Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PRESIDER'S CHAIR

Date Range From

1927

Date Range To

1927

Materials

WOOD

No. Pieces

3

Height

152.5

Length

83

Width

51

Description

OAK CHAIR WITH CARVED SIDES, ARMREST, AND UPPER BACK. UPPER BACK DISPLAYS TRIANGLE DESIGN WITH LOW RELIEF FLOWER CARVED INTO CENTER. BISHOP'S MITRE AT TOP WHICH FEATURES ENGRAVED CROSSES. TWO CROSSES THAT ARE BROKEN (IN BAG) ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ATTACHED TO TOP OF MITRE.

Subjects

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

RELIGION

History

THIS CHAIR IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE BISHOP'S CHAIR DUE TO THE HAND-CARVED MITRES AT THE TOP OF THE CHAIR. HOWEVER, THE TRUE BISHOP'S CHAIR IS THE CATHEDRA, LOCATED IN THE DIOCESAN CATHEDRAL. EVERY ANGLICAN PARISH HAS A CHAIR FOR THE RECTOR, WHO PASTORS THE PARISH ON BEHALF OF THE BISHOP. AS THE CHAIR IS REASONABLY HEAVY AND FEATURES DELICATE CARVING, IT WAS RARELY REMOVED FROM ITS LOCATION IN THE SANCTUARY. 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 P20060021001.

Catalogue Number

P20060021005

Acquisition Date

2006-08

Collection

Museum

Less detail