One of the special features of the Copper Ridge Conference Centre (CRCC) guaranteed to make stays there even more enjoyable is its private bedrooms, each of which will come with an en-suite bathroom.

These comfortable bedrooms will offer a wonderful view of magnificent Howe Sound or the majestic surrounding mountains. The breathtaking natural beauty of the Copper Ridge setting has inspired us to name the rooms after prominent geographic features of the locale.   

Each CRCC bedroom may be sponsored for $25,000.

From the list shown below, sponsors may choose the room(s) they wish to underwrite.

This list was compiled thanks to the diligent research undertaken by Arnold Shives, a well-known Vancouver artist and avid hiker and climber. Arnold proposed naming the CRCC rooms after the mountains and lakes found in the vicinity of Britannia Beach. He used two famous local mountains to delineate his area of selection: Black Tusk of the Garibaldi Range to the north, and the Lions of the North Shore Mountains to the south.

In describing what inspired his selections, Arnold said, “Climbing many of these mountains I came to the realization that there must be a Creator of such astounding beauty. Since mountains sometimes figure prominently in people’s spiritual quests, I felt it appropriate to include many of the mountains and peaks which run along the Sea to Sky Highway.”

Renowned wood carver Frederic Zavadil has been commissioned by CRCC to create a sculpture of the Crucifixion for the main altar at the Conference Centre.

Continuing with our questions can you tell us what are some of the other works you have created, both secular and religious?

My religious carvings can be found all over the North American continent. Some of my earlier sculptures were created for a company dealing with religious art. There are resin and bronze casts of them being sold even today, but not under my name, and I do not know where the majority of these statues are. To mention some of the major religious projects under my name – a set of six carved sculptures (St. John Neumann, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, two children) for a Catholic church in Atlanta, Georgia, a twelve foot bronze medallion of St. Pius X for an outside wall of a church in Colorado, sculptures of Jesus as the Good Shepherd for Good Shepherd Parish in Windsor, Ontario. The sculpture I carve most often is Jesus, either as a crucifix or a corpus.

The majority of my secular carvings are commissioned by residents of California. I’m not sure about the reason; it just seems that this part of the US really appreciates classical, realistic hand carving. I have carved several life-sized sculptures and many smaller individual projects for private collections. Some of my larger projects in Canada are a public art project for the Region of Waterloo as well as a 12′ by 4′ panel carved from black walnut and another 12′ by 6.5′ relief carving for a retirement residence in London, Ontario.

Will the spectacular West Coast setting and the strong native wood carving tradition of this part of Canada have an influence on the project you are doing for CRCC?

I have to admit that I have never been to BC. I only saw pictures of the site on your webpage. It is amazing! It will be an honour to have my work surrounded by such a majestic view. I am familiar with the native wood carving traditions in this part of our country. I have seen a lot of pictures and also carvings in museums and galleries but, being originally from the Czech Republic, most of all I am very much influenced by the old European art.

How did you get connected to Opus Dei for this job?

I met Father Gonzalo few years ago when we met to discuss a carving project in Toronto. He mentioned at that time that a new retreat centre was to be built in BC and that there could be a need for some new sculptures. He said that he might contact me in the future. He did so last year in June.

How many hours has it taken/will it take to complete?

I do not measure time when I work. My studio is in our house and I carve every day, sometimes five hours, sometimes fourteen, really depending on how I feel. I can get caught up in my work so much that I don’t notice how fast time is flying. The estimate to complete this project was twelve months, but lately I am spending most of the days carving, so this will probably result in having the work completed sooner.

What do you hope this sculpture will evoke in the worshippers?

A reverence and closeness to God, humility, love. And I really wish people could feel at least part of the emotions I feel when I am creating the sculpture. The biggest reward is to see them moved, sometimes with tears in their eyes, when they see the sculptures for the first time.

More work of the artist may be viewed at https://www.fredzavadilwoodcarving.com/

Renowned wood carver Frederic Zavadil has been commissioned by CRCC to create a sculpture of the Crucifixion for the main altar at the Conference Centre.

When did you come to Canada?

My wife and I came to Canada as political refugees from former Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) in August 1989, three months before the “Velvet Revolution” when the socialist system changed to a democracy. If we had come after the revolution, we would most likely not have been allowed to stay in Canada.

What is your own religious background?       

The former Czechoslovakia was a socialist country governed by the Communist Party at the time we were growing up. The political system did not acknowledge the existence of God, and still today the Czech Republic is one of the least religious countries in the world. We were brought up as atheists. We were not baptized and were never taught anything about religion. Our first ever encounter with “church” was actually when we came to Canada as refugees and stayed in a Catholic Church shelter for the first six weeks. I know that it sounds strange, but we really didn’t understand at that time that the Church is not just about prayer and liturgy. Over the years in Canada, we have seen a lot of good coming from religious organizations and have made friends with many people who are devoted Catholics and, of course, it all makes us think. We have a lot of questions – one of them about my sculpting, because it clearly is a gift – and we keep searching for answers. I am very much influenced by my religious work and my thinking has changed a lot with knowledge and understanding. I can definitely say about both of us that for a long time we have not been atheists, and we are both open to what time will bring.

Where did you study art?

I didn’t study art. I am self-taught. I started painting when I was a child and sculpting in my early forties. I just had the desire to create.

Is teaching an important aspect of your art?

Teaching is a very important part of what I do. It helps me to improve my own sculpting skills and gives me different perspectives on art and other things. I also very much enjoy sharing my skills with other sculptors and carvers and as a bonus I create a friendship with each of them.

You appear to prefer wood carving to other carving mediums. Why?

I always liked working with wood. It is a living material. It has warmth and feeling to it, unlike marble, bronze, or plaster. It offers challenges that other mediums don’t – grain, different hardness, density – and I really like the natural feeling of a finished carving.

A significant number of your commissions have been for churches. Is your approach to religious subjects any different than your approach to secular subject matter?

I am an artist and my approach to any subject matter depends on what the project is – what it represents and what feelings it should evoke. I probably spend much more time researching and reading about religious subjects than about secular ones because they require me to have knowledge and understanding. With religious subjects there is also more respect, humility, and emotions.

More work of the artist may be viewed at https://www.fredzavadilwoodcarving.com/

See June CRCC Newsletter for continuation of interview with Fred Zavadil, Part 2

In one of the CRCC Board meetings, the Chair asked what else we could do to move the project ahead. Another Board member immediately said, “Let’s ask all our friends to join us in Eucharistic Adoration.” The idea grew and became even more ambitious; we decided to launch the “Lenten Challenge of 1000 hours of Eucharistic Adoration.”

Thanks to all of you, we exceeded our goal by almost 200 hours!

People were encouraged either to come to Crestwell or Glenwood centres on particular days or go to parishes where there were Perpetual Adoration chapels. It was very moving to see how, when we explained the reasons for the challenge, everyone was up for it. Every Wednesday and Thursday the flow of people coming to the centres was steady, and when there were fewer people, close to dinner time, a university student came and kept the Lord company. Helen, who spent the last weeks of the challenge in the hospital, was always there at times when there were fewer people.

Thinking of Helen brings to mind how much support we had from those who were sick. One lady from El Salvador who is confined in a wheel chair was taken by her two daughters every day to do two hours of adoration in their parish! This meant that not only she, but her daughters prayed for the project. Another lady with advanced cancer sent us a note saying she had done thirteen hours of adoration with her friends. To them we feel very grateful, knowing, as St. Josemaria wrote in The Way, that the prayers of the sick are very agreeable to Our Lord.

After the first week, however, we had the stark realization that we could not do this alone. One thousand hours meant 200 hours a week, and after the first week we had recorded only fifty hours at both centres! Even counting adoration done at the parishes, we realized that we might not achieve our goal.

However, when we accept a challenge to launch out into the deep for Our Lord, He helps us fill our nets. The idea came to ask all the centres of Opus Dei in Canada to join us. And they did! People we did not know sent us emails like, “Count three hours more, my husband, my son and I each did one hour.” The next week, the same message arrived. Many friends from Montreal, Quebec and Calgary sent messages reporting on the number of hours they and others we did not even know had done. One of our centres in Toronto organized an all-night vigil and reported fourteen hours of prayer for Copper Ridge.

From El Salvador we got reinforcements, and from Singapore! One lady did twenty-six hours of prayer! Even after Lent when the Challenge was over, we kept receiving hours. At the end, the final count was 1188 hours of Eucharistic Adoration!

We are convinced that Our Lord must be very happy with all those hours of prayer, and will grant us what we asked: the completion of the Copper Ridge project and the fruits for souls from the activities organized in this amazing apostolic instrument.

Elizabeth Chun describes her experience at Opus Dei’s first conference centre in Canada.

The Manoir de Beaujeu in Montreal is the first conference centre in Canada. I felt very privileged to attend a week long workshop there. From an excerpt on the website you can understand its rich historical significance.

“In 1826, Sir John Simpson had a magnificent stone residence built on land situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, 30 miles west of Montreal. The design of the building was inspired by the French Renaissance style of architecture prevalent in the 18th century. The house overlooks the waters of the St. Lawrence near Coteau-du-Lac. On August 2, 1831, Sir John sold it to Count Jacques-Philippe Saveuse de Beaujeu (1770-1832). This is when the structure took on the name Manoir de Beaujeu. The Foundation for Culture and Education (FCE) purchased the premises on October 28, 1964, as the property’s 20th owner. FCE acquired the Manoir de Beaujeu as a retreat and conference centre”. www.manoirdebeaujeu.ca

The Manoir is a beautiful, old-style mansion situated on the St. Lawrence River. The property is large enough to take long walks. It also features a shrine dedicated to Our Lady. The entire site (not only the house, but also the property) is made for the silent contemplation of God and the beauty of nature.

What were some of the inspiring apostolic projects described in the get togethers?  

There were many inspirational apostolic stories shared during my time there. Many of these were of a personal, one-on-one encounter. A nurse shared her story of how she was able to help convert her non-Catholic friend whose mother had asked for euthanasia. Her heartfelt and candid letter to her friend not only changed her mother’s decision regarding euthanasia, but her mother also received the sacrament of baptism ten days before she passed away. Another lady told stories about her friendship with peers at the seniors’ home where she arranges many fun activities for the seniors to enjoy. One project I found memorable was an initiative by a young mother of four who started a mother’s group at her parish that grew from four people to seventy-five. This group supports mothers through doctrine classes that help them grow in their faith, as well as classes on parenting and family matters. Four women who attended the mother’s group are now members of Opus Dei.

Describe some of the inspirational people you met while you were there.

I found many of the candid stories shared by the ladies very inspirational. Hearing their struggles, big or small, their sincere desire to do God’s will, and finding ways to make difficult things work, were all big encouragements for me. There was a lady from Mexico who married and soon after had to move with her husband to a faraway place in Quebec where they run a farm. She has to travel far to go to Mass since there are too few Catholics to have a parish anywhere near her. She also attends formation classes by driving for two hours one-way, whether it’s winter or summer. I remember her especially since her devotion to Our Lady was amazing. She would stop to bow to Our Lady every time she saw an image of her – and virtually every room and hallway of the Manoir has one. I was so moved by her devotion that after I came back to Vancouver, I now also do the same, not to miss my opportunity to give a “Hi” and a smile to Our Mother.

Describe what you got out of attending an event(s) at the Conference Centre.

I found the courses very helpful, and meeting all the other ladies from different parts of Eastern Canada very refreshing. Learning about the different lives that people of faith live, how they deal with things, how they love God was very encouraging and stimulating for me. It certainly made me reflect on my spiritual life. I also expanded my circle of friends as I had previously only attended workshops in Vancouver. Attending a workshop at a conference centre run by members of Opus Dei is definitely a more enriching experience. The environment in which we receive our spiritual formation matters. I saw that a conference centre of the Work really embodied the spirit of the Work, from a tiny detail of thoughtfully placed napkins, frugal yet elegant rooms, to the magnificent oratory. It was wonderful to immerse myself in the means of spiritual formation while staying in a place that inspires me to think about that even more. After this visit, I could see better why we need a conference centre in Vancouver.

Have others been positively affected by your spiritual growth at the conference centre?

After coming back from my workshop at the Manoir, my colleagues said that my face was glowing. I also shared what I learned with some of them: striving for holiness through professional work and the importance of helping each other to be the best versions of ourselves.

For more pictures visit http://www.manoirdebeaujeu.ca/h/Manoir/Photos/index.php/

Tony Agustin describes the Makiling Conference Centre in his home country of the Philippines.

Can you describe some interesting details about the history of the Centre?

Makiling was the first conference centre in the Philippines. The site was donated to Opus Dei and the building was designed by an architect priest of Opus Dei, Fr. Ramon Dodero. Construction was overseen by the first two members of Opus Dei in the Philippines, Bernie Vellagas and Jess Estanislao.

When construction began, a water source on the site could not be located. Bernie visited St. Josemaria in Rome to give him an update on the construction and the lack of success in finding water.

St. Josemaria gave him a reassuring hug and whispered in his ear, “Be patient. It will come!”  When Bernie returned to the Philippines, the digging was continued and water sprung forth!

What were some of the projects you heard about during the events you attended at the conference centre?

We heard stories about new centres that were being established in various places in Asia such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.  One especially inspiring project was the construction of the St. Josemaria Parish church in Tarlac, a provincial capital in the Philippines, which was inaugurated in 2003.

Can you tell us more about St. Josemaria’s church?

For seniors and the handicapped who cannot get out of their cars, there is a drive-thru adoration chapel. As in many hot countries, the doors and windows of the church are kept open to allow cooler air to circulate. However, at St. Josemaría’s, the doors have screens to prevent the birds from flying in! As St. Josemaria was a lawyer, lawyers in the Philippines consider him their patron saint. Many law students pray at this Church for his intercession before taking the bar exam!

Who were some of the inspiring people that you met while you were there?

I met Bernie Villegas, the first member of Opus Dei in the Philippines, and Fr. Cruz, the first Philippino priest.  I was also inspired by the family tone that the administration staff created and the excellent food that they served!

The caretaker of St. Josemaría’s church was also a very impressive person. He gave us an amazing tour, describing every aspect of the church. He also shared details of the life of St. Josemaria from birth till his death on June 26, 1975; details I did not know myself.  I was surprised and humbled.

What did you get out of attending events at the conference centres?

There is a unique feeling of closeness and brotherhood that one experiences at one of our conference centres. I was also given the spiritual formation to bring my faith to the next level.

Do you feel that others have been positively affected by your spiritual growth at the conference centres?

Yes. Although it is difficult to describe, I feel that when I grow spiritually through conference centre activities, I experience myself to be working more as a team member towards a common goal with my family, friends and others I am associated with.  

IRCD can now receive donations via Interac e-Transfer. This means you can email funds directly to IRCD using your online banking. To do so, please follow the instructions below:

1. Send the funds to accounting@ircd-ca.org.
2. Please be sure to include a comment in the space provided by the bank that the funds are a donation for the CRCC project.
3. Unlike transfers between individuals, no passcode is required as IRCD is registered with Interac. 

The advantage of this way of giving is that the fees charged to IRCD are minimal compared to Paypal, Canada Helps or credit card.

Note: If you wish to donate for a specific oratory item, the option of paying via email transfer is now available on the CRCC oratory donations web page.

The multiplier effect of a retreat is startling. A major effect of a retreat is an increased appreciation for friendship and the need to be a better, more loyal friend. St. Josemaria stresses this in Furrow:

You cannot just be passive. You have to become a real friend of your friends. You can help them first with the example of your behaviour and then with your advice and with the influence that a close friendship provides. Furrow 731         

Copper Ridge will be life-altering precisely because its activities will transform the vision of one’s life. We all have the tendency to think only of our own small “backyard,” so to speak: our daily routine, the challenges and difficulties we are facing, and the numbing rhythm of life. Three days in silence and contemplation at Copper Ridge will change all that. People will emerge refreshed and renewed, with a youthful zest for life and the desire to reach out to everyone around them.

I can’t resist quoting another point from Furrow that captures this vision eloquently: 

You understood the meaning of friendship when you began to feel that you were like the shepherd of a little flock which you had left abandoned, but were now trying to gather together again, taking it upon yourself to serve each one of them. Furrow 730

Speaking about the multiplier effect of a retreat, the example par excellence are the retreats that Jesus conducted off in a quiet place with his twelve apostles. Just as they were inspired to go out into the whole world to spread the Good News, so will we after our retreats with Jesus at Copper Ridge.

A picture is worth a thousand words! For the construction update we will show pictures of the main parts of the project so you can see how far we’ve come and help us give a final push to get the project over the finish line.

Msgr. Frederick Dolan, Vicar of Opus Dei in Canada, was asked to explain the surge in spiritual and apostolic activity that occurs once a conference centre gets established in a new area. His answer follows.

Whenever we start apostolic activities in a new country, a top priority is to establish a conference centre. Until then, the apostolate hobbles, so to speak. Formation takes time and requires the proper setting. A conference centre provides all the necessary ingredients for the formation to work its full impact. The talks, classes and meditations are obviously important, but so is the beauty of the oratory, the homey atmosphere of the house, and so forth. And no words can capture the importance of the work of the staff, whose care for the cleanliness of the centre and the elegance of the meals brings to mind the Lord’s favourite destination in Bethany, the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

A retreat brings us to a screeching halt and makes it possible to take a deep look at the most important elements of our life. Without that pause to focus, it is all too easy to go month after month and even year after year without a clear vision of the important things in life.

St. Josemaria puts his finger in the wound when he writes “Hurrying, hurrying! Working, working! Feverish activity, anxiety to be up and doing.” Later in that same point of The Way he prescribes the remedy: “Calmness. Peace. Intense life within you. Without that wild hurry, without that frenzy for change, you can work from your proper place in life. And, like a powerful generator of spiritual electricity, you will give light and energy to very many, without losing your own vigour and light.” The Way, no. 837.

Someone making a retreat for the first time in many years often comes to the jarring conclusion that they had been ignoring key roles in their life. It only takes a few days of silence and reflection to “reboot” and renew our focus. As a result, we can go about life “giving to each moment the dynamic echo of eternity”, as St. Josemaria liked to put it.