Never tell the vinyl plank party ‘it’s impossible’

Sacred Heart Church in Lumby is set to celebrate its 100-year anniversary on Oct. 15, but in preparing for the momentous event, Father Thomas Arackal found himself in a bind.

He had hoped to complete an enormous renovation of the old church before Bishop Joseph Nguyen arrived to celebrate the centennial Mass. Father Arackal, however, had very little money. And with less than 30 days to finish the massive project, he hadn’t yet found the funds, nor the team to start the work. 

Then, a few weeks ago, a Kamloops parishioner, Albert Leduc, started making phone calls to see if anyone was available to install vinyl plank flooring for Father Arackal on a tight schedule, and a tighter budget.

Immediately a group of Catholic men in Salmon Arm went into action.

The pitch was a hit – but hopes of a quick and easy work bee were dashed to pieces when one of the Salmon Arm contractors returned home from assessing the project at Sacred Heart. “It’s impossible – there’s simply too much work to do.” It seemed clear that the project would take hundreds of labour hours to complete.

So, Catholic contractors from Salmon Arm consulted each other over a three-day brainstorm and finally arrived at a plan. They would bring every professional contractor and journeyman to the church to complete the most challenging parts of the renovation. Then, the following day, they would manage 26 workers in a streamlined effort to start 2,000+ square feet of vinyl plank and tile flooring, along with a long list of miscellaneous tasks.

The Catholic women in Lumby fed the work crew on both days with pizza, subs, pies, and non-stop praise.

The last plank of vinyl was installed in the final hour, to the sound of an overjoyed Father Arackal. In total, 30+ workers contributed to the construction, including some from Vernon and half a dozen kitchen and support staff from Lumby.

As the 100-year anniversary celebration approaches quickly, contractors from Salmon Arm continue to wrap up the technical assignments – a custom wood and glass rail system in the choir loft, an oak valence mounted nearly 30 feet in the air, miles of trim, etc. 

The anniversary Mass will take place on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m.

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