Ship of Fools: Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
The Mystery Worshipper
Shipmate
Ship of Fools: Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Nothing to write home about – and where was Dustin Hoffman?
Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here
Comments
There are large glass windows looking into the chapel that reminded me of the church windows in the wedding scene toward the end of the classic Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate.
Does that help?
The location of the chapel must be fairly unusual, I think, as is its dedication (shades of Swedenborg) but what a wonderful set of coloured windows!
One assumes that the Sunday School is only present in the chapel during the main Eucharist, so no distractions at other times.
(The best bit of that clip is the shot of the faces of the people on the bus...)
I noticed that. Most unseemly (but ingenious).
On the other hand, the Cathedral does have a reputation for being somewhat...aloof? I'm struggling to find the right word. Downtown Victoria is too expensive for most families, so the neighborhood is populated by a lot of retirees from other provinces who moved to Victoria for its mild oceanic climate (mild compared to the rest of Canada, that is). Even when I lived there -- some 20 years ago now -- there was a sense that the Cathedral was the place for the well-to-do. For all the magnificence of the building, there are homeless people who sleep on the lawn right beside it.
The chapel is indeed an intriguing bit of architecture, though, overlooking the nave as it does. -- it's often used for chamber music concerts and such, which usually happen on Sunday afternoons (catering to the tourist crowd).
The original report gives:
The cast
The dean opened the service and gave the church announcements.
The vicar presided at the service, but the dean gave the homily.
The verger led the procession. A server held the processional cross.
The choir sang under the direction of the choirmaster and the organist played the music.
I’m an 88 year old retired Anglican priest, living in Brighton UK. I’m now almost housebound, was introduced to Christ Church Cathedral a few months ago, and have by YouTube attended the Eucharist and Evensong every week since.
Christ Church Cathedral itself is anything but ‘brutalist’. The interior is simply but elegantly ordered. About half the nave is filled with conventional pews, then a space furnished with chairs for the choir, in front of a spacious, visually attractive, semi-circular liturgical dais containing the high altar. There is an air of serenity about it, which always lifts my spirits.
The Eucharistic liturgy draws on authorised contemporary Canadian and American resources, and is served with simple dignity, in what I would describe as ‘prayer book catholic’ style. Evensong is virtually straight 1662 BCP in content.
The Dean [name redacted - GDPR], and the Cathedral Vicar [name redacted - GDPR], are both very fine preachers in their own distinct ways, unfailingly thoughtful, challenging and engaging. The sermon in question was about a great deal more than money, but it obviously touched a sensitive nerve in SKS, as it did in me - and rightly so! Definitely a 9!
The Cathedral music is outstanding; its choir can bear comparison with the best cathedral choirs I have heard in the UK, thanks to the inspiring leadership of the director of music and his highly talented assistant. They offer music from Gregorian chant right through to contemporary composers, and access to a variety of soloists and concert groups. (By the way, the choir happened to be singing the psalm Gelineau-style, but they alternate with plainchant and Anglican chant. It’s always superbly sung Anglican chant at Evensong.)
Finally, a word of praise for those who operate the tv cameras, who do it so well that the viewer is not even aware of them - unless he’s writing a comment for Mystery Worshipper.
You won’t be surprised that my final verdict is 10 Ecstatic, and I’d give anything to be a regular worshipper at Christ Church. Cathedral, Victoria, BC in person!
[name, address, e-mail redacted - GDPR]
[mitre donned]
@Ancient of Days , GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) makes it impossible for us to mention by name the clergy, staff, or members of the congregation associated with the church being reported on. Also, you would be well advised not to "out" yourself when posting on the Ship.
And please, our MW reports are reports, not reviews.
@Amanda B Reckondwyth
Lead Editor, Mystery Worship
[mitre handed to MC]
Unfortunately, this reviewer would prefer that children be segregated from the service rather than be "distracted" by their presence. Because of this apparent lack of education on the presence of children in worship, I would hesitate to consider other reviews from this site valid or supportive of church growth. It's clear that the reviewer is too self-focused on their own experience in church rather than the communal experience, they are not considering the long-term impact of investing in the education and development of the next generation of church leaders.
We need to prioritize the growth and nurturing of young minds in order to ensure a strong and sustainable future for the church community. If a reviewer sees this work as a distraction, then it is time to return to seminary.
It is precisely this attitude that it is better to segregate children from worship than include them and be "distracted" by their presence that has caused churches to empty. When non-religious but previous church-going Baby Boomers were asked why they left the church, segregation of Sunday School, of not being included because their presence was seen as a "distraction," was one of the most significant reasons for their leaving.
"...interviews suggest that individualism, materialism, or consumerism was not responsible for their drifting away — far from it: their time in Sunday school was more significant. It failed to make any serious connection with churchgoing..."
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/24-march/books-arts/book-reviews/why-baby-boomers-turned-from-religion-shaping-belief-and-belonging-1945-2021-by-abby-day
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/why-baby-boomers-turned-from-religion-9780192866684?lang=de&cc=sd
Ship of Fools cannot be considered a valid resource for churches if they are ignorant of current research.
Besides which, the reporter in this case didn’t say they found the presence of children distracting. They said they found seeing the movement of people who were doing something other than participating in the liturgy—who in this case happened to be children in a Sunday school class and their teacher—in a different room visible directly above the altar distracting. Indeed, one could reasonably infer that the distraction was directly related to the fact that the children were segregated from worship.