Holy Spirit Anglican Church is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the church building in Whonnock this weekend.
The theme of the centennial celebration is A Celebrating Family.
On Saturday, Nov. 13, starting at 2:30 p.m.until about 4 p.m. there will be stories about the 100 Projects that the church has been working on to mark the anniversary including: the collection of 100 T-shirts for migrant workers in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, the planting of 100 trees, and other activities.
“Those projects will be introduced just to give a bit of a tally of how we’ve done,” explained Jean Davidson, co-organizer of the event.
Dignitaries will be on hand including Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MP Mark Dalton, Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Bob D’Eith, Maple Ridge City Councillor Chelsa Meadus on behalf of Mayor Mike Morden, and Ross Dunning from the Maple Ridge Historical Society.
And there will be a jazz concert by the Dan Reynolds Trio who will be doing the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
“That will have narration as well so people will hear the story but they will also listen to a musical interpretation of the story,” noted Davidson.
“That’s all about embracing the return of one who’s been away and that’s what we want to do with a wide embrace to former members and to the neighbours and interested parties,” she added.
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On Sunday, Nov. 14, there will be a worship service at 9:30 a.m. followed by a presentation to a member of one of the founding families.
Their grandfather helped build the church, and their grandparents were the first couple married there, and their father was the first baby baptised in the church, explained Davidson.
“We are going to start with a focus on the past and then we move into launching a new century,” she said.
To end the celebration there will be a light lunch.
Davidson said they have reached out to former church members to attend, as well as neighbours of the church.
Have a story tip? Email: cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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