FAQs | St Georges Anglican Church

FAQ’s

Who is welcome at St. George’s?

We are an inclusive community. We welcome Christians and non-Christians; people of all ages from different cultural backgrounds; and people of all sexual orientations. Children are welcome at all our services and at our 10:30 am Sunday School program. We especially encourage all who join us to become involved in our many Community Outreach initiatives.

How accessible is your Church?

We are working to make our community as accessible as possible. We have wheelchair access at the back of the Church annex off of Stanley Street. We print large-sized print bulletins for the visually impaired.

Our restoration and building development plans will include improved access for the physically impaired including better ramps and railings, wheelchair accessible washrooms, changing tables in both men’s and women’s washrooms, improved lighting and sound systems for all.

How can I support the work of the church?

Thanks for asking. A place like St. George’s cannot function without volunteer support. We especially need experienced help in the kitchen, but there are many other opportunities. If you would prefer to make a donation your financial support is always welcome.

How do I volunteer at St. George’s?

To volunteer at St. George’s check out our needs, drop by to see where you can help most or contact us at volunteering@st-georges.org.

What is an Anglican?

An Anglican is someone who has embraced the Anglican Communion as their spiritual home. (See what is the Anglican Communion below.)

Is the Anglican Church protestant?

Anglicanism is often called the “via media” or “middle way” between Catholicism and Protestantism. Most Protestant denominations really needed to protest or even rebel against the Catholic church in order to separate themselves. As Anglicans, we believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ – but given a myriad of different cultural and liturgical expressions. We believe that our bishops are the successors of Christ’s apostles, keeping us connected to those first eye-witnesses of God among us. Unlike Roman Catholics who have a Pope, we are part of a communion, which is made up of 38 self-governing bodies.

What is the Anglican communion?

The Anglican communion is a worldwide body of Anglicans currently numbering nearly 70 million members in 38 self-governing churches in 164 countries. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England is accorded a “primacy of honour” among Anglican bishops worldwide. He chairs the the Lambeth Conference (a meeting held once every decade, or so), which draws together all the bishops of the Anglican Communion, as well as the triennial meetings of the Anglican Consultative Council, which gathers Anglican bishops, clergy and laity from around the Communion.

What is the symbolism in the flag of the Anglican Church of Canada?

The red cross on a white background is the symbol of St. George, patron saint of England. The cross of St. George is widely associated with the Church of England, the mother church of the Anglican Church of Canada. The four maple leaves symbolize the four ecclesiastical provinces. They are green to indicate “a youthful and vigorous church and nation”.

Who is St. George?

St. George is the protector of women and a model of chivalry. His existence, however, is disputed. One tradition preserved in the Golden Legend says that he was a late 3rd-century Roman centurion of Cappadocia, Asia Minor, a Christian in the service of a pagan emperor. Travelling through Libya he found the inhabitants of the city of Silene (in other versions, Beirut of the Levant) living in the terror of a dragon which had eaten their sheep and could only be appeased by the daily sacrifice of a maiden.

The king’s beautiful daughter, Cleolinda was waiting her turn to be the dragon’s next victim. She was dressed as a bride and was standing at the mouth of the dragon’s cave by the sea. George rode up on his white charger, overcame the dragon, bound it with the princess’s girdle, and told her to lead it back to the city. Her father and 15,000 of his people were astounded by their miraculous deliverance and agreed to become Christians. George then killed the dragon. He then went on to Palestine where he refused to recognize the divinity of Emperor Diocletian. He was dragged along the highway by wild horses, then roasted and finally beheaded.

St. George is the patron of Venice, Genoa, Portugal, Catalonia and Greece. He replaced St. Edward the Confessor as patron saint of England in 1222 after the Crusades, when he appeared to Richard LionHeart before the siege of Antioch and promised him victory. The cry, “St. George for England”, also proved effective in enabling Edward III (1327-1377) to beat the French. His red cross represents England on the Union Jack, and his feast day, April 23, is the English National Day. The St. George’s Channel (or Irish Sea) is so named because he is said to have visited England by that route. As patron of the Order of the Garter, he is sometimes shown in the robes of that Order. The church where the members’ banners are placed, St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, is dedicated to him. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints who were especially responsive to prayers for help in recovery from illness and for those who prayed for an easy death.

Credits for the information on this page are given to the Religious Heritage Foundation.

Who is responsible for the photography?

Thanks to Janet Best, Tony Hadley, and Dragos Stoica for providing the fabulous photos on our site, and Ro Ghandi for scanning historic images from our archives.