Our Church

Introduction

St. James the Apostle is much more than the church building, and to totally experience St. James the Apostle, we invite you to visit us during a worship service or an activity. But this built heritage is an important gift that tells our story. It reflects the life and evolution of our church. And, today because of its location surrounded as it is by Concordia and in the heart of Montreal’s most commercial centre and because of the beauty of the building and the gardens we are called to respond to our mission daily.

An Overview of the Building Process

The Church of St. James the Apostle’s charming Gothic Revival grey limestone structure sits on the edge of our garden surrounded by Concordia University on two sides and facing one of the busiest commercial streets in Montreal on the third one.

It is hard to tell from the outside, but origi­nally the church was a much smaller, square structure, consisting essentially of what is now the nave (1 and 2 on the plan). It was built on land given to the community by Charles Phillips.

The building originally cost $20,000. It was designed by the architects Lawford and Nelson¹ and opened for worship on May 1, 1864. The rectory was built next to the church and was completed four years later.

Over the next 60 years as additions to the church were made, the building grew in size and took on a more cross-like shape. The nave (3) extended toward Sainte-Catherine Street in 1877. By 1886 the church needed extensive interior repairs likely due to the use of affordable but less than ideal materials in the original building.

The West Transept (4) was added in 1895, the chapel in 1896 and the enlarged chancel in 1899 (5). By 1915 the wall facing Bishop Street was settling badly. Most of it was removed, and an East Transept (6), a nave extension (7) and a new Bishop Street entrance with a tower (8) were added at a cost of $37,700. This extension was designed by architects Saxe and Archibald. That same year a rood screen and chancel side screens were installed at a cost of $3,650.

The growing community needed a parish hall and in 1924, it was built behind the rectory at a cost of $85,000. Shatford Hall (9) is still an important focal point for community and city events.

As for the rectory, it was demolished in 1937, when the Corporation of the Church decided that Sainte-Catherine Street was no longer a suitable place to bring up a family.

All of this growth and change was made under the direction of St. James the Apostle’ first two rectors, the Rev. Canon Jacob Ellegood (1864–1911) and the Rev. Canon James Shatford (1912–1935). On a typical Sunday in the 1930s, over 1200 people would regularly gather to worship at the 11:00 am service.

Today our congregation is much smaller. In 2005, under the leadership of Rev Canon Linda Borden Taylor, our current rector, and with the help of David Wigglesworth, Architect for the Diocese we began a project to recreate our space. Our objective was to create a more flexible worship space that would accommodate fewer parishioners while maintaining the volume and beauty of the church space and visible access to our windows.

Our building is the result of change: change in congregation size; change in the way we worship; change in the way we serve.

Inside the Church

We will start this visit from the entrance under the bell tower and progress through the church.

The Narthex: the Memorial Entrance (A)

Go toward the main entrance of the Church
(letter A on the plan).

The Narthex is the “vestibule” of the Church. As you enter the Memorial Entrance doors of St. James the Apostle on Sainte-Catherine Street you will find yourself standing under the bell tower in the main entrance to St. James the Apostle.

The Memorial Entrance took four years to complete. The design is Arts and Crafts. It is part of the original church that was built in 1864.

A Memorial for parishioners who died in World War II

Notice the nail heads that decorate the panelling and the details including two carved symbols above the memorial – a bird and chicks (love) and peacock (pride). At an impressive and moving service in April of 1949 the Honour Roll was unveiled by Mr. W. A. Campbell, a member of our congregation who had lost two sons during the war. The dedication was performed by the Rt. Rev. John Dixon, Lord Bishop of Montreal.

There are three panels, one for each of the forces who fought for Canada in World War II (1939–1945): Army, Navy and Air force. The names on the white oak walls of the entrance honour the many parishioners who served in the armed forces in World War II and the memory of those who did not return. We invite you to pray for them.

Walk up the stairs toward the church itself.

As you do so, notice the beautiful stained glass windows on your right. The three windows remind us of three important ministries: visiting the sick, clothing the naked, and feeding the hungry – ministries to the Lord who meets us here in Word and Sacrament, and who will meet us again in the needy beyond our doors.

The Nave (B)

Enter into the main part of the Church (B).
Then, step up to the top of the stairs to your right.

The nave is the “core” of the church, i.e. where people sit for the liturgy.

Look out over the nave and to the altar. What will strike you immediately is the vaulted space in the nave and the beautiful wood. Though you are inside a Gothic Revival church, the ceiling and some of the woodwork give it a more Arts and Crafts feel.

The raised space (C)

You are now standing in a relatively new part of the church.
By the late 1870s, due to overcrowding at Sunday services St. James the Apostle needed more space. The solution was to lengthen the nave toward St. Catherine Street and add pews for some 400 more people.

In 2006, this space was transformed again to better meet the needs of our Community. This time from pews to office and choir room on one side, and child’s play area and Church school class on the other side, with a raised open space in between. The open space is used to gather the processional every Sunday morning for 11am service.

 

The Cross of Nails

Walk on the raised space toward the back of the church;
look on the wall to your left (between the two children’s rooms for the Cross of Nails.

On Sunday May 1, 1964, the Very Rev. H.C.N. Williams, Provost of Coventry in England preached at our 100th anniversary service and presented the Church of St. James the Apostle with our Cross of Nails. The Cross of Nails is a powerful ecumenical symbol of reconciliation and an active Community of the Cross of Nails has grown. Today there are more than 160 centres around the world – churches, hos­pi­tals, prisons, schools, etc. – that have been called on a journey of “forgiveness, peace and reconciliation”.

Our Cross was rededicated in a special service (Fall 2004) by The Rev. Dr. Oliver Schuefraf, Coordinator of the Community of the Cross of Nails, International Centre for Reconciliation, Coventry Cathedral. At that time The Coventry Cathedral Litany of Reconciliation was read for the first time in our Church:

The rear windows

And, by now you have probably noticed our Victorian stained glass windows. There are thirty-one altogether, all of them donated by members of the congregation and their families. You will find their names in the windows themselves or on plaques next to them. And, thanks the generosity of many parishioners and the Quebec Religious Heritage Foundation and the skill of Detlef Gotsens every stained glass window has been cleaned or cleaned and restored. This work was completed in 2005.

We will highlight other windows further down the road as you continue your visit. Of particular interest from here are the windows that are located on the rear wall of the Church:

• Just above the large storage space is a large three-panelled window. The centre panel shows our patron, St. James. This window was presented to the Church in memory of Charles Watson Phillips who died in 1853 and whose family donated the original property on which the church was built. The panel on the left represents the Centurion with the quotation, “He loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue”. It was given by the congregation in memory of Charles Watson Phillips’ brother who died in 1872. And, on the far right you will see the figure of Christ as he appeared to Mary and is in memory of Dame Ann Bain, widow of Charles Phillips who died in 1891.
• Above this three-paneled window you’ll see a magnificent Rose Window. It replaced a simple circular window with panes of pale glass that everyone agreed was very unattractive and clashed with the windows below. So, Barbara Whitley worked with Detlef Gotsens to design a new window. And, if you look carefully you’ll see the result of her vision: flowers from the Bible including myrrh and “lilies of the field” (anemones).

The Original Church (D)

Walk down the stairs and take a seat in one of the pews at the front of the Church. Look up and around.

You are now in the original part of the church which was built in 1864.

The ceiling

The ceiling of St. James the Apostle is very Arts and Crafts in style. And, you’ll find two chubby carved Angels up in the rafters watching over you. They’ve been guarding us for nearly 145 years – may they continue to do so for many more years to come.

Looking up let your eyes travel up to the upper outside edge of the East Transept on your right where the ceiling meets the wall. Here you’ll notice some text. It is the Apostle’s Creed. Beginning here and flowing around the church it ends at the West Transept with the final AMEN.

The pews

At one time our Church had seating for over 1200 and demand for pews was so high at St. James the Apostle that parishioners paid rent for their pews. This practice was only discontinued in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Our pews are typical of the period. They’re made of pine and trimmed with black walnut and would have had straw filled hassocks [for kneeling] and seat cushions. Interestingly you can still find private locked boxes in some of the pews. Here parishioners kept their bibles, prayer books and cough drops.

The Chancel arch

Look toward the front of the church.

What you may notice at first is the broad chancel. This is unusual in a Gothic Revival church. The stone on either side is also quite unusual and does not appear in early photos and was probably added at the time the pulpit was installed in 1902. We know from photographic evidence and the memories of some parishioners that the sanctuary and chancel were enclosed behind a carved wooden rood screen until the 1940s. It was removed to create a more open atmosphere. The screen is now in the Church of St John the Divine in Verdun.

There are two significant memorial plaques on either side of the Chancel Arch:

• on the left is one dedicated to the memory of Rev. Canon Jacob Ellegood, founder and first rector of St. James the Apostle and Chaplain to the Victoria Rifles of Canada;
• on the right behind the pulpit is one dedicated to the memory of Canon Allen Pearson Shatford, the second rector of St. James the Apostle: “His splendid gifts of mind, heart, and speech were freely given in the service of God and his fellow men.”

The Pulpit

On the right toward the front you’ll notice our pulpit. It is unusual in two ways. First it is on the right side. Normally the pulpit is on the left. Second it is made of stone which is very unusual in a Gothic Revival church. Take a closer look and you’ll find faux marble pillars. Though the origins are not particularly English, little else is currently known about our pulpit. It was given to the glory of God and in memory of William Workman (who was Mayor of Montreal from 1868-1871) in 1902.

The Lectern

Our lectern stands on the left side of the chancel [normally it would be on the right]. It can be seen in photos of the church dating back to 1868. The brass eagle and lion’s at the feet is a typically British style of the mid-1800s.

The West Transept (E)

Walk to the left and into the West Transept.

The West Transept was built in 1895.

It contains a memorial to Albert, the Prince Consort. Can you find it?

On the wall on the right hand side you will find a large plaque in bronze and marble dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of the many members of the congregation who fought with the Victoria Rifles. On April 23, 1932, an impressive ceremony took place when the King’s Colours, previously presented by His Majesty King George V to the 60th Battalion Victoria Rifles of Canada were deposited in the Church. They hung on either side of our chancel until Remembrance Day 2008 when they were placed next to additional Colours that had been deposited in a case in the West Transept. These powerful symbols attest to the long association of the Victoria Rifles with St. James the Apostle. Though the regiment was disbanded in November 1995, the last surviving member of the regiment participated in our Remembrance Day into the early part of this century.

By now you’ve probably already noticed that our connections to the military are an important part of our history. In addition to the Victoria Rifles, many of the memorial plaques that you’ll find on our wall are for parishioners who were members of the military including: Canadian Field Artillery, Royal Highlanders, Royal Montreal Regiment, Canadian Grenadier Guards, Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, and Canadian Expeditionary Forces.

On the wall, between the Canadian and Quebec flags, is an Honour Roll of parish members who served during World War I.

There also were pews in this transept. They were removed in 2006 to create a more open and flexible space for the Community.

The Baptismal Font

By now you will have noticed our baptismal font. Originally our font was placed in front of the West Transept. This placement was quite unusual for an Anglican Gothic Revival Church. Interestingly, though it looks like stone, it is made of plaster.

As part of the transformation of our space in 2006 we moved the font from this place to more traditional placement near the main door: in the centre of the raised space at the rear of the nave. Once the new access for disabled people was completed in 2008, it was returned in the centre of the West Transept.

The font at St. James the Apostle has eight sides which symbolize new creation and regeneration. On it, you have probably noticed what looks like the Star of David. In the Christian tradition, it is called the Creator’s Star: it is created by superimposing two equilateral triangles that doubly emphasize the Holy Trinity in the process of creation. There are some other interesting Christian symbols on our font including the rose, a symbol of messianic hope, love, paradise, and beauty.

The Sanctuary and Chancel (F)

Walk back across the church and enter the Chancel on your left.

The Sanctuary is the front part of the Church. In the Anglican tradition and in our building, it designates the raised portion of the Church from which services are led. It also contains the Altar.

The original sanctuary was much smaller in scale. Our current sanctuary and chancel was added in 1899. It was renovated and renewed in the early 1950s, when white oak panels in the sanctuary were completed (1952) and new lighting was installed (1954 and 2006).

The Altar

The altar is the place where the Eucharistic sacrifice is offered. As is the tradition, our altar contains the relic of a Saint embedded in the centre of the table top. We believe the altar stone and relic came from Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Nothing else is known.

The Front Window

Directly in front of you, over the altar is The Ascension window with the figure of Christ in crimson and gold with soft colours in the background. It is dedicated to the Glory of God and in the memory of the late Canon Allan P. Shatford, the second Rector (1911–1935).

Choir stalls

Our choir stalls are on either side of the Chancel and on Sundays (at the 11:00 a.m. service) you will see our choir in their red robes and white surplices singing like so many other choirs around the world. But, it was a controversial decision in 1874 that started this tradition. St. James the Apostle was the first pewed^Note 2 church in Canada to have a vested choir. And, not all parishioners at the time were convinced that good music required a vested choir: “The feeling was somewhat tense over the innovation and Canon Ellegood was roundly criticized… But he held on manfully and lived to see sur­pliced choirs the universal custom… Choral litanies on Sunday afternoons drew enormous crowds…”

Sit in one of the front row choir stalls. What do you notice?
The first row choir stalls were built for the boys’ choir of the 19th century.

The Apse (the ceiling over the altar)

Look up and notice the ceiling over the Sanctuary.

Although you may think the ceiling over the Sanctuary looks like brown paper it is actually made of “cloth of gold”. The cloth is made with real filaments of gold sewn with silk. Sadly, this unique feature of our church which should have gleamed with gold wasn’t that successful.

Stand near the organ and look to the right of the chancel; notice that there is a piece of cloth missing.
This was intentional. By leaving something unfinished when building a church, we are reminded to remain humble before God and recognise that even the best work of human people is imperfect. Ironic, given that the ceiling as a whole did not turn out as planned!

The Organ

Walk toward the communion rail and notice our organ console on your left and pipes on both sides of the Chancel.

The first organ was built by Samuel Warren Co. in 1868^Note 3 and rebuilt in 1900 by Karn-Warren. In 1902 the young, and soon to become internationally famous Canadian Organist, Lynnwood Farnum began his two year tenure at St. James the Apostle and complained about a “particular” echo division above the Bishop Street Entrance which was then dismantled.

Since then the organ has been rebuilt three more times, most recently by Casavant in 1944, Opus 1800. The Service of Dedication of the present organ took place Sunday, February 24, 1946.
The several thousand pipes in our organ continue to be played regularly.

Look over the top of the Organist’s console to see some of the 100 or so pipes that date back to the original organ.

Ecclesiastical needlework

Depending on the time of year, you will notice splendid ecclesiastical needlework on our Altar, and the three beautiful kneelers at the Communion rail. The kneelers were designed and made by a member of our congregation, Helena Hart in the 1950’s. Each cushion is decorated with different Christian symbols. Can you find the alpha and omega?

Our altar frontals were made in England in the 1960s and paid for by generous donations from the community. The original liturgical hangings were made into altar frontals for the chapel.

The Writers’ Chapel (G)

Leave the Chancel and Sanctuary and go to our Chapel.
(follow the dotted line)

The original Memorial Chapel was built in 1898. However, it had become unsafe due to shifting clay and was therefore demolished and replaced.

The current chapel was opened in 1956. The new Chapel is a perfect gem in the Arts and Crafts style with its open archways, its roof timber trusses, its glorious stained windows, its beautiful panelling and its atmosphere of quiet meditation. Notice the stencil work between the ceiling and the walls.

Christians from the earliest times have buried their dead in consecrated areas in close proximity to their place of worship and we at St. James the Apostle are no different. If you look closely you will notice our Columbarium on either side of the altar. Constructed in 1986, it is a place for the interment of the cremated remains of those St. James the Apostle members, former members, and their immediate families who want to stay close.

Recently, the chapel has been dedicated as the Writers’ Chapel.

The East Transept (H)

When you leave the Chapel you will find yourself in the East Transept.

The East Transept was built in 1914. In 2006, as part of our renewal of this space, pews were removed from the East Transept to create more flexible worship space, a kitchen, cloak room and washrooms built in the adjacent spaces.

You will generally see a large table set up here, as it is where we celebrate our Wednesday service Bread for the body, food for the soul (at 12:15 p.m.).

The East Window

In November 1939, on our 75th Anniversary, the present East window was unveiled and dedicated to the glory of God and in loving memory of the members of the congregation who died in World War I (1914–1919). You will find their names on a plaque on the wall in front of the window.

This window celebrates the “…angels and archangels and all the company of heaven” referred to by St. John the Divine in the Book of Revelation. Depicted here are our patron, St. James the Apostle, St. Michael the Archangel, captain of the hosts of heaven, St. George the Martyr, defender of the helpless and patron saint of soldiers, St. Stephen, the first martyr, and over all, the Lord of Glory presides: over his church and his world.

The Painting

Since the summer of 2010, and thanks to a generous gift from Saul Ettinger, a painting of The Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints James and Lucy has hung in the East Transept. The painting, featuring our patron saint, is an altar piece from the early sixteenth-century and can be traced to a cloister in Bergamo. While the precise attribution remains conjectural, over forty years ago the renowned specialist Rodolfo Pallucchini compellingly proposed that the work was created by the local Bergamasque artist Agostino Facheris. The painting is, to our knowledge, the only work by Facheris in North America and one of the few outside of Bergamo. The handsome altarpiece has also been attributed by earlier scholars to the Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto. It is a most generous and welcome addition to the church, certain to inspire worshippers in future generations, as it was originally intended.

The Cloakroom (J)

Walk from the East Transept by the door frame to the cloakroom.

The cloakroom and restrooms were created when the pews were removed and walls were added in 2006.

In the cloakroom are three windows which remind us of another dimension of what it means to be saints. They depict the Good Samaritan, Jesus and the Woman at the Well, and Jesus welcoming the children. Thus we are reminded of the corporal works of mercy to which Christians are called, and of our vocation to slake the spiritual and intellectual thirst of a parched and hungry world. Like these windows, our works of mercy are often hidden and unseen… but they are known to God.

The East Tower and Bishop Street Entrance (K)

Continue to walk in the cloakroom and passage
until you reach the New Tower.

The East tower was built in 1914, at part of the widening of the nave. This space is dedicated to those who have played important formal leadership roles within our church community. Here you will find the names of all the former rectors, curates, and organists, wardens, and lay delegates to Synod.

Notice the Arts and Crafts style detailing in the woodwork and nails.

The “inside” part of this self-guided tour is over.

Our Outside Space

Here is a little bit of information on the garden and bells.

Our Garden

By 1937, the Corporation of the Church decided a rectory on Sainte-Catherine Street was no longer suitable place to bring up a family. It was demolished creating room for our garden.

Today, the beautiful David and Ann Harris Garden is the only “green” space on Sainte-Catherine Street between Atwater Avenue and Christ Church Cathedral. It is open to the public. And, in the spring, summer and fall, it provides a welcome and peaceful relief to visitors in the busy downtown.

The Bell Tower: the Sound of our Bells

If you are visiting on a Sunday or mid-week at noon you may be lucky enough to hear our bells. They were another generous gift of the Phillips family. They’re rung before every service as they have been rung since Easter Day, 1889 when they were rung for the first time.

There are ten bells. The smallest weighs 200 lb, the largest 20,000 lb. Each bell is inscribed. One reads “May God bless all whom we call” and another reads “Come let us join our joyful voices”. First played from a clavier, they are now played from an electronic keyboard.

Thank you for taking time to explore our Church. If you would like more information, please ask one of our volunteers in the Church or ... or come, meet us and worship with us next Sunday!

Credits. This tour guide (written by Deborah Hinton, completed in the Spring 2007 and revised in November 2008) is inspired from notes written by Irene Nerrie, May 2004 and conversations with her, Howard Nerrie, Barbara Whitley, Leslie West, Honor Barrett, Scott Bradford and other knowledgeable members of the congregation as well as David Wigglesworth, Diocesan Architect. Further revisions were made in 2011 by Michel Gagnon.