Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver)

Last updated
Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver)
ChristChurchCathedral Vancouver BC CA 2011-05-12.JPG
Christ Church Cathedral in Downtown Vancouver
Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver)
49°17′03″N123°07′13″W / 49.28417°N 123.12028°W / 49.28417; -123.12028
Location690 Burrard Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6C 2L1
Denomination Anglican Church of Canada
Churchmanship Broad church
Website www.thecathedral.ca
Administration
Province British Columbia and Yukon
Diocese New Westminster
Deanery Burrard
Clergy
Bishop(s) John Stephens
Dean Christopher Pappas
Priest(s) Areeta Bridgemohan (vicar), Clare Morgan, Matthew Senf, Melanie Calabrigo, Adam Dawkins (curate)
Deacon(s) Alisdair Smith, Dixie Black, Jeffrey Preiss

Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church of Canada, and the second church to have been the diocese's cathedral. A place of worship in Greater Vancouver, the cathedral is located at 690 Burrard Street on the northeast corner of West Georgia Street, directly across from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Downtown Vancouver.

Contents

History

Christ Church is a daughter church of St. James' Anglican Church. The first service was held, without a church building, on December 23, 1888, at 720 Granville Street. On February 14, 1889, a building committee was formed to collect the necessary funds for the erection of the church. It would be located on land bought from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR); Henry John Cambie, chief engineer of CPR's Pacific Division and people's warden of the new church, was a key negotiator in acquiring the property. [1]

By October 1889, Christ Church's basement was built and on October 6, the opening service was held for 52 parishioners. The joy of a new church was short-lived. By 1891 the CPR objected to the unfinished building that had quickly been nicknamed the root house. It was viewed an "eyesore" and the parishioners feared they would lose their location due to lack of funds to complete the building. The architect Robert Mackay Fripp submitted a proposal for completion of the church in 1892. [2] [1]

A financing scheme was developed by a parishioner and the cornerstone was finally laid July 28, 1894, and the church dedicated on February 17, 1895. The church was built in the Gothic style with ceiling made of cedar planking and ceiling beams and floor constructed out of old growth Douglas fir. [1] By 1909, the first expansion was done and by 1911, the first organ had already worn out. It used a human blower hired at $5 per month and was replaced by a new organ manufactured by Wurlitzer.

View of Christ Church Cathedral, c. late 1930s Vancouver Christ Church Cathedral (1).jpg
View of Christ Church Cathedral, c. late 1930s

In 1920, electricity replaced candles for lighting, and in 1930 the lanterns now in the church were installed. [1]

In 1929, the Archbishop of New Westminster constituted Christ Church as the Cathedral Church of the diocese, replacing Holy Trinity Cathedral in the City of New Westminster.

The church planned to build a bell tower, but in 1943, the city by-laws were changed to restrict church bells. In November 2016, a bell tower was inaugurated. Its four bells are rung daily at 8:00 am and 6:00 pm and before church services. [1]

In 1949, after many building alterations, the Casavant organ was installed. Constructed partially of war surplus parts and remnants of the Wurlitzer, the instrument served well but had a problematic history. [1] 2004 saw the installation of a Kenneth Jones tracker organ in the south gallery of the renovated cathedral. Comprising a three manual console and 2500 pipes, 1700 salvaged from the Casavant, it is the first Christ Church Cathedral organ custom built to speak with optimum effect in the sanctuary. [1]

In 1971, the church membership voted to demolish the building and replace it with a hi-rise tower complex designed by Arthur Erickson. The redevelopment was opposed by the public and in 1976 after much lobbying, the cathedral was named a Class A Heritage building in the municipality of Vancouver and the Province of British Columbia. [1] In 1995, an eleven-year program of restoration and renewal was begun.

Christ Church Cathedral is the Regimental Church of the Seaforth Highlanders and is in the process of being designated Regimental Church of the BC Regiment, Duke of Connaught's Own.

Bishop Michael Ingham authorized a liturgy for the celebration of lesbian and gay covenants in December 2002. Christ Church Cathedral's Annual Vestry meeting in February 2003 gave approval for the ministry to be offered as part of the parish's pastoral care for the community. [3] On September 25, 2014, the parish submitted "A Statement in Favour of the Solemnization of Same Sex Matrimony in the Anglican Church of Canada" to the Anglican Church of Canada's commission on the marriage canon. This statement was submitted by the cathedral's clergy, wardens and parish council. [4]

Worship

View of the cathedral altar from the nave of the cathedral Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver Interior 2012.jpg
View of the cathedral altar from the nave of the cathedral

Holy Communion is celebrated using both the Book of Common Prayer and the Book of Alternative Services. Both a simple spoken celebration and a choral or sung Eucharist celebrated with congregational hymns featuring an eclectic mix of Mass settings, psalmody, anthems and instrumental music are practised. Music in worship ranges from plainsong to motets from the baroque and classical periods to contemporary and world music. Cathedral musician Rupert Lang is a prolific and respected composer and many of his sacred pieces debut during this liturgy.

The cathedral clergy share preaching duties at services with guest preachers booked throughout the year. Guest preachers in the recent past have included a former Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, and the noted environmental scientist David Suzuki. It is also the church at which the royal family worships when in Vancouver. [3]

In May 2014, the cathedral formed St. Brigid's, a community rooted in the Emerging Church movement rooted in the Anglican tradition.

Deans of New Westminster

Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster formerly housed the Dean of New Westminster, until that seat was moved to Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver in 1929. The following is a list of deans of New Westminster since 1929: [1] [3]

Heraldry

The celtic cross, which is found on both the cathedral's exterior and interior, represents the roots of the Anglican Communion in the British Isles. The spindle whorl and the three salmon in the style of the Coast Salish Nation, represent the First People of Canada and the original inhabitants of the west coast.

The Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P) in the centre are the initials of the words Christus Rex, Christ the King. The motto is "I hold before you an open door" (Revelation 3:8), the title of the first sermon preached in the cathedral by the rector, the Rev. H. B. Hobson, December 23, 1888.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Diocese of New Westminster is one of five dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and the Yukon of the Anglican Church of Canada. The see city is Vancouver. The current bishop is the Right Reverend John Stephens. He was consecrated as the coadjutor bishop on January 23, 2021, and installed as diocesan bishop on February 28, 2021. The Dean of New Westminster and rector of the cathedral is the Very Reverend Christopher Pappas and the Executive Archdeacon of the diocese is the Venerable Philippa Pride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James Cathedral (Seattle)</span> Church in Washington, United States

St. James Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located at 804 Ninth Avenue in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the seat of its archbishop, currently Paul D. Etienne. The cathedral is named for St. James the Greater, patron saint of the archdiocese, and is the third church in the territory presently known as the Archdiocese of Seattle to bear the name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Ingham (bishop)</span>

Michael Ingham is a retired bishop, theologian in the Anglican Church of Canada. From January 9, 1994 to August 31, 2013, he was the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church of Canada, located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of St. John the Baptist</span> Historic church in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The Basilica-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is the metropolitan cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland and the mother church and symbol of Roman Catholicism in Newfoundland. The building sits within the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, a National Historic District of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral (Ottawa)</span> Church

Christ Church Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The church is located at 414 Sparks Street in the northwest section of the city's downtown at the western end of Sparks Street on top of a promontory looking down to the Ottawa River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Elliott (Canadian priest)</span> Anglican priest (born 1954)

Peter Elliott is a Canadian priest. He is the former (retired) rector of Christ Church Cathedral and Dean of New Westminster in the Anglican Church of Canada. Elliott grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario. In 1976 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and philosophy from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. Subsequently, he attended and graduated from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1981 he was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Niagara. Prior to coming to Vancouver he was Director of Ministries in Church and Society with the Anglican Church of Canada. In 1994, Elliott was made rector of Christ Church Cathedral and Dean of New Westminster. He retired in October 2019 after 25 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Cathedral (Regina, Saskatchewan)</span> Church in Saskatchewan, Canada

St Paul's Anglican Cathedral is an historic church building located on the outskirts of Regina's central business district. Built as a parish church in 1894–1895, it became the pro-cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Qu'Appelle in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1944 when pro-cathedral status was removed from St Peter's, Qu'Appelle, in the eponymous former see city which had become moribund. In 1973, when it had become clear that the once-planned grand cathedral for Regina — at the corner of Broad Street and College Avenue — was no longer a feasible project, its status was raised to that of cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Rosary Cathedral (Vancouver)</span> Church in Vancouver, Canada

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, commonly known as Holy Rosary Cathedral, is a late 19th-century French Gothic revival church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver. It is located in the downtown area of the city at the intersection of Richards and Dunsmuir streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral (Victoria, British Columbia)</span> Church in Victoria, British Columbia

Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia is the cathedral church of the Diocese of British Columbia of the Anglican Church of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church St Laurence</span> Church in City of Sydney. New South Wales, Australia

Christ Church St Laurence is an Anglican church located at 814 George Street, near Central railway station and Haymarket, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is the principal centre of Anglo-Catholic worship in the city and Diocese of Sydney, where the Anglicanism is predominantly Evangelical in character. Anglo-Catholicism is manifested at Christ Church St Laurence by an emphasis on the sacraments, ritual, music and social action, all of which have been prominent features of Anglo-Catholicism since the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglican Diocese of Ballarat</span> Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia

The Diocese of Ballarat is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia, which was created out of the Diocese of Melbourne in 1875. It is situated in the Ballarat region of the state of Victoria, Australia and covers the south-west region of the state. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King in Ballarat. Garry Weatherill, formerly the Bishop of Willochra between 2000 and 2011, was installed as the 10th Bishop of Ballarat on 5 November 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King</span> Church in Hamilton, Ontario

The Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King is a Roman Catholic church in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The cathedral was consecrated on December 19, 1933. It is the seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton, and the cathedral of the Diocese of Hamilton. The cathedral contains the cathedra of the bishop, the Most Rev. Douglas Crosby. The cathedral was raised to the status of a minor basilica in February 2013 by Pope Benedict XVI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Joseph's Basilica (Edmonton)</span> Church in Alberta, Canada

St. Joseph's Cathedral Basilica is a minor basilica in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The basilica, located west of downtown Edmonton is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton and is one of the largest churches in Edmonton. St. Joseph, which seats about 1,100 people, is the only minor basilica in Western Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur</span> Church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin or St. Mary's Cathedral is the cathedral of the Diocese of West Malaysia of the Anglican Church of the Province of South East Asia, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the Episcopal see of the Anglican Bishop of West Malaysia and the mother church of the diocese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral (Fredericton)</span> Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick

Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton. It is located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. Construction of the cathedral began in 1845 and it was consecrated in 1853. The Gothic Revival cathedral is modelled after St. Mary's Church, Snettisham, Norfolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James' Cathedral, Townsville</span> Church in Australia

St James' Cathedral is a heritage-listed cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland at 36 Cleveland Terrace, Townsville, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Arthur Blacket and was built in 1887 by MacMahon & Cliffe. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Paul's Anglican Church, Vancouver</span> Church in British Columbia, Canada

St. Paul's Anglican Church serves the south-west downtown peninsula of Vancouver, British Columbia, alongside Christ Church Cathedral serving the north-east. Both parishes separated from St. James, the first Anglican Church in Granville, as Vancouver was then known.

Ellen Jane Clark-King is a British-Canadian Anglican priest and academic. Since 2020, she has served as Dean of King's College London.

Felix Clarence Orji is a Nigerian-born American Anglican bishop. A former Episcopal priest who left the Episcopal Church as part of the Anglican realignment, Orji was consecrated a bishop in Nigeria in 2011 to serve the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. Since 2013, he has been the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of All Nations, which was a dual member of both the Church of Nigeria and the Anglican Church in North America from 2013 to 2019, a member of the Church of Nigeria North American Mission from 2019 to 2022, and a sole member of the ACNA since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Shaughnessy</span> Anglican church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

St. John's (Shaughnessy) Memorial Church is an Anglican parish in the Shaughnessy neighborhood of Vancouver. Founded in 1925, the church is part of the Diocese of New Westminster in the Anglican Church of Canada. Once reported to be the largest Anglican church in Canada and a bastion of evangelicalism, most of the congregation and clergy left during the Anglican realignment and the church is today much smaller and aligned with the progressive wing of Canadian Anglicanism.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Adams, Neale (1989). Living Stones. A Centennial History of Christ Church Cathedral, 1889-1989. Vancouver: Christ Church Cathedral.
  2. ↑ Robert Mackay Fripp
  3. 1 2 3 Adams, Neale (2006). Living Stones. A History of Christ Church Cathedral. 2nd Ed. Vancouver: Christ Church Cathedral. ISBN   978-0978220709
  4. ↑ Cathedral website.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.