The
Sunday School boasted a staggering roll of 990 children and
teenagers, an increase of238 from the previous year. The teaching
staff numbered 71.
The Godkins accepted the challenge of leading the rapidly growing
parish with great enthusiasm. John Godkin organized a servers
guild shortly after his arrival and at ~ year's end there were
five members. That year marked another milestone in the history
of the parish - the first adult choir was established under
the leadership of David Pownall.
The summer months were hardly relaxing for the people of St
Catherine's. Construction was started on the vicarage that was
built on a site adjacent to the church. During that time the
Godkins lived in West Vancouver and in Jake and Wendy Ingram's
home on Ridgewood Drive. They moved into the unfinished vicarage
at the end of September 1956. They had been in residence only
a few weeks when one very rainy day they returned home t<
find that the culvert through the church property had beer blocked
by discarded lumber and rubbish. Water cascading from Wellington
Crescent, down the steps into the basement of the church hall.
The whole floor with about four inches deep in swirling water
that flowed out the door next to the furnace room. Clouds of
steam were rising from the heating pipes that were in a trough
in the floor beneath the windows. The area was like a huge steam
bath. The neighbours came with brooms and pails to sweep the
water towards the exit. It was several hours before the stream
was stopped.
In 1957 St. Catherine's Church became self-supporting. As previously
mentioned, the incumbent's title was "vicar" but as
soon as the parish attained that new status the Reverend John
Godkin became a rector who lived in a rectory.
Laura Emmett reported that among the many projects undertaken
by the Woman's Auxiliary during 1957 was the purchase of material
for 14 hand-sewn choir surplices and 16 cassocks. Enid Godkin
designed and made hats for the ladies of the choir. The Parish
Guild numbered 112 members and had an average attendance of
45 ladies. The membership was divided into six neighbourhood
groups that met once a month in homes. A major part of their
fund-raising objective was payment of $1,390 owing on the church
organ that had been purchased in 1956.
The parish was thriving. In October a Junior Auxiliary was started
under the leadership of Mrs. A. Sced and Mrs. D. Meredith. Two
junior badminton clubs, four Cub packs, a Scout troop, three
Brownie packs and two Guide companies were in operation. The
average church attendance during the week was 325 and the parish
numbered 700 families. The activities and increase in numbers
made demands on Mr. Godkin's time and necessitated the consideration
of the appointment of a part-time assistant. In his 1957 report
the rector alerted the parish to that fact when he stated he
had made more than 550 house calls during his first year at
St. Catherine's. It was with some relief that he welcomed the
Reverend Percy Bays from Winnipeg who joined the staff in 1958
as the rector's assistant.
The nursery, which was housed in the kitchen, provided care
for three to fifteen children during the eleven o'clock service.
Twenty-one ladies and a number of teenagers shared the weekly
duties. Nursery Superintendent Wendy Racey and her helpers each
paid annual dues of fifty cents, which bought cookies and Kleenex.
Douglas Stevens, General Superintendent of the 9:30 a.m. Sunday
School, provided the following statistics at the beginning of
1959:
- 50
three and four year-olds in the kindergarten room
- 31
five-year-old girls in the room under the stage
- 21
five-year-old boys in the small room under the dressing
room
- 174
children in grades 1, 2 and 3 made up 19 classes in the
activity room
- 211
children in grades 4, 5 and 6 made up 18 classes meeting
in the gym (Gower Hall)
- Three
classes of 35 Grade 7 boys met in the committee (Mary Pellatt)
room
- Two
classes of 10 girls each met in two rooms behind the altar
- Nineteen
Grade 8 girls met in the kitchen
- Nineteen
Grade 8 boys met in the dressing room J (currently the second
office beside the stage)
- Grade
9 and older children formed a junior congregation in the
church
The
Sunday School staff consisted of the Rector, General Superintendent,
Treasurer, three secretaries, six departmental superintendents,
92 teachers or teacher assistants, three pianists and a choir
leader.
A Girls' Auxiliary was organized in 1959 and the Anglican
Young People's Association that grew out of the original youth
group, now numbered 39. A Bible study group was also formed
that year. Norman Hind-Smith was appointed organist to work
with David Pownall.
In November that year the Bishop of Ontario conducted a teaching
mission that was described by John Godkin as a "landmark
in the history of the parish". It incorporated a children's
mission during which 180 badges were given to those who had
attended the sessions for three or more days.
During 1959 parishioners once again faced the fact that they
required more space, and so as they approached a new decade
they met yet another challenge. The building fund committee
presented a "Report to the Shareholders" outlining
the financial picture - past, present and future. In March
a campaign was launched to finance the demolition of the existing
church and construction of a new place of worship that would
accommodate 350 to 400 people. More Sunday School space was
desperately needed. The recommendation of the Diocesan Expansion
Planning committee endorsed the plan and further urged the
establishment of another parish in the Delbrook area to ease
the overcrowding at St. Catherine's. That recommendation was
abandoned.
In
1959 the parish welcomed Miss Julie Prior, a graduate of the
Anglican Women's Training College in Toronto. She was made
a deaconess at St. Catherine's by Bishop Gower on June 22nd
and her presenter was Archdeacon Greig. Julie was the director
of Christian Education and resource person for the Girls'
Auxiliary, Little Helpers and the Sunday School. Although
she was not officially the Church secretary Julie handled
the office work. In 1960 she initiated the first Summer School
that was attended by 66 children. That year also saw the arrival
of the Reverend John Chapman, replacing Percy Bays. A very
keen men's group met for dinner once a month. It was originally
established to provide a nucleus of men who could solicit
funds for the parish, but later developed into an enjoyable
opportunity for fellowship.
Towards the end of 1960 Enid Godkin drew together some people
with previous choir experience to lead the singing for the
Christmas services. The group comprised eight sopranos, two
altos, two tenors and four basses. The choir also became affiliated
with the Royal School of Church Music in England. Later, Ruth
Kyle began the first junior choir and her husband Don directed
the senior choir. Mrs. Flo Smith later formed a junior choir
that sang at the 9:30 morning services. Each year they competed
in the Kiwanis Music Festival and for three years won the
top award for choirs in their class. Mrs. Godkin was also
an active member of the Woman's Auxiliary and of an embroidery
group that was started by the Altar Guild. This group produced
many beautiful altar hangings, some of which are still in
use.
In July 1960 the Reverend Leonard Mack McFerran, a counsellor
with the Alcoholism Foundation, was appointed honorary assistant
to Mr. Godkin. Mr. McFerran and Deaconess Prior were later
to marry in 1963. In his 1961 Annual Report John Godkin remembered
Gerald Houlgrave who died on October 5, 1960. The man who
had earned a special place in the hearts of all at St. Catherine's
left a bequest of $30,000 to aid in the rebuilding of the
church he loved.
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