Caledon community helps ring bell
The bell at St. James, Caledon East has been ringing in joy and sorrow since 1901. On Nov. 11, the church participated in the Bells of Peace, commemorating 100 years since the Armistice in 1918. The event attracted parishioners, people from the neighbouring church in the village, and others, including members of the Royal Canadian Legion and Caledon’s mayor. People took turns ringing with five seconds between tugs on the old rope, while others listened in the candlelit church. The last ringer was the youngest member of the congregation, who helps ring the bell each Sunday. Piper Al Lawrie played a lament and Amazing Grace as darkness fell. The event spoke to the need people have for acts of solemn remembrance, and the role churches can play as community hubs for spiritual gatherings other than regular worship services.
Diane Allengame, St. James
St. Thomas, Brooklin celebrates sesquicentennial
Almost 150 years ago, Thomas Lumsden donated two acres of land to a small group of Christians to establish a place of worship. On the corner of what is now St. Thomas Street and Winchester Road, Brooklin, St. Thomas Anglican Church began. The first service was held on Dec. 21, 1869. In 2019, St. Thomas’ will be 150 years old and the parishioners will be celebrating throughout the year. “It’s a time of giving God thanks for the rich legacy left to us by our forebears in faith,” says the Rev. Canon Claire Wade, incumbent. A history of the church’s ministry was published and launched on Nov. 18, 2018 and the sesquicentennial celebrations kicked off on Dec. 23, 2018. For information about events in 2019, visit www.stthomasbrooklin.com.
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