150th Anniversary Event of St. Peter’s Church Cookshire
O n Sunday morning, April 30th, 2017 the Anglican Parish of St. Peter in Cookshire held a special worship service of Holy Eucharist, officiated by the Right Reverend Bruce Myers OGS, Bishop of the Diocese of Quebec, to celebrate the church’s 150th Anniversary. Bishop Bruce was assisted by The Venerable Dr. Edward Simonton OGS, Vicar General and Archdeacon of the Diocese of Quebec and The Reverend Giuseppe Gagliano. The church being one point in the St. Francis Regional Ministry a fifth Sunday was chosen to hold the occasion as a deanery service. The small congregation was most pleased to once again have a full church of friends, former parishioners, members of other churches in the regional ministry, and the congregation of Trinity United Church Cookshire – many of whom sang in the choir. June Patterson, originally from Cookshire, was the organist.
A small snippet from the past reports the following outline of the church’s history: “The first church was built in either 1817 or 1819 and was a wooden structure, only the fourth church in the district of St. Francis. The Rev. Johnathan Taylor was the first Anglican clergyman to minister to the congregation and served the area from 1818 to 1849. In 1867 the church was torn down and replaced by the present building. In 1895 the steeple was blown down during a windstorm, and following this, the church was enlarged and a new steeple built. The parish hall was erected in 1905 and the kitchen added in 1910.”
Following the service there was a lunch, catered by Peggy Grapes, and a time of fellowship to make and renew acquaintances. The anniversary cake was made by Linda Hoy who was also the official photographer for the event.
For us to even be able to celebrate such a wonderful occasion, we pay tribute to the generations of families, individuals, and clergy who have served God in this church. Our Wardens, Dorothy Ross and Bernard Hodge, and our dedicated congregation are good examples of the devotion required to keep this church as a place of worship in the community. (It must be said that many such people are found working in all the churches of the St. Francis Regional Ministry, the deanery, and the diocese). We extend our appreciation to Malcolm (Mac) Fraser, who faithfully served God and this church in numerous positions until health issues forced him to retire.
Finally, we thank everyone who came and shared the day with us and to those who sent letters sharing special memories. May God bless you all.