Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ALTER CROSS

Date Range From

1912

Date Range To

2003

Materials

BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

78

Length

44

Width

24

Description

BRASS ALTER CROSS. CROSS SITS ON A THREE TIERED BRASS BASE. CENTER AXES OF CROSS READS "IHS". FOUR POINT OF CROSS HAS A CLOVER-LIKE SHAPE.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

RELIGION

History

ALTER CROSS IS BELIEVED TO BE ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING (1912) OR EARLIER. WHEN THE ALTER WAS MOVED FROM THE EAST WALL OF THE CHURCH IN 1966, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CROSS WAS TOO LARGE, OBSCURING THE PRIEST WHEN HE STOOD "BEHIND" THE ALTER. DURING THESE SERVICES, THE CROSS WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER TABLE IN THE SANCTUARY, BUT WAS ALWAYS RETURNED TO ITS PLACE OF HONOR AFTER EACH SERVICE. THE LETTERS "IHS" IN THE CENTER SECTION OF THE CROSS, ALTHOUGH COMMONLY BELIEVED TO BE AN ABBREVIATION FOR "IN HIS SERVICE" ACTUALLY ARE THE FIRST THREE LETTERS OF JESUS' NAME IN GREEK. ST MARY’S ANGLICAN CHURCH BEGAN EARLY IN THE 1900S. THE EARLIEST ARCHIVAL RECORD IS A STATEMENT MADE IN JANUARY, 1906 THAT A GROUP OF PROMINENT MEMBERS OF ST. AUGUSTIN’S PARISHIONERS AGREED TO COVER A DEFICIT IN THE OPERATION OF ST. MARY’S MISSION UP TO $300. APPARENTLY, ST. MARY’S EXISTED BEFORE THIS DECISION, BUT IT IS UNKNOWN FOR HOW LONG. A FORMAL ORGANIZATION MEETING FOR ST. MARY’S MISSION WAS HELD ON APRIL 20. 1908. THE SEPARATE PARISH OF ST. MARY’S WAS ESTABLISHED ON FEBRUARY 1, 1910. THE “NEW” CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1912, AND USED BY THE PARISH UNTIL IT CLOSED IN 2003. THE NORTH SIDE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP THEN RENTED THE BUILDING UNTIL 2006, WHEN THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. THERE WERE AT LEAST EIGHT RECTORS (PRIESTS) AT ST MARY’S BETWEEN 1910 AND 1944, INCLUDING SOME PERIODS OF TIME WHEN NO PRIEST WAS AVAILABLE (OR AFFORDABLE). IN 1944, ROBERT COWAN ARRIVED AND SERVED ST. MARY’S FOR THE NEXT 37 YEARS UNTIL 1981, A TERM UNPARALLELED IN THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF CALGARY. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT ST. MARY’S BECAME KNOWN HAS ST. MARY THE VIRGIN. CANON COWAN RETURNED TO ST MARY’S AS A PARISHIONER FOR A FEW YEARS LATER, AND REMAINED UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1999. MICHAEL EBSWORTH SERVED AS RECTOR FROM 1981 UNTIL 1994, WHEN HE RESIGNED DUE TO HEALTH REASONS. FATHER EBSWORTH REMAINED A RESIDENT OF LETHBRIDGE, OFTEN SERVING AS A “VISITING” PRIEST, AND HE TOOK PART IN THE FINAL SERVICE AT ST. MARY’S HELD ON AUGUST 14, 2003. IN THE FINAL DECADE OF ST MARY’S EXISTENCE, FIVE OTHER PRIESTS SERVED THE PARISH, INCLUDING TWO FEMALE PRIESTS WHICH SOME FOUND SURPRISING DUE TO ST. MARY’S TRADITIONAL LITURGICAL PRACTICES. THE CHURCH CLOSED AND AMALGAMATED WITH THE ANGLICAN PARISH OF ST. AUGUSTINE. OTHER OBJECTS AND ARCHIVAL MATERIALS ASSOCIATED WITH ST. MARY'S OPERATION WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF CALGARY. AT THE TIME OF ITS CLOSURE, ST MARY'S WAS THE LONGEST OPERATING OF ANY LETHBRIDGE CHURCH IN THE CURRENT PREMISES. FOR COMPLETE HISTORY SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060021001

Acquisition Date

2006-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail