South Cowichan’s St. John the Baptist Anglican Church is 130 years old this year and the head of the Anglican Church of Canada will soon visit Cobble Hill to help parishioners celebrate.
The Most Rev. Fredrick James Hiltz, the 13th primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, will be celebrating Holy Eucharist May 28 at 5 p.m. at the church. A reception will follow.
“We’re just so honoured to have the primate take time to come to that little parish church in Cobble Hill, and help us celebrate our 130th,” said parishioner, Bonnie Wadds.
Archbishop Hiltz is coming from Toronto for the visit, but will make a stop in Vancouver to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Anglican Foundation of Canada in Christ Church Cathedral on May 27.
He’s the chairman of the foundation, whose aim it is to fund ministry, physical infrastructure and charitable work across the country.
“What’s interesting is this Archbishop Hiltz succeeded Archbishop Andrew Hutchinson who lives in Shawnigan and attends our church,” Wadds noted. “We have two primates!” Hiltz was elected to his position in 2007 upon the retirement of Hutchinson.
St. John Baptist Church was formed in 1887. According to its website, “the church itself was completed in 1889, on land donated by John and Thomas Farnsworth, at the request of their brother-in-law John Nightingale, who conducted services as the lay reader. The first ordained priest, the Reverend Frederick Granville Christmas, was appointed at John Nightingale’s death in 1909.”