Reflections on the heritage, life & work of faith communities in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario
On the First Sunday of Advent, I drove out to the snowy village of Fallowfield, in Ottawa’s rural west-end, and visited a historic church with some of the most extraordinary examples of sacred art in this region. St. Patrick Parish at 15 Steeple Hill Crescent was dedicated in 1866. Today, the sturdy stone church stands…
More than 160 Catholic young adults gathered on Sunday, November 23 at 7:00 pm to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe at St. Joseph’s Parish in downtown Ottawa — in a Neo-Gothic church consecrated in 1932. They were joined by 12 choristers and organist Jamie Loback, leading the congregation…
St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians, and the martyr’s feast day served as an opportunity for a choral Evensong featuring Matthew Larkin’s Caelis Academy Ensemble. The Evensong service on November 22 was also a coming together of Catholic and Anglican traditions. Fr. Doug Hayman, Rector of the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed…
Few churches can say that their cornerstone was laid by Canada’s longest serving prime minister. Yet that’s precisely St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church’s claim to historic fame. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King laid the church’s cornerstone in 1947 and the congregation held its first service at the new 579 Parkdale Avenue location in October 1948….
St. Luke Lutheran Church is a lasting reminder of New Edinburgh’s historic German community. The village east of Bytown founded by a Scotsman, Thomas MacKay, became home to waves of German labourers, the descendants of Prussian serfs, near the end of the nineteenth century. Established in 1915, St. Luke served the local German community. Evidence…
Extraordinary music, both in its quality and diversity, and this congregation’s living connection to its Scottish heritage are what struck me the most during my visit to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Remembrance Sunday. Built in 1872, St. Andrew’s — located on Parliament Hill — is Ottawa’s flagship Presbyterian church. The Gothic Revival church is…
Anglicanism encompasses a rich diversity of liturgical expression. My visit to Trinity Anglican Church in Old Ottawa South on All Saints Sunday served as a good example of this. On November 2, I attended Trinity’s 4:00 pm service — a contemporary liturgy featuring praise and worship music, as well as opportunities to connect with others…
God doesn’t forget us, even when we forget Him. These words are not about a loss of faith; they acknowledge the quiet suffering of those struggling with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other forms of memory loss. It was the first time I ever heard a hymn speak so explicitly and movingly to those losing their ability…
I visited Almonte United Church on a breezy, brisk Sunday and met Reverend Heather Kinkaid who took the time to greet every single person in the pews before beginning the service. Her interaction with the faithful was more than a passing hello. She exchanged a few sentences with everyone, she listened, knew about what was…
I will never look at pretzels the same way after my visit to St. John’s United Church in Kemptville on October 19 — an unseasonably warm day that was as bright as the mood of this cheerful congregation. Built in 1869 to serve as the spiritual home of local Methodists, a fire in 1888 destroyed…