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On the 5th of July, the residents at AMICA Seniors Residence in Edgemont gathered for communion to encounter God by slowing down, praying, reflecting on scripture, and sharing bread as Jesus taught us. The service was presided by the Rev. Sharon Smith.

The partnership of St. Catherine’s Anglican Church and AMICA Seniors Residence started right after the latter opened in Edgemont Village. Way back, the church offered a monthly in-person service every 4th Tuesday of the month in the afternoon, as one of our parishioners, Bonnie Grundy, recalled who was then a trained Memory Care Volunteer from Saint Catherine's at AMICA. Bonnie also began an in-person program called 'Food for the Soul' once each month on a Thursday evening for residents in the Memory Care area of AMICA. Both those programs lasted until COVID. 

"When Sharon came to St. Catherine's we also decided to offer an 8:00 a.m service once/monthly at AMICA and that was very successful. We were still offering an 8:00  a.m. service at the church at that time, so that was just moved to AMICA on the first Sunday of each month," Bonnie shared.

Shortly into COVID, arrangements were made to livestream every Sunday morning service. During a fair amount of time during the first year or year and a half of COVID, the residents at AMICA were severely restricted in their movements and were, for some time, restricted to their rooms. "It was a pretty sad time, as you can imagine. We even made a point of visiting the residents in some fashion as often as we were able and allowed and did have, as I recall, short services outside when weather permitted during COVID," said Bonnie.

Phyllis Mittlestead and Ann Mansfield (then residents at AMICA) offered pastoral care to the other residents and constantly invited people to attend the Sunday livestream service in the AMICA Theatre. Phyllis and Ann's deaths have impacted the ministry of St. Catherine's at AMICA. We are looking to revitalize this ministry.

Now that we are finally back to normal post-COVID, we have now resumed our monthly in-person service on the first Wednesday morning of each month and it has a regular following.

Everyone is welcome to join the service.

AMICA Seniors Residence is located at 3225 Highland Blvd, North Vancouver.