As part of a fundraising effort to replace the front stairs of a downtown Sudbury church, two Catholic clergy members and a parishioner plunged into the icy waters of Lake Ramsey Feb. 25.
With light snow in the air and a temperature of about -12 C (or 19 C with the windchill), Bishop Thomas Dowd, Father Raymond Akor and parishioner Chris Narozanski warmed up in a sauna before climbing down a ladder into the frigid lake.
In other words, it wasn’t exactly your typical day at the beach.
But the “Polar Plunging Priests,” as they’ve now surely earned the right to be called, weren’t just doing this for the fun of it.
They took on the icy dip as part of an effort to raise funds to replace the front stairs at Christ the King Church in downtown Sudbury.
Pre-COVID, the quote for the stairs project was $350,000, but that has increased to $600,000 to $700,000, so an ambitious fundraising campaign is needed. The polar plunge event looks to have brought in $80,000 toward that goal.
Bishop Dowd, who represents the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, said he took part in the polar plunge to show his support for the parish.
He said he only arrived in Northern Ontario earlier in the pandemic, and he’s trying to get to know all the corners of the large diocese.
“So this particular event fits well within that,” Bishop Dowd said.
He said he has German heritage, and the idea of a polar plunge is something that is common in Europe, although he admitted he’d never done this before, nor is he a strong swimmer.
(An off-duty paramedic was on site just to make sure Dowd and the others were safe).
After the dip, Bishop Dowd said it was “quite an experience.” He said the worst part wasn’t getting into the water, but the air afterward while walking back to the sauna.
“We're doing this for our parish, but also because we believe in our community,” Bishop Dowd said. “This is something that's captured the imagination of the community. It's not about a building, it's about people and the community we share so we're really happy to have done it.”
You can watch a video of Bishop Dowd's polar plunge below:
Father Raymond Akor, the pastor for Christ the King church, took the polar plunge on the eight-year anniversary of his arrival in Canada. He is originally from the African country of Nigeria, which, it’s safe to say, has a very different climate than Sudbury’s.
He said the polar plunge all started as a joke. The parishioners were looking for ways to raise funds to fix the church’s front stairs, and Father Akor said “I’m willing to jump in the lake during the winter.”
Then Bishop Dowd got wind of the idea, and said he’d be willing to join Father Akor for the stunt.
After jumping in the lake, Akor said he felt great. He said a lot of people thought he was crazy. “But for me, I truly looked forward to it,” he said. “Because since I came to Canada, I have tried to enjoy every season. So I look for the fun part of each season.”
The polar plunge took place at a private home on Lake Ramsey belonging to Christ the King parishioner Chris Narozanski, who joined the priests in taking the icy dip.
He said he offered up his home because it’s a “controlled environment,” with a shallow bay where they could safely enter the water. Narozanski said he and his sons have done this a few times throughout the years.
He gave the clergy kudos for their bravery. “We'll call that a leap of faith,” Narozanski said.
If you’re interested in supporting Christ the King church in its efforts to replace the stairs, phone the parish at 705-674-6447, or check out Canada Helps – Church of Christ the King.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s associate content editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.