Christ Anglican Church
Disestablished
4 Lisgar Street
St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 1P7
Christ Anglican Church (St. Catharines, Ont.) fonds. -- 1874-2004. -- 45 cm of textual records.
Christ Church was founded by some members of the congregation of St. George's because they felt that "creeping ritualistic practices" were being introduced into services there. Christ Church opened on 1 January 1873. As the population grew, it became necessary to establish a third church, St. Thomas, on the town side of the Welland Canal. Christ Church did not become a separate parish again until 1914. Construction began on a new, larger church in 1959. See also a parish history to 1960 in Parish Register A of this fonds.
The church was closed and deconsecrated by the Rt. Rev. Ralph Spence, Bishop of Niagara, on 28 December 2004.
Fonds consists of parish registers containing statistical records, Vestry, Parish Council, Men's Club, and Young People's Association minutes and financial registers, and correspondence. Most of the fonds has been microfilmed on 5 reels, numbered 87, 97-98, 100, 257. Some early Vestry minutes can be found in the St. Thomas' Church, St. Catharines, Ont. fonds.
Title based on content of fonds.
Fonds on deposit. Ownership of the fonds resides with Christ Church.
Finding aid available in hard copy and electronically.
Researchers are requested to use the microfilms. They must sign an agreement of use form.
Further accruals are not expected.
Historical Notes
The origins of Christ Church may be traced back at least as far as 1870, for it was in this year that a number of the members of St. George's, then the parish church, left the congregation. Dating to 1870 or earlier, Christ Church is the second oldest Anglican Church in St. Catharines. The rector of St. George's and his curates conducted services in a school house on Western Hill until the original Christ Church Building was completed. The first rector was appointed in 1873.
As the numbers in the parish grew it was found necessary to provide for a service on the town side of the Canal and thus, in September 1877, the cornerstone of St. Thomas' Church was laid. Christ Church parish now had two churches, Christ Church on the west side and St. Thomas' Church on the east side of the Canal. The work of the parish came to centre upon the larger congregation, St. Thomas', and Christ Church was not to become a separate parish again until June 1914.
The stone Parish Hall was formally opened on the 1st of January 1914. During 1957 the 85th anniversary of the parish was celebrated and a feast of dedication was conducted. Also during this year, due to the growth of the parish and the bad state of repair of the 85-year-old wooden church, it was decided to build a new structure. In October 1959 the sod turning for the new, larger church was carried out.
Note: The history of the early years of Christ Church has been taken from the Anglican Church Histories (q.v.). The information concerning the later period may be found, at greater length, in Parish Register A.
I - List of Parish Registers
a) Statistical and General
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| Parish Register A |
Baptisms 1914-1933 Confirmations 1914-1954 Marriages 1914-1929 Burials 1914-1949 Parish History 1914-1960 |
97 |
| Parish Register B | Baptisms 1933-1956 | 97 1st half |
| 98 2nd half | ||
| Parish Register C | Baptisms 1956-1963 | 98 |
| Parish Register D | Marriages 1929-1954 | 98 |
| Parish Register E | Vestry Book 1932-1945 | 98 |
| Parish Register F | Vestry Book 1945-1957 | 98 |
| Parish Register M | Vestry Meeting Minute Book 1872-1879 |
257 |
| Parish Register G | Vestry Meeting Minute Book 1938-1961 |
98 |
| Parish Register H | Vestry Meeting Minute Book 1961-1970 |
98 |
| Parish Register I | Parish Council Minutes 1955 Declaration 1955 Bible Class Attendance 1938 |
98 |
| Parish Register J | Parish Council Minutes 1955-1965 | 98 |
| Parish Register K | Christ Church Men's | 98 1st half |
| Club Minutes 1948-1955 |
87 2nd half | |
| Parish Register L | Christ Church A.Y.P.A. Minutes 1948-1954 |
87 |
| Parish Register MM | Baptisms 1964-2004 | 439 |
| Parish Register N | Marriages 1954-1983 | 440 |
| Parish Register O | Marriage 1984-2004 | 440 |
| Parish Register P | Confirmation 1962-1999 | 440 |
| Parish Register Q | Burials 1949-2004 | 440 |
| Parish Register R | Vestry Book 1957-1982 | 441 |
| Parish Register S | Vestry Book 1982-1988 | 442 |
| Parish Register T | Vestry Book 1989-1998 | 442 |
| Parish Register U | Vestry Book 1998-2004 | 442 |
| File #1 | A.Y.P.A. Correspondence 1952-1954 |
not filmed |
b) Financial
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| Account Book #1 | 1923-1939 | 100 |
| Account Book #2 | 1940-1955 | 100 |
| Account Book #3 | 1956-1959 | 100 |
| Account Book #4 | 1960-1961 | 100 |
| Account Book #5 | A.Y.P.A. Accounts 1938-1956 | 87 |
| Account Book #6 | Sunday School Accounts 1948-1955 | 100 |
| Account Book #7 | New Church Building Fund Accounts 1959-1961 |
87 |
II - Index of Statistical Records
a) Baptisms
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1914-1933 | Parish Register A | 97 |
| 1933-1956 | Parish Register B | 97 1st half |
| 98 2nd half | ||
| 1956-1963 | Parish Register C | 98 |
| 1964-2004 | Parish Register MM | 439 |
b) Confirmations
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1914-1954 | Parish Register A | 97 |
| 1962-1999 | Parish Register P | 440 |
c) Marriages
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1914-1929 | Parish Register A | 97 |
| 1929-1954 | Parish Register D | 98 |
| 1954-1983 | Parish Register N | 440 |
| 1984-2004 | Parish Register O | 440 |
d) Burials
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1914-1949 | Parish Register A | 97 |
| 1949-2004 | Parish Register Q | 440 |
III - Index of Financial Records
a) General Accounts
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1923-1939 | Account Book #1 | 100 |
| 1940-1955 | Account Book #2 | 100 |
| 1956-1959 | Account Book #3 | 100 |
| 1960-1961 | Account Book #4 | 100 |
b) Specific Accounts
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1938-1956 | A.Y.P.A. Accounts - Account Book #5 |
87 |
| 1948-1955 | Sunday School Accounts - Account Book #6 |
100 |
| 1959-1961 | New Church Building Fund - Account Book #7 |
87 |
IV - Other Records
a) Vestry Books
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1932-1945 | Parish Register E | 98 |
| 1945-1957 | Parish Register F | 98 |
| 1957-1982 | Parish Register R | 441 |
| 1982-1988 | Parish Register S | 442 |
| 1989-1998 | Parish Register T | 442 |
| 1998-2004 | Parish Register U | 442 |
b) Vestry Meetings - Minutes
| Microfilm Reel | >
||
|---|---|---|
| 1872-1879 | Parish Register M | 257 |
| 1938-1961 | Parish Register G | 98 |
| 1961-1970 | Parish Register H | 98 |
| Note: Accounts of some early Vestry Meetings may be found among the records of St. Thomas' Church, St. Catharines. | ||
c) Parish Council Meetings - Minutes
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Parish Register I | 98 |
| 1955-1965 | Parish Register J | 98 |
d) Men's Club Minutes
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1948-1955 | Parish Register K | 98 1st half |
| 87 2nd half | ||
e) A.Y.P.A. Minutes and Correspondence
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1948-1954 Minutes |
Parish Register L | 87 |
| 1952-1954 Correspondence |
File #1 | not filmed |
f) Parish History
| Microfilm Reel |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1914-1960 | Parish Register A | 97 |
