Tales of Ecclesiastical Adventures
Recently, I was invited to St. George’s in Schenectady, New York, for their Feast of Title. However, because of Easter being relatively late this year, they kept their celebration on the Second Sunday after Easter (May 5). Usually, commitments after Easter keep me close to St. John’s, but with Mother Wendy being with us, I was able to accept the invitation. Some of you might remember Kevin Decker, who for some time, was one of our American parishioners who lived in Plattsburgh, but now has moved back to Schenectady, which is about 3.5 hours from Montreal, not too far from Saratoga Springs, if you are familiar with that part of the world. St. George’s itself can trace its beginnings and its building back to Colonial times, and it really is a beautiful church, far different in style to St. John’s with our High Victorian 'slum Gothic' architecture.
Here at St John’s, for the last number of years we have - weather permitting - gone out in procession around the church for Rogation Sunday (Easter V), often lead by a piper. Well, St. George’s does an outdoor procession too for their feast, but it is lead by an entire pipe band with police escort as well, with The St. Andrew’s Society, The St. George’s Masonic Lodge, and the congregation following through the Stockades area of Schenectady, which is the formerly walled section of the old Colonial settlement. It was a great deal of fun and nothing gets the attention of the neighbours like a pipe band!
But one of the great benefits of visits like this, at least from my point of view, is getting to speak to other Anglican/ Episcopal people all being challenged with many of the same things as we are. We can sometimes too easily fall into the ditch of thinking if only we were somewhere else, Church life would be so much easier or better. And I would be the first to argue that Church life here in Montreal has its own special challenges. But we all share in the aftershocks of the dramatic changes which have reshaped life in North America, especially Church life in the last 50 years.
Congregations were once many times larger. They had greater resources and had influence that was used to lead in civic, business, and Church affairs. As such, there was a degree of confidence and affluence which went along with that. But in more recent times, both Montreal and Schenectady have suffered economically, as their traditional economic base have changed and moved to other areas of their respective Countries. Schenectady’s economic backbone for many years was General Electric, which is now a shadow of its former self, and the city’s population has declined significantly, but like Montreal it has in recent times been undergoing a renaissance of sorts.
There are signs of hope and rebirth. Here at St. John’s we are endeavouring to move ahead with plans to re-develop the Parish Hall portion of our church property, working together with the Diocese. In the past 20 years, this part of Montreal has changed almost beyond recognition. After sitting in a parking lot for the better part of half a century, we now find ourselves at the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, the vibrant center of Montreal’s rich and diverse cultural life. There could be no better location for a liturgical church like ours than across from Place des Arts, La Maison Symphonique, and the new head quarters of The National Film Board. There are also countless new condos being built at our door step. Indeed, it is only now that the residential population of downtown Montreal is returning to its 1950s' numbers.
We have a beautiful church in which to worship God, built by previous generations. Many churches are only used on Sundays. But that has never been true of us. St. John’s was built, not only with the expectation of daily prayers but of daily Mass. This was undoubtedly the first Anglican church built in Canada with this particular sacramental practice in mind. Daily Mass began in the Parish in 1868. It is also equally true that we were never a church-bound parish, having been instrumental in the founding of St. John’s School (now Lower Canada College), St. Margaret’s Home, and St. Michael’s Mission.
Our operating budget is about $300,000 per year. Of that, half can come from both Investment and rental income, but that still leaves $150,000 to be raised by donations from you and me. In 2017 - not an unusual year - we raised $99,000. You can do the math. This also leaves nothing for the long term capital support of the church, which turned 140 years old in 2018.
St. John’s attracts a varied congregation of many age groups who are seeking the 'beauty of holiness'. Is our future certain? No, but neither is anyone else’s. There have never been any guarantees, but we trust in the faithfulness of God. Even though we are far from perfect, He will bless this particular part of His kingdom as He has so often in previous generations.
On Rogation Sunday, we heard from the Rev’d Dr. Neil Mancor, who is the Congregational Development Officer of the Diocese. He gave a very hopeful sermon on our future. He reminded us that 'Christ is with us, Christ is with you, and Christ wants to support his Church'. Jesus told his disciples in St. Luke, “Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye will find; knock and it will be opened unto you. For everyone who asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened”. So let us not be afraid to ask, or seek, or knock on new doors.
In Christ,
Keith+
