SJWT-100th: Christmases Past, 1992 & 1922
By Christopher Rutty
I recently found more SJWT newsletters in boxes kept in the church tower, including several issues of “Our Newsletter” (or “Your Newsletter) published from June 1992 to May 1993. Scans of these newsletters are viewable, along with the full collection, here,
http://healthheritageresearch.com/clients/SJWT-History/SJWT-Newsletters/
Of particular interest is the Christmas 1992 issue of “Our Newsletter,” not only for its Christmas Message from Father Christian, who was St. John’s Rector during most of the 1990s, but also for its article about a Special Vestry meeting planned for January 17, 1993, at which St. John’s was to discuss plans for its future.
Fast forward 30 years and St. John’s will be holding a Special Vestry meeting on January 15, 2023, to vote on a motion to request the use of funds from the rectory fund toward ministry and operational costs.
The main topic of the January 17, 1993, Special Vestry was the church building and discussions with an architect about substantial renovations. “The major new direction is changing the church’s fortress-like presence on Humberside into a more integrated part of the community – a church that is functioning seven days a week.” Such a renovation would involve withdrawing from the church’s reserves, a move that required a Special Vestry vote.
The cover of the Christmas 1992 newsletter included a photo of St. John’s choir taken in 1922 at the second church building on Dundas St. W. and St. John’s Rd, not long before the parish moved to the new church on Humberside. There is also a “Pages From the Past” article that focuses on what life was like at St. John’s at Christmas in 1922 and why it was necessary to move to a new location further south.
The next meeting of the SJWT-100th Team is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 via Zoom. A link with be sent closer to the date.
Everyone’s invited to brainstorm ideas for possible 100th-themed events for 2023, along with ideas about historical subjects/themes that you’d like to see written about and/or that you might wish to write about or contribute to.
Contact Christopher Rutty – hhrs@healthheritageresearch.com – with ideas, contributions, questions.