On Saturday, August 6th, 30 parishioners tackled Mount Chester in Kananaskis in a fundraising initiative for St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Chestermere. The project was started as a unique way to raise the initial capital required to build a home for the Catholic church, and is now in it’s 4th year since
the first climb in 2013 (Mount Temple). St Gabriel’s pastor, Father John Nemanic, thought it would be a good idea to have a medic on the hike, so Karen Wourms, a registered nurse joined the team for the 2014 climb (Centennial Trail), the 2015 climb (Castle Mountain), and this year’s climb.
“I am a Saskatchewan farm girl, and I am afraid of heights, but there is something incredible about
being part of this team, and working toward a fabulous goal. To have a church to celebrate in, and see our children grow up and receive
their sacraments, would be amazing…”
This year was especially exciting for some families, because this was the first year youth were able to participate in the climb. Karen Wourms’ daughter, 14 year old Darienne Wourms, was one of the youth who climbed with the team.
“I was excited to be able to climb with my dad, who has summited every year with our priest, Father John. They would often talk about stories from past Angels on High climbs, and I wanted to be part of it. It was very special to be able to climb with my mom and dad” stated Darienne Wourms.
The team was at the Chester Lake trailhead by 7:00am, and the hike to the base of Mount Chester was quite pleasant…but then the rain began to fall and the wind became colder as the team ascended the shale to the Black Col, part way up the mountain. As the rain continued to fall, the rocky slopes grew more treacherous. Four climbers reached the summit of Mount Chester, while the rest of the group ascended Little Chester peak.
There were many wet boots and backpacks at the end of this adventure, but the weather did not dampen spirits.
“We all got back to the campground safely, and we had a warm welcome. People from the parish who wanted to be involved in the fundraiser, but not do the physical climb kept the home fires burning at Owl Group Campground. They also had a very welcome, warm meal waiting for us!” said team lead, Kevin Papke.
“I was glad to have a hot shower waiting for me when I got back. I had a lot of mud to wash off from a slippery descent!” stated Karen Wourms.
St Gabriel the Archangel pastor, Father John Nemanic, said of this climb, ”Compared to the previous years, the Mount Chester climb was challenging because of the weather and terrain. Despite the difficulties, the time we spent together and encouraging one another through it all was a far greater blessing. This year’s adventure will be a great story to tell, and I hope an ongoing inspiration as we finally build a church.”
“What I took away from the experience is a feeling of gratitude, having been able to climb the mountain to help our parish to attain the church building we need. There’s something special about that feeling; you can change the world one step at a time – at least our little corner of it”, states Tiz Gabert, a first time climber. “This journey has made me see how strong we are when we work together as a team. Working together to get our church built is what we as a Catholic community in Chestermere need to do. This climb signifies our dedication to doing just that.”
Gary Doran, who has climbed for the past 3 years, had this to say: “For me this climb was a reflection of what life is, we set out with a goal, and sometimes circumstances – in this case the weather – means we have to adjust our goal, but the lesson is in how we persevere and how we feel when we are done.”
It has been a difficult year for fundraising with the state of the
economy, and the devastating forest fires in Fort McMurray were a call for charity that the people of St Gabriel Parish responded to, even in the midst of fundraising for Angels on High. To all of the sponsors who have helped the building fund grow, thank you, so very much.
A special thanks goes out to Tamara Gutierrez from Fit on the Lake, who donated her time to train the climbers over the course of several boot camps.
The Angels on High committee thanks all of the climbers and volunteers, who gave of their talents to put together the fundraising dinner in June, and the climb in August.
Pledges and donations are still being accepted.
The inspiration behind Angels on High, Father John Nemanic, is moving to St Michael the Archangel parish in Calgary after 6
years of service to the Chestermere community. “Thank you for climbing all those mountains, and for inspiring others to join you. Best wishes to you at St. Michael’s. You will be missed.”
