Thirty Years in the wilderness before a return to Burnaby
THE parish of St. Peter & St. Paul (Anglican Catholic Church of Canada) owes its origin to the work of Canon Edward Gale, who used to live on Burris Avenue in theVancouver suburb of Burnaby. Canon Gale was the first Rector of a ‘continuing’ Anglican Catholic parish in greater Vancouver, with the formation of the parish of St. Mary and St. Martha over thirty years ago.
Over the years, and with the unfailing support of the likes of Fr. James Penrice SSC and Ms. Gwen Lammercraft, the parish became St. Peter & St. Paul, worshipping in several locations, usually in borrowed space kindly offered, and for the past seven years, finding a home just off Commercial Drive on Kitchener Street in Vancouver.
Many of us were happy with the vitality of that neighbourhood, but the building gave the parish major challenges, as we were not able to offer the outreach services and support for the community at large that is an essential part of the mission of the church. And so, with the formation of a five years planning committee, the search started for a new home, one which this time would allow for greater participation in the life of the community.
Blessed by the generosity of our parishioners and benefactors, we were able to assemble two lots in Vancouver, which, when sold, allowed us to start looking for a new home. Despite the sale of the property being delayed by the financial crisis of 2009, when we were advised that the East Burnaby United church building was for sale, with a timeline which met our needs, we were delighted, but not as delighted as at the time that our offer to purchase the church was accepted by the United Church Property Development Council.
We are very pleased that Graham Montessori school will continue to offer an excellent pre-school and day-care on the premises, and look forward to a long partnership with the school. We also welcome those groups that have previously had use of the church, as this fulfils our goal to become a valued partner in the community.
The first sung Mass in the new church, at 7772 Graham Avenue, was on the feast of the Epiphany, January 6th, 2010: as we have taken a giant step forward, you are invited to join us in our mission, as we look forward to the joyful challenge of bringing traditional Anglican worship closer to the people of Burnaby, New Westminster, and North Surrey.
