St. Paul's Anglican Church, Vancouver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Paul's Anglican Church |
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St Paul's church with the parish hall (right) and the Pendrellis apartment building (left), 2015
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| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Anglican Church of Canada |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Kingsway |
| Archdeaconry | Burrard |
| Diocese | New Westminster |
| Province | Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and the Yukon |
St. Paul's Anglican Church is a church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves the West End and Yaletown areas of downtown Vancouver. It is one of the oldest Anglican churches in the city. St. Paul's, along with Christ Church Cathedral, started from St. James, which was the very first Anglican church in Vancouver (then called Granville).
Contents
A Look at St. Paul's Early Days
Building the Church
The Anglican Parish of St. Paul began when Vancouver was growing quickly. A group of people from St. James Church wanted a new church. So, a piece of land was bought, and a new church was built in 1889. The parish officially started in 1891.
The first church building was in the middle of its area. But in 1898, it was moved closer to where most people lived. This also moved it away from the noisy railway yards. In 1905, a bigger, new church was built. The old church then became the parish hall.
The new church was built in a style called Gothic Revival. It had pointed windows and doors, like traditional English churches. This style would have felt familiar to many people at the time.
The church had many windows. Some of them were fitted with beautiful stained glass. These windows showed stories from the Bible. For example, one showed St. Paul preaching. Later, more stained glass windows were added, mostly showing scenes of Christ.
The church also has a special pipe organ. It was built by Casavant Frères from Québec. People say it was the first organ of its kind built west of the Rocky Mountains.
In 1911, a new parish hall and a rectory (the priest's house) were built. The rectory was moved in 1929 to make the hall even bigger. The church property has looked mostly the same since then.
Helping the Community
In the 1960s, the church wanted to build a parking lot. But the city did not allow it. Instead, the church built a tall apartment building called The Pendrellis. It opened in 1973 and offered homes for seniors at lower rents.
This project had an unexpected good result. Years later, when the building was paid for, the money it earned helped St. Paul's fund its community programs. These programs helped many people in need.
Church Leaders
Many rectors (head priests) have served St. Paul's Church. The first was Ernest Flewelling (1891-1894). Harold King was the longest-serving rector (1914-1944). Godfrey Gower (1944-1951) later became a bishop. The current rector is The Rev'd Philip Cochrane.
Activities at Church
From the start, St. Paul's was a busy church. It served many middle-class families. The church held regular Sunday services. It also had many activities for all ages. These included Sunday Schools, groups for women and men, scouts, guides, and youth groups.
Some changes to church practices were slow to happen. For example, when a processional cross was first used in 1931, it caused some discussion. Even more discussion happened when women joined the choir in 1933.
Changes After 1980
Around the church's 100th birthday, the West End neighborhood changed a lot. Many old family homes were replaced by apartment buildings. More people lived in the area, and the population became very diverse. This included single-parent families and other groups of people. Many of these new residents did not feel connected to St. Paul's Church.
In 1985, David Crawley became the new rector. He started important changes to how the church served its community and how it held its worship services.
New Ways to Help People
David Crawley started a special program to welcome and support the LGBT community. He and his assistant priest, Neil Gray, worked to open the church to everyone. They also worked with other groups like St. Paul's Hospital and AIDS Vancouver. Crawley later said that St. Paul's had "regained its soul" by finding this new mission.
Neil Gray worked to make the church even more welcoming. In 1998, he asked the church leaders to allow the blessing of same-sex relationships. This idea received support, and in 2002, it was finally approved. This decision was important for many people.
In 1995, St. Paul's opened its Advocacy Office. This office helps people with problems related to government benefits, housing, and immigration. It has a director and many volunteers. They help thousands of people each year.
St. Paul's also helped bring back the idea of walking a labyrinth for meditation. In 1997, a large copy of the famous Chartres Cathedral labyrinth was painted on the parish hall floor. It was the first permanent indoor labyrinth in Canada. Many people, including those not part of the church, visit it each year.
Changes in Worship
Changes to worship services also happened. In 1981, St. Paul's started using a more modern language for its main service. By 1995, the Eucharist (Holy Communion) became the main Sunday service.
The church also changed how often it used the older Book of Common Prayer. By 2014, it was no longer used regularly for the main Sunday service. These changes were happening in many churches in the Diocese of New Westminster.
In 1986, the main altar was moved so the priest could face the people during the service. A portable altar was also used to make services feel more personal.
New items like icons (religious pictures) and votive candles (small candles lit for prayer) were brought into the church. An aumbry was added to keep consecrated bread and wine for sick church members. Practices like Exchanging the Peace (greeting each other) and Washing of Feet on Maundy Thursday were also introduced. These changes helped people feel more involved in the services.
Regular services also began to be held in the Labyrinth. This helped connect the Labyrinth even more to the church's identity.
One of the biggest changes was the role of women. In 1976, women were allowed to become priests in the diocese for the first time. In 1982, a woman priest, Barbara Blakely, led a service at St. Paul's. In 1990, Helen Patterson became the first woman to join the church's staff as an assistant priest. In 2013, Jessica Schaap became the first woman to be appointed as the rector of St. Paul's.
Who Belongs to St. Paul's?
When the church was built, going to church was very common. The number of people attending grew as Vancouver grew. For example, in 1914, almost a thousand people received communion at Easter. The second church was built to hold more people.
Most of the early members were of British background. Until 1955, St. Paul's was part of the Church of England in Canada.
Since 1955, St. Paul's has been part of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Like many churches in Canada, St. Paul's saw its membership numbers go down after the 1960s. However, the church became much more diverse. People from different backgrounds, languages, and social classes joined.
The famous film actress, Yvonne de Carlo, sang in the church choir when she was young.
