OF THE
150th ANNIVERSARY
THE STORY OF THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE GRAFTON has been updated to OCTOBER 2, 1994.
1966 -1979
The Reverend Leonard Ware remained at the church of St. George until 1979. Highlights in his final few years were significant. In July 1975, one Sunday was designated as Home Coming Decoration Day with the burning of the Loan Note for the building of the Canon Nind Hall. In 1977, there were two events worthy of mention; a new furnace was installed in the church and a Nursery School started up in Canon Nind Hall, which did its part in supporting the church with a donation of$100.00 a month for a while. He continued to serve our sister church, Trinity Church, Colborne, making his presence felt in that parish as well.
The Rev. Mr. Ware recalled what he considered the most memorable events during his tenure.
The building of the Canon Nind Hall was a triumph of dedication by the whole parish.
The much-needed restoration of the church cemetery was completed. His dream of seeing the cemetery become a Historically Designated Cemetery with a plaque appropriately displayed, has not come about.
He was the first Chairman of the Ecumenical Board formed for the building of the Haldimand Court Apartments.
The great ecumenical Centennial- Year (1967) Picnic stands out as a day of good fun and fellowship with parishioners from all the Haldimand Township churches, culminating in a great outdoor service of music and worship before an enormous wooden cross.
Finally, the Rev. Mr. Ware, feels strongly that the spirit of co-operation of the parishioners was what carried them all along. The spirit of co-operation was undoubtedly stimulated by the level of his own devotion to his parish, his community and his family.
Many wonderful things happened to the Rectory across the road from the Church of St. George while it was home to the Wares. They took great pride in it and felt content that they left it in much better shape than when they moved in. They dressed the windows, papered, insulated, laid rugs, installed washer and dryer, new septic bed, and had the roof shingled by a hockey team who were earning their fare overseas. The Rev. Mr. Ware prided himself in that he repainted the Rectory every three years during his tenure, using 27 gallons of paint each time and doing it in 7 days. He would do this before he went on his holiday with his family.
At the final Vestry Meeting the Rev. Mr. Ware chaired in January 1979, the Parish bid a fond farewell to Mrs. Annie Snowden, dedicated organist for the past 40 years. A plaque, suitably engraved was presented to her and may be seen today on the church organ. She was commended for her dedication to many other areas of church activities; Sunday School Teacher, member of the Altar Guild, The Dorcas Group, W.A. and A.C.W. The Rev. Mr. Ware's final comment that she played the organ for all those years with no financial reward, prompted him to say, " She played out of the Love of God" .That said it all about Mrs. Annie Snowden. On September 5, 1994, Mrs. Annie Snowden celebrated her 95th birthday in the Golden Plough in Cobourg, May God bless her.
A grand finale to The Rev. Mr. Ware's stay in Grafton in August 1989, reflected his legacy of true community spirit, when many friends gathered at the arena to bid farewell to him, his wife Doris and their children Debbie and David. He was on his way to his 3rd Church of St. George; his first as a Curate in Oshawa, the second in Grafton and now he was moving on to The Church of St. George in Scarborough.
He would be greatly missed for his unstinting community spirit and lovingly remembered for, among other things, the time he earned a homerun for his baseball team on one of the Arena diamonds, riding a donkey triumphantly around the bases to home plate.
The Reverend Mr. Ware was a true servant of the Lord and a Shepherd to his flock.
Written by: Clara O’Brien
Murial Braham
1979-1988
The Reverend Donald Franklyn Belway was appointed Incumbent to St. George's Church on September I, 1979, a post he would hold for close to a decade.
Arriving from Toronto, Mr. Belway switched gears from big-city life to move into the rectory across the road from the small Grafton church. This spacious two-storey house became his" Bachelor's Quarters". He soon attained a visible community profile even without a family, becoming known as the gentleman who could be seen almost every day walking from his home, around the comer and down Station Road its full length of several kilometres, to Lake Ontario and back again. He soon said that, not only did he know all the people along that road, but he knew all the dogs as well.
Mr. Belway is responsible for several innovations that continue to be felt in services at St. George's.
In 1984, he saw to it that children were prepared for Communion after consultation with their parents, rather than being left out of Communion altogether.
In 1985, the book of Alternative Services was introduced, with a musical setting for the Gloria, the Sanctus and the Benedictus composed by Mr. Belway's friend, the Reverend Canon Howard Buckner. This alternative to the Book of Common Prayer is now in regular use at the church.
Mr. Belway always encouraged women to be involved in the church, and their role at St. George's expanded while he was there. Margaret (Gordon) Ryerson became the first woman to serve as a warden of St. George's, elected People's Warden at the annual meeting in January 1986. In July of 1987, the Reverend Judy Herron-Graham officiated at the celebration of the Eucharist, thereby becoming the first female priest to do so.
Mr. Belway added a traditional touch to the community's Christmas celebrations when he organized outdoor carolling throughout the village. This activity is still ongoing, open to anyone who wants to celebrate the season in song and followed by refreshments served to all the carollers at the parish hall.
Fellowship was promoted by Mr. Belway in his establishment of coffee hour in the parish hall after church the first Sunday of each month. This custom, begun in May 1984, also continues.
While administering to the spiritual needs of the congregation, Mr. Belway turned his attention to some of the physical needs of the church itself, with two major improvements added in November 1986. The office Gestetner, an old machine as well as an old technology, was replaced by a more modem photocopier. At the same time, the rectory was made safer and more functional when its electrical service was upgraded to 100 amps.
On the personal side, as well as being known for his walk, Mr. Belway was a gourmet cook with a keen interest in gardening. Knowledgeable about music, he once played the hymns for the church service when the organist was unable to attend.
He also became known to many through his services as Padre of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 580 (Grafton) and as chaplain to the Grafton Scouting groups.
Final good-byes were said to Mr. Belway on May 22, 1988, when he returned to Toronto to serve at St. Leonard's Church. He retired in 1993 and still resides in Toronto.
Written by Cecilia Nasmith and Margaret Ryerson.
1988 -1992
The Reverend Arturo (Art) Riguero came to Grafton in July 1988 to be priest in charge of St. George's. He arrived from Nicaragua with no household pos-sessions, moved in to the rectory across from the church on Saturday, July 2, slept on a bed loaned by a parishioner and officiated at his first service in St. George's the following morning. Art's wife Teresa and daughter Diana arrived soon after.
Due to his background as a missionary in Nicaragua and Guatemala, he was often asked to speak about his experiences. His enthusiasm for this work was apparent, and his artistic abilities and strong singing and speaking voice were much appreciated.
In the spring of 1989, members of St. George's joined with members of St. Mary's Church, St. Andrew's Church and Grafton Legion to organize delivery of Meals on Wheels to people in need of this service in the Grafton area.
In 1989, the Diocese of Toronto celebrated its 150th anniversary. The Sesquicentennial Cross, a symbol of our commitment as a diocese to follow Jesus Christ, was passed from church to church throughout the diocese. On a warm Saturday morning in September, 15 members of St. George's walked with the 5' x 12' wooden cross from Shelter Valley road to the church where the cross was the focus of worship the next day.
Research was done to compile lists of the names of people who served as wardens of St. George's from 1935 to 1992. The Reverend Arturo Riguero contributed his skills in calligraphy and the framed lists now hang in the entry to the church.
In November 1990, the Riguero family moved from the rectory in Grafton to a brand new bungalow in Colborne owned by our sister parish, Trinity Church. Art continued his ministry from this new base.
Art's last service at St. George's was on June 28, 1992, after which he retired and moved back to Nicaragua.
Written by Margaret Ryerson.
1992•
The arrival of the Reverend Lesley Barclay as incumbent in September 1992 marked another milestone in the history of St. George's. Lesley is the first woman to hold this position and this is her first charge since completing studies at Trinity College, Toronto. She served as curate at All Saints, Whitby, was a lay associate at St. George's, Ajax and chaplain at Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto and Oshawa General Hospital.
October 2, 1994 Dear Friends:
On our one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, we celebrate manythings.
We remember with thanks our Anglican forebears who founded this parish and who nurtured their families in the Christian faith so that this parish would be a witness of God's love in the village of Grafton for one hundred and fifty years.
We remember with thanks those who served as priest in this parish and whose dedication to their calling helped those in their care to grow in the faith.
We remember with thanks those who served in positions of responsibility over the years whether as wardens, treasurers, Sunday School teachers, presidents of the Evening Guild, etc. Without their commitment, this parish would not have survived.
As we look to the future, let us renew our commitment to honour our past by dedicating ourselves to continue the work begun by our forebears in 1844, always remembering the Author of our faith “whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the church an in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen".
Faithfully yours,
Lesley Barclay
| Sanctuary Lamp | ||
| In memory of James and Lucy Gordon | 1984 | |
| Ceiling Fans in Church and Hall | ||
| In memory of Ivan Weatherup | 1985 | |
| Eucharistic Vestments | ||
| Copies of Book of Alternative Services | ||
| In memory of Janet Underwood | 1986 | |
| Presentation Table | ||
| In memory of Arthur Riley | 1986 | |
| Stove in Hall Kitchen | ||
| In memory of Ivy Riley | 1989 | |
| Freezer in Hall Kitchen | ||
| Copies of Book of Alternative Services | ||
| In memory of Earl Ryerson | 1990 | |
| Lectern Bible | ||
| In memory of Ron and Rose Bates | 1993 | |
| Floor Stand for Flags | ||
| In memory of John Watson | 1994 | |
| Paschal Candle Stand | ||
| In memory of June Hare | 1994 |
Church Carpet
In 1989, a gift of carpeting for the sanctuary and aisles of the church was given by Bob MacCoubrey of Cobourg.
| 1975 | Harold Forster | David Wright |
| 1976-1978 | Robert Goody | David Wright |
| 1979 | Donald Hare | Douglas Morton |
| 1980-1981 | Donald Hare | Murray Davis |
| 1982-1984 | Arthur Riley | Donald Hare |
| 1985 | Donald Hare | James Greavette |
| 1986-1987 | James Greavette | Margaret Ryerson |
| 1988 | James Greavette /Donald Hare | Margaret Ryerson |
| 1989 | Donald Hare | Margaret Ryerson |
| 1990 | Donald Hare | Harry Bates |
| 1991-1993 | Stephen Bates | Harry Bates |
| 1994 | Adam Wagner | Harry Bates |
