On the Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 15, I visited a friendly little Anglican congregation at 24 Sandridge Road in Manor Park. The 40 parishioners in attendance for the 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist included a wonderfully “churched” dog who calmly visited parishioners in the pews before the service and attentively sat through the liturgy. St. Columba is known for having a high quality music ministry, including talented young cantors and a repertoire of traditional hymnody. Upon arrival, a friendly volunteer greeter welcomed me and explained that for communion, the parish uses a communion rail. Once seated in a pew, the smiling Incumbent, Reverend Susan Lewis, came up to warmly welcome me as well.
The Mid-century modern church was dedicated in March 1960 by Anglican Bishop of Ottawa E.S. Reed. The Ottawa Journal covered the dedication, including the consecration of the altar, in the paper’s March 18, 1960 issue. The church had been designed by retired Air Force officer John Defries and Reverend John Stewart served as the new community’s first priest. Even before the completion of the church, he had offered Anglican liturgies at various locations in the neighborhood, including in a stable, since 1949. One of the church’s original features is the focal point still today: a 15-foot well-lit cross in the sanctuary. The sanctuary also includes a beautiful stained glass window depicting St. Columba, an evangelizing sixth-century patron saint of both Scotland and Ireland, who established a religious community on the island of Iona, in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides region. The memorial window was added in 1989.
St. Columba’s music ministry is directed by Faye Grinberg-Rice. She was joined by two cantors, Sophia Nickel and Mallory Williams, at the Sunday service. “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” served as the opening hymn. Other hymns included “Here in This Place New Light is Streaming” by the prolific twentieth-century American liturgical composer Marty Haugen. St. Columba’s printed order of service included some enlightening details on the various pieces and their composers. In the case of Haugen, the order of service noted that while raised in the Lutheran tradition, he became a musician in a Roman Catholic parish, developing a reputation for writing accessible worship music. The sermon was followed by a duet, “I Waited for the Lord,” by Felix Mendelssohn, while “God, Who Touchest Earth with Beauty” served as the offering hymn. The service closed with the hymn “Word of God, Come Down to Earth,” while the faithful listened to the Postlude “Adagio” by eighteenth century English composer and organist John Stanley.
The healing of the man born blind, as recounted in John 9, served as the Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Reverend Lewis offered the sermon and spoke in very personal terms of forgiveness — praying for the capacity to forgive someone who has wronged us in the gravest way. It became clear from Rev. Lewis’ sermon that contemplative prayer is at the heart of her Christian faith. Rev. Lewis was appointed the Incumbent of St. Columba in December 2024 and began her ministry at this Manor Park church in January 2025. She had been ordained in 2018, after the completion of a Master of Divinity degree from Saint Paul University. Rev. Lewis cultivates a close, pastoral relationship with her parishioners. During communion, she offered parishioners the option of a blessing and at the end of the service, she spent time greeting and chatting with members of her congregation in the entrance area.
Following the service, all were invited to the lower hall where coffee, tea, fresh fruit, crudités, and baked goods awaited the faithful.
Christopher Adam
Born in Montreal, Christopher Adam has called Ottawa home for the past twenty years. He received his MA from Carleton University, with a thesis focusing on twentieth century European church history, and a PhD in History from the University of Ottawa. Over the years, he has published widely and works in the faith-based charitable sector in Ottawa.