In November 1879, the Archbishop of Canterbury consecrated Acton Windeyer Sillitoe as first Bishop of New Westminster. Sillitoe arrived in New Westminster in June 1880. In November 1978, Bishop Sommerville appointed a Centennial Committee to plan for the celebration of the centennial of the Diocese of New Westminster. Centennial celebrations were organized in the diocese to take place between November 1979 to May 1980. Ex-officio members of the committee were Bishop Sommerville and Lyndon Grove, former editor of Topic, the Diocesan newspaper. Highlights of the events included: publication of a centennial history - "Pacific Pilgrims" - by Lyndon Grove with forward by Archbishop Godfrey Gower; "Festival 100" - a program of music, drama and worship, presented at the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, with guest speaker Rev. Stuart Y. Blanch, Archbishop of York; celebrations and Eucharist organized on the P.N.E. grounds in Vancouver; a Diocesan "family festival" and other activities planned by individual parishes on their own. The election and consecration of a new Bishop in 1980 were also part of the centennial events. The Centennial Committee was terminated in 1980.
published
BCAUL control number: ANGNW-564
Sous-fonds consists of minutes, correspondence, legal records, manuscripts, printed material. Includes press releases; material relating to publication of centennial history book, "Pacific Pilgrims" by Lyndon Grove; "Festival 100" event and special Eucharist celebration. Includes some earlier correspondence regarding upcoming centennial.