Consider what it must have been like to worship here over a century ago at Saint Thomas’s Anglican Church. Saint Thomas’s Anglican Church is a unique and beautiful place. It stands as one of Canada’s earliest Anglo-Catholic congregations.
Established in 1874 Saint Thomas’s Anglican Church moved twice. It finally settled here adjacent to the Annex near the University of Toronto. Many people attend services. People come from beyond the parish because of its liturgy and music. Saint Thomas’s is an active welcoming parish. It is rooted in Scripture Reason and Tradition.
Eden Smith a renowned Toronto architect designed the Arts and Crafts building. Smith was also a parishioner. The church opened on January 17 1893. It only cost $20000 for the land and building. The church was intended to be temporary. The parish planned a larger stone building later. But this building has now served for over 125 years.
Inside Saint Thomas’s Anglican Church are architectural treasures. These include stained-glass windows and a First World War memorial baptistery. There is a stunning reredos behind the high altar. It displays hand-carved statues of nine saints. These saints are associated with the parish’s growth. They also represent its role in the Anglican Church in Toronto. Saint Thomas’s also has treasured church vestments and vessels.
The parish has been at the forefront of liturgical and musical life. The Eucharist is central to worship every Sunday. It is celebrated daily throughout the year. On Sundays you can attend Low Mass Sung Mass High Mass and Evensong. Excellent choral and organ music are vital components of the services.
In 1917 Eden Smith remodeled the interior. The octagonal baptistry with Gothic windows was added in 1919. Architectural elements include carved woodwork exposed brick and stained glass windows.
Many know Saint Thomas’s Anglican Church for its intricate liturgy. It maintains high standards in music. The liturgy is more formal than most Anglican churches in North America. Saint Thomas’s preserves complex liturgical roles. It has minor orders like the subdiaconate. These are rare in modern Anglicanism and Western Christianity.
The parish is nicknamed Smoky Tom’s. This is because of its generous use of incense. Influences from the twentieth-century Liturgical Movement have been introduced. The prayer for the church militant was replaced. Now there are prayers for the people. The Sung Mass uses a contemporary text. It is celebrated ad populum toward the people.
Saint Thomas’s celebrates daily Low Mass. It also holds Morning and Evening Prayer. It is one of the few Anglican churches in Toronto with this schedule. Major Feast Days have Low Masses during the day. There is also a Procession and High Mass in the evening.
Music is important to Saint Thomas’s mission. The music program attracts talent. Gerald Moore the famous English accompanist was an assistant organist here. The choir has toured the U.K. three times serving as choir-in-residence in cathedrals.
Saint Thomas’s publishes a weekly e-newsletter. It sponsors a Friday Food Ministry program. It also has a long tradition of refugee sponsorship. Many parishioners are active as performers writers and artists. Saint Thomas’s has participated in events like Nuit Blanche and Doors Open Toronto.
Saint Thomas’s Anglican Church received heritage status from the City of Toronto in 1976.