It’s our sesquicentennial! Throughout 2024, Grace Church on-the-Hill will be celebrating our 150 years of service – service to the community, service to the church and service to God.

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Learn about the plans and activities planned to for our special birthday:

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Commemorative Book

A special commemorative book for Grace 150 will be published in October. ‘150 Years of Grace’ includes stories, anecdotes, and reminiscences from parishioners. The commissioned author, Alan Marr, started on the book in the summer of 2023 and the completed book will include artwork and photos from the archives, Chris Leonard, Francesca Mallin-Parker and Alice Thomas. The book will take readers on a Grace Church on-the-Hill journey, from 1874 to 2024, and will also include a look at what the future has in store.

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Landscaping

As we prepare for our 150th anniversary, you will see that we have stepped up our efforts to bring our property back to health and beauty. The arborists will complete the work that they began last Autumn. Removing unhealthy growth, overgrown shrubs and weed trees will make room for all the fresh plantings planned for gardens befitting the architecture and stain glass windows of our historic church and rectory buildings. Even a Nurturing Garden is planned to inspire our youngest parishioners. The specialized restoration work on our 102 year old cenotaph should be completed by mid July. Our precious Vimy Oak Tree beside it, planted in 2017, will have a plaque displaying its poignant significance. We invite and encourage anyone who has an interest in helping with tending to our large and beautiful property in any way, please contact Sandra Dobling through Savannah at the office.

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GRACE 150 EVENTS: Save these dates!

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Clergy Homecoming – Rev. Canon Stephen Booth to preach on Ascension Day May 12th

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Stephen is honoured and delighted to be with us on May 12 2024 as we continue our celebrations marking 150 years of worship and service. Educated in England, New England and Texas, he was ordained in 1971 and spent the first thirty-one years of his ministry in this diocese, as a parish priest, theological tutor and University of Toronto Hart House Chaplain.  After serving as Grace Church’s’ theological consultant during the incumbency of Malcolm Evans, he joined the staff with responsibility for education under Gordon Baker in 1981, later becoming priest associate (1984-1989). He left Grace Church to become incumbent of St. Peter’s, Erindale, in 1989, where he served until 2002. He is an honorary canon of St. James’ Cathedral. From 2003 until 2011, he was the Rector of Trinity Church, Lenox, Massachusetts. Since retiring to Chester, Nova Scotia, Stephen has worked for reconciliation and justice between the Listuguj Mi’gamq First Nation, their settler neighbours in the Restigouche watershed of Quebec and New Brunswick and anglers for the Atlantic salmon of the Restigouche, such as himself. He was married to Gillian Rowan-Legg at Grace Church in 1984. They have four daughters and three grandchildren.

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Strawberry Social, Saturday, June 15

This is a traditional community building event, dating back to the 1800s, popular in Ontario and Nova Scotia where strawberries are in good supply in June. Don’t miss out on the delicious strawberry shortcake served with a unique tea blend of tea.

Volunteers needed for food preparation, decoration and setup, serving food on day of event and helping with clean up at end.

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Birthday Party, Friday, October 4

Catered event with a musical interlude in nave. Volunteers needed to set up, decoration in Parish Hall, Narthex and weather permitting patio; pick up and delivery of beverages

 

Special Mass & Music, Sunday, October 6 – 10:00 a.m. service

We will have a special commissioned mass setting composed to celebrate our 150th anniversary as a parish. The work will commemorate our Music Ministry and pay tribute to this cornerstone of our worship here at Grace. Our intention is that this mass setting can be used regularly on Sunday mornings for generations to come. This program is funded in part by the Douglas Cowling Bursary and the generous donation of Mary-Elizabeth Flynn. Applications for the composition are open until April 15th. Apply here.

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Commemorative Tree Planting, Sunday, October 6 – Following the 10:00 a.m. service, the congregation will be invited to make their way to the Lonsdale front lawn to bless the site for the native Sugar Maple which will be planted a day or two later. 

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More to follow . . . 

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Grace Church on-the-Hill 150 Committee:

Grace 150 Chair: Pam Baillie

Honorary Chair: Helen Bradfield

Heather Kaufman, Theresa Wewiora, Margaret Pereira, Katherine Beattie.

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Contact Email: baillie.pe@sympatico.ca