Our faith community was planted by the Parish of Saint Luke’s in the south end of Halifax. Parishioners used to row across the arm on Sunday afternoons, picnic and attend worship at the Dingle. In 1895 the chapel was built at the Dingle and Saint Luke’s donated the baptismal font. In 1964 the new church building was built at the Purcell’s Cove Road site.
One of my favourite moments in presiding at the liturgy of the church is during the offertory. We pause and give thanks for the gifts of all the people, for the gifts of bread and wine, for the financial offerings of the people and for the service of the people in workplaces, community organizations and faith communities.
That prayer was especially meaningful on November 27 as our Diocesan Bishop deconsecrated the church building of Saint Augustine’s at Jollimore. Over the previous months a small group of faithful parishioners reflected on the deeply held partnerships they had had in the community over the years.
Sixty percent of the net sale proceeds were gifted for ministry, twenty percent to our mother church, The Cathedral of All Saints, and twenty percent each to our sister churches Emmanuel and Saint James. In the words of Dr. Nancy, “funds were donated to our faith community for ministry and it is important that we share funds for ministry”. In addition, forty percent of the net sale proceeds were donated, twenty percent each to Feed Nova Scotia and QEII for stroke research. Twenty percent for each of those parishes and agencies was $235,000.00.
Throughout our city, there are monthly service provider meetings, and they focus on the social determinants of health in our communities, the basics of human need. I was blessed to attend the monthly meetings in the Spryfield/Purcell’s Cove area. It was a blessing to witness the incredible work and service of so many community agencies. Likewise, faithful parishioners focused their donations on those agencies and charities that tended to the basics of human need.
Fourteen charities and community agencies were chosen for a $10,000.00 donation from our Consolidated Trust Fund and they covered food security, housing, health and animal welfare. The charities are Emmanuel at Spryfield Food Bank, Emmanuel at Spryfield, Feed Nova Scotia, Salvation Army, Canadian Red Cross, Soul’s Harbour Rescue Mission, Stephen Lewis Foundation, Hope for Wildlife, Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, Hospice Halifax, IWK Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes, Mental Health Foundation.
In addition the residue of the Consolidated Trust Fund was donated to education and child development. $150,000.00 was donated to the J. L. Ilsley High School Scholarship Fund and $22,000.00 to the Saint George’s youth music program. As the Consolidated Trust Fund is wrapped up, the residue will be donated to Capella Regalis music programs for youth.
Finally, we have been blessed in sharing our stained glass windows and columbarium with Saint James, our sister church. The baptismal font which travelled from Saint Lukes to the chapel at the Dingle and then onward to the Purcell’s Cove Road church building is now back this side of the arm again at Saint James.
One of the key tenets of our Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund has been the focus on partnerships, both nationally and globally. It has been such a blessing for me to journey with the people of Saint Augustine’s as they discerned partnerships in the community that continue to make a contribution to human need. It seems to be a fitting way to share resources as the parishioners discerned that it was time to close their doors.
Anglican Church of Canada Five Marks of Mission – “to respond to human need by loving service”
Breakdown of Saint Augustine’s distributed funds
HEALTH
- QEII – Stroke Research – $235,000
- Mental Health Foundation – $10,000
- Juvenile Diabetes – $10,000
- Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation – $10,000
- Canadian Cancer Society – $10,000
- Hospice Halifax – $10,000
- IWK Foundation – $10,000
EDUCATION
- J. L. Ilsley Scholarship Fund – $150,000-financial need and academic excellence
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
- Saint George’s music program – $22,000
- Capella Regalis youth music programs – $75,000
FOOD SECURITY
- Emmanuel Church Food Bank – $10,000
- Feed Nova Scotia – $235,000
- Feed Nova Scotia – $10,000
HOUSING
- Salvation Army – $10,000
- Canadian Red Cross – $10,000
- Soul’s Harbour REscue Mission – $10,000
AGENCIES
- Stephen Lewis Foundation $10,000
- Hope for Wildlife – $10,000
PARTNERS IN FAITH COMMUNITY
- Cathedral of All Saints – $235,000
- Saint James Armdale – $235,000 and
- Emmanuel Church at Spryfield – $235,000
Fact – In the Diocese of Nova Scotia. parishes own their property and discern the disbursement.
Fact – First church built in the Dingle in 1894, planted by a congregation called Saint Luke’s. From the south end of Halifax, parishioners used to row the Northwest Arm to worship and picnic at the Dingle.
The new church building happened in 1964.
