St. John's Anglican Cathedral will offer a historical church visit to those walking through its doors this weekend.

"The Roman Catholics came to this part of the world in 1818," says  Rene Jamieson, a parishioner at St. John's and the organizer of Doors Open for the church. "The Anglicans came two years later in 1820."

This makes St. John's the oldest Anglican parish west of the Great Lakes. 2020 will mark the cathedral's 200th anniversary.

"That's why we're part of Doors Open," Jamieson laughed.

This significant age has worn on the church, which has been rebuilt four times since 1822. The building the church currently occupies was built in 1926.

Prior buildings were destroyed by the 1826 and 1850 Red River floods. One of the buildings, after the church obtained a Bishop and was declared a cathedral, fell into disrepair around 1912.

The cemetery surrounding the cathedral, however, predates even the earliest versions of St. John's parish. Established by the Selkirk settlers in 1812, the oldest graves currently remaining date back to 1832. The grave belongs to the child of George Simpson, the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.

Today, the graveyard is still in use, though unfortunately, several of the cemetery's original graves were washed away due to flooding.

Jamieson says that visitors this weekend can expect a glimpse into some amazing church architecture and some beautiful stained-glass windows.

"The church is built in sort of a gothic-norman style, so it looks like a big castle," Jamieson chuckled. "The windows are glorious. I think every window in St. John's has some sort of stained-glass in it, including the one in the downstairs bathroom!"

Those walking in the chapel area will notice stained-glass in that room tell the Gospel stories.

Tours this weekend for Doors Open will be given by several parishioners well versed in the history of St. John's, including Jamieson herself.

Guided tours take place at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tours last approximately one and a half hours and can accommodate a maximum of 30 people.

St. John's Cathedral is located at 135 Anderson Avenue.

 

Read more:

Steeples and stained glass: the churches of Doors Open - Holy Trinity Anglican Church

Steeples and stained glass: the churches of Doors Open - Elim Chapel

Steeples and stained glass: the churches of Doors Open - The Parish Church of St. Luke