Workshop On Cathedral Relocation
For many gathered in the nave at Christ Church Cathedral (CCC) between the hours of 12:30 and 2:30pm on February 1st, 2015, the words of the legendary New York Yankee’s catcher, Yogi Berra were entering their thoughts - “it’s like déjà vu all over again”. The purpose of this particular get-together was to extend the conversation to more members of the parish about the imminent, temporary relocation of all activities that take place in the upper level: narthex, nave, chancel and choir of the 120 year old church building at 690 Burrard. Even those who joined the cathedral community following the end of the 20th century remember the year that the parish relocated to a meeting room at the Main Branch of the Vancouver Public Library, April 2003 to April 2004 for worship while the heritage restoration and renewal of the church was underway. And now we fast forward to April 2015, when again the cathedral community will relocate for up to six months while the new roof project is completed and a new kitchen is built on the north side of the lower level. This is part of the three-pronged Raise the Roof, Ring the Bells, Feed the Hungry project that will see the construction of a new bell tower, a replacement zinc roof, the completion of the seismic work on the building and the construction of a new and larger kitchen primarily to support CCC’s compassionate service food ministries.
On this Sunday the Cathedral Parish celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, not only was this a major feast day but it also marked the first official pastoral visitation of Bishop Melissa Skelton to the parish since her consecration March 1st, 2014.
To begin the meeting, the Dean of CCC, the Very Reverend Peter Elliott introduced Associate Warden Ian Birtwell, ODNW. Ian’s leadership has spanned the incumbency of the last four CCC rectors and his many gifts have made him an integral part of all the significant construction projects involving the cathedral during six decades. His involvement in this current project is pretty much a full time job.
He began by saying that the relocation involves “numerous constituencies.” There is the parish use of the sanctuary (upper level) for worship and also its use by other groups for concerts etc. that will need to be suspended. Although there is not likely to be any work done on the site on Sundays, the space will be extremely dirty and dusty and generally unsafe. Therefore, the upstairs will close sometime in the spring of 2015 and worship will take place in a large meeting/banquet room at the Century Plaza Hotel, located several blocks due south at 1015 Burrard Street. This will be the location for the main 10:30am Sunday Celebration of the Eucharist until the project has progressed to a level where use of the upper level is safe and clean. CCC leadership have booked the Century Plaza location until the end of October but Ian mentioned that the church could be ready for worship as early as the Sunday after Labour Day. The venue at the Century Plaza will be made available for CCC worship at 7:30am on Sunday mornings to provide adequate time for set-up.
Other constituencies include those involved in CCC’s compassionate service initiatives which will need to conclude by the end of April and also the CCC staff will likely need to relocate for a time probably in May and perhaps through to July. Cathedral leaders have found office space for the staff in the Park Place building located right next door to the north of the Cathedral grounds. Cathedral Choir will hold their rehearsals at St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church located next door to the Century Plaza and the CCC 8am Book of Common Prayer congregation will worship there as well, Sundays at 8am.
During Bishop Skelton’s nine years as rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Seattle there was a major renovation of the sacred space which resulted in the St. Paul’s community worshipping in the parish hall located in the basement of the building. Although not at a different address, the community had certainly journeyed to a different space and had experienced all the accompanying turmoil, adjustments and joys of relocation. Based on her experience of relocation Bishop Skelton posed three questions:
- What is your excitement about this journey?
- What are you concerns?
- What questions do you have?
Bishop Skelton positioned these questions within the context of “pilgrimage.”
During the three reporting back periods, there were numerous concerns about Coffee Hour and how a social component following worship could be implemented in a different location. There were practical concerns about: transportation, parking, the security of the cathedral space while the community is absent, and a lack of community presence on CCC site (a well-known tourist destination) during the project. The information shared by the plenary and recorded will be of significant value to CCC leadership as they prepare over the coming weeks for the relocation
Toward the end of the workshop, Bishop Skelton shared some of the ways the St. Paul’s, Seattle community benefited from their “exile.”
- They treated it like an adventure
- Embraced the “gift of it”, the opportunity to grow
- Realized they would have to make adjustments on the fly and always brought a sense of humour
- Expected to grow spiritually and numerically
- Focused on rediscovering their purpose as Christians and as a Christian community.
There was a great deal of enthusiasm in the nave of Christ Church Cathedral on the afternoon of February 1st, 2015, and many ideas shared. Greater involvement in planning almost always leads to greater participation. Please keep the parish of Christ Church Cathedral in your thoughts and prayers as they embark on this pilgrimage.
This is an excerpt, the full article will be published in the April issue of TOPIC the monthly publication of the Diocese of New Westminster.