WHISTLER, B.C. — Nestled within Whistler’s many snow-covered peaks, Our Lady of the Mountains Parish finds itself just months away from the grand opening of its newly renovated church, a multimillion-dollar restoration project five years in the making, which is set to embrace the town’s historic alpine atmosphere.
As the only Catholic church in the popular B.C. resort town in the Coastal Mountains north of Vancouver, Our Lady of the Mountains’ transformation will see what was once no more than a quaint multipurpose hall become a fully functional sacred space for prayer, service, and evangelization, as well as a visual testament to the community’s steadfast faith and perseverance.
Though Whistler lies outside the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s territory—officially part of the Diocese of Kamloops—it has long been a spiritual home for many Lower Mainland Catholics who flock north for vacation.
Whistler welcomes around 3 million visitors each year—about 45 per cent in winter and 55 per cent in summer—so thousands of Catholics are served by the parish during ski weekends and summer getaways.
In early 2020, Our Lady of the Mountains launched an ambitious campaign to build a larger church, beginning with a vision Father L’Heureux called “a dream.” From the start, parishioners felt God walking with them through each challenge and triumph.
The project was spearheaded by Andy Szocs, a parishioner since the late 1970s and fundraising lead for the project. Szocs took on much of the fundraising himself, leveraging his network and experience from renovating a 250-year-old church in Hungary in 2010 to contribute toward the project’s $6.7-million target.
“I know the value of building a church up, and I saw this as a similar opportunity back at home,” the 85-year-old said. “It has been quite the challenge, and we had to rely on the Holy Spirit a lot. I would go to bed at night with all these challenges about where I would find this money, and I said to the Holy Spirit that I needed some answers. It happened so many times, it has to be divine providence.”
“Standing inside the new church is awe-inspiring,” wrote Father Andrew L’Heureux, the parish priest, in a letter to parishioners this month. “It offers more than beauty—it is a sign of hope, unity, and the bright future of our parish.”
The journey hasn’t been without obstacles. Unexpected soil conditions, design refinements, and inflation pushed the original budget from $5.5 million to $6.7 million. After reaching the initial goal, the parish needed to urgently raise an additional $1.2 million. In June, an existing donor, along with partners and friends, stepped forward to close the gap.
“We believe, without question, that the Holy Spirit guided their hearts, reminding us once again that we are not alone in this mission,” Father L’Heureux wrote.
The new spiritual home, including the use of the pre-existing hall, will seat 500 people, more than triple Our Lady’s (uncertain) current capacity of 160.
The $6.7-million price tag also affords the parish a completely new interior, including a sanctuary, a 15-foot choir loft with space for 25 choir members and instruments, and an an interior design featuring 23 sacred elements such as the altar, crucifix, statues, lighting, and a communion rail—with stained-glass windows and a pipe organ remaining as future goals when funds allow.
Unique to the sanctuary’s design by Oberto Oberti Architecture is the 40-foot timber-frame ceilings, a design reflective of Whistler’s distinct outdoor ethos. A nod to Whistler’s prominent winter and ski culture, the interior is reminiscent of an old-school wooden ski chalet.
“I don’t think you can help but connect to it and feel impressed. It’s what we set out to create, which is something sacred, attractive, and reflective of that Whistler-style look and feel,” Szocs said.
He also shared that through donors’ efforts, close to 90 per cent of the project was funded externally, with local pride in the world-class resort destination and a strong Catholic belief being the main draw for those involved.
“This was possible with a strong fundraising strategy, but we knew from the start that we couldn’t do this without help from our major donors. Quite a number of them, like myself, had an attachment to Whistler,” Szocs said.
“We have the lakes and the valley trails, the ski mountains. It’s just one of God’s beautiful nature scenes. We raised the money with those donors strictly through the personal efforts of selling the vision. We used the motto: If we build the church, they will come.”
Still, Szocs knew the parish couldn’t solely depend on traditional methods.
“You can’t do something like this with bake sales and bingo,” he said with a laugh, emphasizing the importance of his continued targeted strategy for intriguing wealthy donors.
With the grand opening of the new church slated for October, the Catholic community in Whistler continues to work amidst the anticipation. Father L’Heureux noted in the church’s latest newsletter that many parishioners have contributed both their time and labour by assisting in drywalling, painting, and donating needed tools. One parishioner donated pews, accounting for up to 250 seats in the new sanctuary.
Beyond worship, Szocs sees the church as a beacon for evangelization, potentially hosting Catholic conferences inspired by the Napa Institute to draw Catholics to Whistler’s new spiritual appeal.
“It’s not just a church; it’s a place for people to find God,” he said.
Szocs said the project’s success comes from a balance of divine trust and devoted human action, as often expressed by St. Augustine and St. Ignatius.
“Some would say, ‘Leave it to the Holy Spirit,’ but you can’t just pray and wait. It doesn’t always work that way,” he said. “God gave us gifts for a reason. So I like the saying, ‘Pray like everything depends on God, and act like everything depends on you.’”
