Welcome to St. Ambrose, Baysville
Interim part-time incumbent: Reverend Canon Phelan Scanlon
Lay reader: Mary Shirley-Thompson
Lay reader: Frank Berg
Rector's warden: Joanne Krawczyk
People's warden: Frank Berg
Musicians: Frank Berg and Joanne Krawczyk
Envelope secretary: Shirley Burton
Bookkeeper: Paul Ecclestone
Webmaster: Paul Ecclestone
St. Ambrose History
St. Ambrose Anglican Church history
1870’s - Worship services held in family homes or in the village schoolhouse
1870’s - Worship services held in family homes or in the village schoolhouse
1880 – March 16, 1880, W.H. Brown, a pioneer of the town of Baysville donated land and executed a deed in favour of the first Bishop of Algoma, The Right Reverend F.D. Fauquier, in trust for an Anglican church site.
1882- The building was erected in autumn. It was referred to as the ‘Parish Hall’ and appeared to be no more than a roof and four walls.
1883 - January 16, 1883, a service was held, and plans made to complete the building. The congregation of 7 families gathered the money, materials and labour required.
1884 – Dec. 9, 1884, Bishop Sullivan led a service in the partly finished building known as the Parish Hall. The roof and windows were complete at that time.
1895- The first full time ordained priest was the Reverend Alexander William Hazlehurst who devoted nearly 35 years to this Mission.
1898 - The first St. Ambrose Church in Baysville was built in 1898 with the help of a grant from the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. The site had been deeded on March 16, 1880. In May 1901 the Church was consecrated by Archbishop Thornloe of Algoma . The first building referred to as the ‘Parish Hall” was used as a Sunday School and parish hall. The earlier years' services were held in family homes and the village schoolhouse and were under the pastoral care of the priests of St. Thomas’ Bracebridge.
1919 - September 2, 1919, fire of unknown origin destroyed both the Church and Parish Hall buildings. On September 15, 1919 – the Women’s Auxiliary (now known as Anglican Church Women) were instrumental in purchasing the old Public School House for $100. This was used as a Church until a new one was built and continues in service as a Parish Hall.
1921 – The present brick church was built and consecrated by Archbishop Thornloe on May 17th, 1925
From the Archives of Blanche Piper and Sheila (Curran) Klyn - December 2022