Primate ‘s Visit to St. Paul’s January 16, 2011

(excerpted from the Grapevine, Jan. 2011)

What a great day in the life of St. Paul’s Anglican Church! We were blessed to have the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada – the Most Reverend Fred Hiltz as Celebrant. Primate Hiltz was accompanied by his wife Lynne on Sunday January 16th. The service began with an organ prelude and the peal of the bells by our bell ringers, followed by the procession which debuted our new St. Paul’s 175th Anniversary banner.

The pews were full and everyone joined heartily in the singing of the much-loved Holy, Holy, Holy. The Primate took time to sit on the altar steps along with the Sunday School children and talked to them about their baptism encouraging each one to discover the date and location of their baptism. He put the children at ease by asking their names and said “you can call me Fred” ….a great personal touch.

The Primate’s homily paid tribute to the church – recalling its beginnings and its service to the community over the years. He also spoke about the importance of each of our baptisms and St. Paul’s conversion to Christianity. Archbishop Hiltz dedicated our 175th banner.

The morning concluded with a special reception in the church hall which gave the congregation an opportunity to meet Fred and his wife Lynne. Happy Birthday wishes were sung for Margaret Walker (nee Mackey) who was celebrating her 90th birthday with many members of her family present.

Below, enjoy some video from the Primate’s visit