St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Kingston, Ontario) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church |
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St. Andrew's Church in Kingston, Ontario
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| Denomination | Presbyterian Church in Canada |
| Website | http://www.StAndrewsKingston.org |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Andrew |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ontario |
| Diocese | Presbyterian Diocese of Ontario |
| Province | Canada |
St. Andrew's Church is a Presbyterian church located in Kingston, Ontario. It first opened its doors for services in 1822. For a long time, it was a very important center for Presbyterianism in Upper Canada (which is now part of Ontario). The church also played a big part in starting Queen's University, which is now a famous university.
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History of St. Andrew's Church
Building the First Church
The first stone church in Kingston was St. Andrew's Presbyterian. It was built in the 1830s by United Empire Loyalists and Scottish immigrants. The church stands on its current site at Princess Street and Clergy Street. Over the years, changes were made to the building. These changes gave it an Italianate look, different from its original style. The first church was built on a pine ridge that people thought was not very valuable.
A New Governing Body
Before 1831, Presbyterian churches in Canada did not have a main governing group. But there was a strong desire to create one. On June 9, 1831, St. Andrew's Church hosted an important meeting. Ministers and elders from four different church areas came together. This meeting led to the creation of "The Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland." This group was the beginning of what is now the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Founding Queen's University
In 1839, people realized that Kingston needed a place to train Presbyterian ministers. So, a plan was approved at St. Andrew's Church. This plan led to the founding of Queen's University. Today, Queen's is one of the top universities in Canada. A young lawyer and church member, John Macdonald, supported this plan. He later became Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister.
The people of St. Andrew's also helped Queen's University through tough financial times early on. The second minister of St. Andrew's, Reverend John Machar, even served as the university's unpaid president for seven years. In 1912, the official link between the university and the church ended. However, many traditions at Queen's still show its Scottish Presbyterian roots.
The Great Fire of 1888
On April 8, 1888, a fire started by the church furnace. The fire burned the building to the ground. Only the thick stone walls were left standing. These walls were so strong that they had to be blown up. This made way for the new church to be built.
The current St. Andrew's building was rebuilt in 1889. This included the beautiful and impressive main worship area that you can see today.
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
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St. Andrew's Church has many amazing stained glass windows. Many of these windows were made when the second church was built. They were ordered from Castle and Sons, a company in Montreal. Many windows were made to remember important church members.
One window shows the symbols of the Royal Military College of Canada. It also has the Latin phrase 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori', which means "It is sweet and proper to die for one's country." Alumni and friends of the college paid for this window. Another window, in a similar style, honors soldiers from the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. It remembers those who died in World War I (1914-1918). This window includes the text 'quo fas et glorius ducunt', meaning "Whither duty and glory lead."
The large south window was paid for by the women's home association. This window shows one of the few stories about St. Andrew from the Bible. It is from John 12:20-26. In this story, some Greeks ask Andrew and Phillip if they can meet Jesus. In 1967, a smaller chapel was added to the back of the church. This chapel has nine stained glass windows that show events from the life of Jesus.
St. Andrew's Church Today
St. Andrew's Church stands in the center of downtown Kingston, Ontario. Today, about 100 to 150 people attend the church. St. Andrew's plays an active role in the Kingston community.
Community Involvement
The Special Meals program at St. Andrew's is a great example of the church's community work. This program started in January 1987 and is still running. Special Meals is a volunteer program that provides food for people in need every Sunday.
In the summer of 2009, St. Andrew's asked the government for money. They wanted to start a tour guide program at the church. This program was very popular. Almost 1,000 people visited in 2009. In 2010, the tours brought in 1,732 visitors. Tours also ran in 2011 and 2012. They attracted 1,371 and 1,908 visitors, respectively.
