St Luke's Anglican Church, Price's Corners

DONATION

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Box 362, Orillia, ON L3V 6J8

ST. LUKE's ANGLICAN CHURCH, PRICE'S CORNERS

St. Luke’s is part of the Parish of Washago. Other churches in the parish are St. Paul, Washago and the Church of the Good Samaritan Port Stanton. This congregation has remained an active integral part of the community since its inception in the early 1830s.

HISTORICAL DETAILS

1833
Worship services were held in private homes.

1851
The Price family donated a half acre of land “for the use of a church of the United Church of England and Ireland to be erected on the said parcel of land and for a burial ground in connection therewith and for no other purpose whatsoever.” Four pioneer families donated timber for a church building which was erected on posts eight feet high to allow horses to be sheltered beneath it. This new church became part of the parish of Fairvalley.

1855
The present church building, designed to seat 90 worshippers, was built and the former one was converted into the parish hall. This new building was originally covered with shiplap siding.

1862
St. Luke’s church and its burial ground were consecrated on June 8 by Bishop Strachan, Diocese of Toronto. Due to the wet ground conditions, the graves were relocated to St. Andrew’s-St. James’ Cemetery, Orillia.

1875
An agreement between four members of the congregation and the board of missions stated that “$80 is to be paid twice a year to the incumbent of St. James’ Anglican Church, Orillia, for services at St. Luke’s.” A motion passed at the first vestry meeting stated that no fee was to be levied for the use of the pews.

1887
It was noted in an edition of a local newspaper that services were being well attended and that a collection of $19.51 had been received on a particular Sunday.

1958
The parish hall (the original 1851 church) was lowered from its eight foot posts and placed on a concrete foundation. The present church building was moved back from the highway and joined to the parish hall which now also serves as the Sunday school.

PRESENT DAY

Members of the Orser family, sixth generation descendants of the Drinkwaters, a founding family of the congregation, continue to attend St. Luke’s.

The Reverend Wally Reid, Deacon, served the congregation as its minister for 27 years until his retirement in 1993. He remained a member until his death in 2006. He is appreciated not only for his true friendship but also as the person who persevered through very discouraging times to maintain this small congregation and watch it become the healthy vital church it is today.

The unique windows in the nave are constructed of clear glass surrounding four stained glass panels depicting the apostles and St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians.

The decorative kneeler pads, depicting scenes from the psalms were designed and crafted in needlepoint by the ladies of the Women’s Auxiliary (now called the Anglican Church Women).

Because the congregation possesses a strong ecumenical spirit, it participates each March in the World Day of Prayer now available for viewing online.

The congregation’s ACW has a strong association with its sister congregation, St. Luke’s in Creemore, Ontario.