cut the many fields and lawns of grass at the Centre.
10. Sam Cruickshank (son of the current Sorrento Centre Board of Directors, Jason Cruickshank) cleans the exterior windows of Richardson Lodge.
11. Dean Christopher Pappas’s granddaughter was the youngest Sorrento Centre Associate working there over the Thanksgiving weekend. In this photo, she is assisting Jane Dittrich with the cleaning of exterior windows of Richardson Lodge
12. Thanksgiving Dinner in the Richardson Lodge dining room
13. Evening talk by Archbishop Chris Harper in the Caritas Lodge meeting room
14. Associates, Aleta, Sarah, Elisabeth and Jane catching up following Archbishop Harper’s talk
15. The beach at Sorrento Centre. The low water levels in Shuswap Lake are easy to see. Low rainfall, and the water from the lake used by helicopters to fight the nearby wildfires in August.
16. Jane Dittrich, the Centre’s Associate Director Kathie MacDuff and Sorrento Centre’s Board of Director’s Vice President Carolyn Nystrom (sister of the Rev. David Taylor) of Calgary AB
17. The Centre’s Executive Director the Rev. Michael Shapcott, his dog Phoebe and Jane Dittrich briefly catching up at the Centre’s waterfront
18. The pathway to the beach
19. The beach’s fire pit, complete with freshly chopped wood
Photos: Jane Dittrich