On Sunday, June 23, Knox Presbyterian Church in Sooke will host an open, community-wide service to remember those who died during the early years of the pandemic, when gatherings and celebrations of life weren’t possible due to public health restrictions.
This idea arose when Knox members were planning their 125th anniversary weekend, which will take place on Saturday, June 22 and the Sunday of the service. Those planning the weekend spoke about how they missed long-time church member and Sooke resident Amy Chwojka, and about how important her leadership and energy was, says Knox’s interim minister Reid Chudley. That’s because Chwojka, who played a key role in planning Knox events, including the popular strawberry tea celebrations, died at the start of the pandemic.
Chwojka’s family kept her funeral small and private to comply with restrictions at the time.
“Many in the congregation wanted to remember her and … give thanks for her life,” says Chudley.
And so the commemorative service was born.
Those who knew Chwojka, even peripherally, are aware of how much she did to help others and her community. An active member of the Sooke Regional Historical Society, the Breast Cancer Support Group and the Canadian Red Cross, she also volunteered for a range of other organizations, including the Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society and the Girl Guides of Canada. Before moving to Sooke, she worked as a nurse in Duncan and a logging camp air rescuer on the Sunshine Coast. She was even the nurse supervisor for the Fraser Valley, which involved adventures like flying via float planes into remote areas.
“I just can’t believe all the things she’s done in her lifetime,” says Chwojka’s daughter Karen. “Everything you can think of, Mom was involved with.”
Chudley explains that, after talking about Chwojka with Knox members, “we wondered if other people had loved ones who didn’t get a chance to be remembered.” So, as a group, they decided to open it up as an opportunity for locals to celebrate and remember together.
Knox invites anyone in the Sooke area to submit a photo and write-up of friends, family and loved ones who they would like to honour publicly, and to attend the service. It takes place June 23 at 10:30 a.m. Send information to reidc74@gmail.com.
