Double centenary service at St. Paul’s

Sep 20, 2012

Photo: Bishop of Ontario, the Rt. Rev. Michael Oulton with Quentin Watson and Rev. Judson Bridgewater

A special centenary service at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Sydenham on September 16, commemorating both the 175th anniversary of the Parish of Loughborough and the 100th Anniversary of the current church of St. Paul’s, was led by the Rt. Reverend Bishop of Ontario, Michael Oulton. The service included readings by numerous members of the congregation and an array of musical pieces courtesy of the church choir, Madeline Wood and Brad Barbeau. A celebratory lunch followed.

For Bishop Oulton and St. Paul's minister, Rev. Judson Bridgewater, the event was a kind of reuniting between teacher and student. Rev. Bridgewater is a former student of Bishop Oulton and studied with him at Christ Church in Belleville.

The Bishop recalled those days. “I knew right off the bat that Judson was going to have a profound influence on the overall ministry of our church."

Judson, who has served at St. Paul’s since January 2011, will soon be leaving the church to serve in the military chaplaincy.

The Bishop said that Rev. Judson would be welcomed back to the parish in the future following his military service. “I want him to know that when the day comes that he is finished that posting, he always has a home here in the dioceses of Ontario.”

Following the service the Bishop was presented with a wooden boot jack hand-made by a young member of the congregation and altar server, Quentin Watson of Verona. The next centenary celebration at the church will be the Anniversary Evensong with Mathew Larkin and the Men and Boys Choir of Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday Sept. 30 at 5pm.