St. Paul's Church (Halifax)
Encyclopedia
St. Paul's Church is an evangelical
Anglican church in downtown
Halifax Nova Scotia
within the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island of the Anglican Church of Canada
. It is located at the south end of the Grand Parade
, an open square in downtown Halifax with Halifax City Hall
at the northern end. The church takes its name from Paul of Tarsus
, the apostle famous for his conversion while travelling to Damascus
.
Founded in 1749 (the same year as the Halifax colony), it is the oldest still-standing Anglican church in Canada. The building was begun in 1750 (making it the oldest surviving structure in the city of Halifax) and is based on the ground plan of the Gibbs'
Marybone Chapel
of St. Peter's, Vere Street in London, with later additions such as a larger tower. Reverend William Tutty (1715-1754) opened St Paul's Church (Halifax) on September 2, 1750. Rev William Tutty was the first minister (1750-54); followed by Rev John Breynton
(1754-1791), who was absent from 1785-1791.
With the creation of the Diocese of Nova Scotia
in 1787, St. Paul's was given the Bishop's seat
, making it the first Anglican cathedral outside of Great Britain. It served as the cathedral from 1787-1864. The diocese included Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, St. Johns (now Prince Edward IslanD), and across Quebec and Ontario to Windsor, and Bermuda. For many decades it was one of the only places of worship in Halifax, and other denominations would thus hold services in the building.
During the Halifax Explosion
of 1917, a piece of wooden window frame from another building was lodged into the wall of St. Paul's Church, where it remains today.
Saint Paul's has a royal pew, and many royal guests have visited, including the father of Queen Victoria, the Duke of Kent, and Princesses Michael, Margaret, Alexandra, and Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II), and Prince William Henry in 1786 (later King William IV), Edward in 1860 (later King Edward VII), and Prince Edward in 1987. However, King George V decline to use the royal pew during his visits to Halifax as the commander of the HMS Thrush.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Anglican church in downtown
Downtown Halifax
Downtown Halifax is the city centre of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. Located on the eastern-central portion of the Halifax Peninsula, on Halifax Harbour, it serves as the business, entertainment, and tourism hub of the region.- Municipal:...
Halifax Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
within the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island of the Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
. It is located at the south end of the Grand Parade
Grand Parade (Halifax)
The Grand Parade is an historic military parade square dating from the founding of Halifax in 1749. At the north end of the Grand Parade is the Halifax City Hall, the seat of municipal government in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality. At the south end is St. Paul's Church...
, an open square in downtown Halifax with Halifax City Hall
Halifax City Hall
Halifax City Hall is the seat of municipal government in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.Since municipal amalgamation took place on 1 April 1996, Halifax City Hall has hosted the regular meetings of the Halifax Regional Council, as well as various municipal offices.-History:The building...
at the northern end. The church takes its name from Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
, the apostle famous for his conversion while travelling to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
.
Founded in 1749 (the same year as the Halifax colony), it is the oldest still-standing Anglican church in Canada. The building was begun in 1750 (making it the oldest surviving structure in the city of Halifax) and is based on the ground plan of the Gibbs'
James Gibbs
James Gibbs was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Scotland, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England...
Marybone Chapel
Marybone Chapel
The Marybone Chapel or Marylebone Chapel also known until 1832 as the Oxford Chapel after its founder Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, and now known as St Peter's Vere Street, was a former Anglican church off Oxford Street, London. It was designed by James Gibbs in 1722...
of St. Peter's, Vere Street in London, with later additions such as a larger tower. Reverend William Tutty (1715-1754) opened St Paul's Church (Halifax) on September 2, 1750. Rev William Tutty was the first minister (1750-54); followed by Rev John Breynton
John Breynton
John Breynton was a renowned minister in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada....
(1754-1791), who was absent from 1785-1791.
With the creation of the Diocese of Nova Scotia
Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
The Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada of the Anglican Church of Canada. It encompasses the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and has two cathedrals: All Saints' in Halifax and St. Peter's in Charlottetown...
in 1787, St. Paul's was given the Bishop's seat
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
, making it the first Anglican cathedral outside of Great Britain. It served as the cathedral from 1787-1864. The diocese included Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, St. Johns (now Prince Edward IslanD), and across Quebec and Ontario to Windsor, and Bermuda. For many decades it was one of the only places of worship in Halifax, and other denominations would thus hold services in the building.
During the Halifax Explosion
Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the huge detonation of the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship, fully loaded with wartime explosives, which accidentally collided with the Norwegian SS Imo in "The Narrows"...
of 1917, a piece of wooden window frame from another building was lodged into the wall of St. Paul's Church, where it remains today.
Saint Paul's has a royal pew, and many royal guests have visited, including the father of Queen Victoria, the Duke of Kent, and Princesses Michael, Margaret, Alexandra, and Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II), and Prince William Henry in 1786 (later King William IV), Edward in 1860 (later King Edward VII), and Prince Edward in 1987. However, King George V decline to use the royal pew during his visits to Halifax as the commander of the HMS Thrush.