Ten young people from four churches in Trent-Durham are confirmed at Christ Church, Oshawa on May 26, with Bishop Riscylla Shaw presiding. The confirmands came from All Saints, Whitby, Christ Church, Oshawa, St. George, Pickering Village (Ajax) and St. Saviour, Orono. In addition to the confirmations, Peter Misiaszek, the diocese’s director of Stewardship Development, was received into the Anglican Communion. ‘It has been an honour to accompany these thoughtful, creative and curious youth on their journey to confirmation,’ wrote the clergy of the participating parishes. ‘They are both gifted and gifts to the Church. We are filled with hope and excitement to see God at work in their lives.’

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Established in 1922 as a mission of Holy Trinity, Thornhill, the original wooden structure that was St. George, Willowdale went through several rebuilds to accommodate its growing congregation and its role in the community. In the new millennium, half of the church property was sold to a condominium developer and the proceeds used to replace all of the former church buildings with the current one. Completed in 2012 with a contemporary design and environment-friendly features, the new church building is the fifth on the site. To preserve a sense of history, the modern structure incorporates elements from previous buildings such as stained glass and liturgical furnishings.

For the 100-year celebrations, St. George invited past members to visit their former church home. Prior to the special service, tours of the church building were conducted by parish volunteers. Memorabilia from the archives on display included a plaque and stone cross from earlier church buildings, photos from the time of building the original church to the present day, and membership directories.

At the start of the service, a minute of silence was observed in memory of the victims of the Yonge Street van attack, which occurred on St. George’s Day in 2018. Being held just a week after Easter, the service drew richly from the message of hope and redemption embodied in the Resurrection. Reflecting on this during her homily, Archbishop Nicholls said that the Church lives its life in the midst of whatever is happening in the world. We are in very challenging times, emerging from a pandemic, witnessing a war in Ukraine that could become much worse, and seeing the fallibility of broken human beings, she said. In the midst of all that, the gospel lights a spark, a light, a candle. The Primate concluded with the wish that St. George on Yonge carries that same hope into the next 100 years.

St. George’s location right on Yonge Street in the former municipality of North York enables it to serve the pastoral needs of a growing and diverse community and pursue its mission of nurturing relationships with God in Christ, with one another and with the community. St. George hosts a number of community groups, including a Korean Christian congregation and a Persian Christian congregation. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the church welcomed other groups and music ensembles who regularly used worship spaces and meeting rooms, conducted ESL classes, and provided various forms of support to needy neighbours and refugees.

St. George is grateful to the volunteers who gave their time and talents to prepare for and bring life to the 100-year celebrations and to all who came to celebrate this special day.

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All Saints, Sherbourne St. in downtown Toronto celebrates its 150th anniversary in June with a worship service and community barbecue. The church’s programs serve some of Toronto’s most marginalized people.

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A recital of coronation music arranged for organ drew additional friends to the church to hear Music for a Jubilee, performed by music director Robert Dixon. It featured music by Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Handel – much of it performed before the 1953 coronation service began.

The pomp and circumstance brought back other memories of St. Mary Magdalene’s royal and coronation connections. In 1953, music director Healey Willan’s homage anthem, O Lord, Our Governour, was performed at the coronation. Arriving at the church in 1921, Dr. Willan stayed until his death in 1968. He was the first non-resident English composer to be given such a commission. Subsequently, Dr. Willan received an honorary Lambeth doctorate in 1956 and Canadian honours, including the Order of Canada in 1967 and even a postage stamp. With 800 compositions, he is best known for his organ repertoire, hymn settings, motets and 14 choral mass settings still performed throughout the world. His love of plainsong also found a home in our parish; it continues as a living tradition and attracts many visitors.

St. Mary Magdalene has another connection to the Queen. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, visited the church in 1989 to attend the morning service and dedicate a plaque to Dr. Willan. Now two plaques celebrate the church’s royal connection.

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