Chapter 5 – The Clergy of St. Mark’s

In particular, it was a revelation to discover the skills of Robert Shannon in laying the foundation of Diocesan funding, and the driving force of A.E.O. Anderson to build a church. Both had been tasked by their respective Bishops to carry the extra burden of St. Mark’s in trying times. Both had full time Parishes to look after at the time. Both gave generously of their energy to complete their assigned tasks. In the past at St. Mark’s we have not talked enough about, nor given enough credit to, these two strong leaders. This Section is dedicated to both of them.

The Clergy are listed in order of association with St. Mark’s. All the information found or provided about the departed clergy is included as it will be more difficult to obtain in the future.

Robert Shannon
Robert Shannon was born in Ireland on November 30, 1909. He was baptised in his Parish of Kilmachshalgan in the Diocese of Killala. He received his theological training at Trinity College in Toronto and was ordained by the Bishop of Ottawa. On May 1, 1949 he was appointed as the Rector of St. Thomas’ Ellwood (near Bank and Alta Vista then), St. George’s Hawthorne, St. James’ Leitrim, and given a special assignment for the Carleton Heights area. He came from the Parish of Metcalfe. As a former naval Chaplain, he was a good fit.

The area he was assigned was huge, stretching from Leitrim on the east to almost Bell’s Corners on the west. And not only was it a tremendous task because of its size, but it was a fast growing area as well.

He was an organizer and chosen by the Bishop because of these skills. His staff work and staff papers on the subject of financing the churches in the new urban areas put in place the funding we needed for a church building. He was an “accumulator” of liturgical items which he freely gave to any church in need. In a handwritten letter written to Marguerite Godin on September 12, 1974 he commented that he was charged by the Bishop to remove all the valuable liturgical items from the closed Church in Alfred and to store them in safe keeping. He used both St. George’s Hawthorne and St. Thomas’ Ellwood for storage space. That is where some of our items came from.

His hand writing reveals a bit of his character. Each character was formed precisely. He dotted every “i” and crossed every “t.” There were no corrections in his letters. Each sentence was formed in his mind before he wrote it.

He left us on July 1, 1952 to take more theological training in Chicago. One year later he returned to become the Incumbent of Lanark. He took a leave of absence on May 1, 1954 to serve as a Chaplain in the Royal Canadian Navy. Allan Rogers in a March 31, 1955 newsletter mentions that Robert Shannon could not be with them for St. Mark’s Day in 1955 because he was serving as a Chaplain in Korea.

He married Margaret Mackie on July 7, 1959 at Christ Church Hamilton. He remained in the Navy until retirement, and then moved to Calgary. He still had many friends in the Parish who corresponded with him.

Ralph Willindon Smith
Ralph Smith came to St. Mark’s as a Cadet in the Church Army and was assigned to Robert Shannon. In May and June 1949 his first task was to tread the dusty and muddy streets of Carleton Heights to survey the amount of support for an Anglican church in the area. He did his task well and on June 21, 1949 Robert Shannon called a meeting of those interested and the seeds for the Parish of St. Mark’s were sown. Ralph worked the summer of 1949 and then returned for his last year in Toronto. He graduated as a Captain in the Church Army in 1950 and returned to St. Thomas’ and St. Mark’s. After more training, he was ordained a deacon on June 28, 1952. He married Ruth Cameron while still serving at St. Mark’s. After the departure of Robert Shannon, he was assigned to A.E.O. Anderson of St. Peter’s on July 1, 1952. He left St. Mark’s on July 1, 1953 to become the Rector of Iroquois. He served a full career in the Diocese of Ottawa.

Arthur Edward Oswald Anderson
AEO, as he was known, was born in Smiths Falls in 1899, the son of Rev. E.A. Anderson, who at that time was a curate in Smiths Falls. He studied at St. John's College, Winnipeg, and did missionary work among the Indians in the Moosonee district before taking further divinity studies at the University of London in England. Mr. Anderson had various posts in the Canterbury diocese in England. He returned to Canada in 1950, after 28 years.

His first post in Ottawa was St. Peter's mission, which became a regular parish in 1953. St. Mark's and St. Richard's parish in City View both benefited from his efforts. In particular, he was charged by the Bishop to build a Church for St. Mark’s. He is remembered as very set in his ways and with definite opinions. He is the one who fought hard to have the cedar look to the Church despite some reservations by the Wardens and Building Committee. His wife, Ethel, started the first Mothers’ Union at St. Mark’s.

Rev. A.E.O. Anderson, rector of the Anglican Church of the Ascension, died of a heart attack on Wednesday, March 14, 1962 while working at the Synod Office on Bronson Avenue. He was 62.

His most lasting contribution to the Diocese was the establishment of the Anglican Book Society and Canterbury House.

Robert Victor Allan Rogers
Allan Rogers was born on September 29, 1922. He took his theological training at Trinity College in Toronto and was ordained a deacon on June 11, 1951.

He came to the mission of St. Mark’s in 1953 and served as Assistant Curate under the direction of the Reverend A.E.O. Anderson. Allan was appointed Curate-in-Charge in 1955 working directly for the Bishop.

Allan was kind to everyone and dedicated to his work. He was a willing listener and visitations were one of his strengths. Along with his priestly talents, he had musical talent; he could play the piano, direct the choir, and deliver the sermon, all in one service. He built lasting friendships with many of the parishioners.

He accepted the appointment as the Incumbent of Bearbrook on November 1, 1955. He served a full career in the Diocese of Ottawa.

George James Foy
George Foy was born in Toronto on March 25, 1911 and moved to Winnipeg when he was 16. He studied for the ministry at St. John’s College in Winnipeg and was ordained a deacon on June 4, 1938 and a priest in 1939. During the World War II he served as Chaplain of the Naval Reserve. Before coming to Ottawa, he served in Manitoba and Western Quebec. He came to St. Mark’s in November 1955 from the Parish of All Saints, Noranda, Quebec in the Diocese of Moosonee. He was a canon of that Diocese.

George and Eleanor were the first to occupy the Rectory when it was completed. It was home also for their children, Aubrey and Lucy. He served at St. Mark’s for 15 years from 1955 to 1971. It was a very natural setting for George. As a veteran himself, he fitted like a hand to a glove with the other veterans of the Parish. He is still very well remembered and well loved in the Parish. He was a humble man who lived and worked his faith.

In 1971 he was appointed to St. James’ Manotick. In 1972, he was appointed Archdeacon of Cornwall by Bishop William Robinson and served faithfully the rural part of Ottawa-Carleton and Stormont, Dundas, Glengarry, Prescott, and Russell Counties.

He retired in 1977 when he and Eleanor moved to Toronto to be closer to their children. Aubrey became the organist and choirmaster at St. James’ Cathedral in Toronto in 1969. Lucy became a lawyer and in 1997 was appointed a Judge of the Ontario Provincial Court.

He died on February 25, 1978 of a heart attack at his home in Toronto. In a packed memorial service at St. Mark’s on February 28, 1978, Canon Eldon Davis paid tribute to George as a very capable person.

William Dixon Townson
William Townson was born on November 20, 1928. He was ordained a deacon on May 21, 1961.

He came to St. Mark’s on February 1, 1965 to help George Foy cope with the tremendous workload of four services every Sunday, over 200 children in Sunday School, and overcrowded accommodation.

He left St. Mark’s in November 1966 for the Diocese of Montreal. After retirement, he moved to St. Thomas in south-western Ontario.

Thomas Allen Box
Allen Box was born August 7, 1942. He was ordained a deacon on May 16, 1967 and was assigned as the Assistant at St. Mark’s. During the troubled financial times at St. Mark’s after the Hall was built, his position was deleted.

On November 15, 1968 he was appointed the Rector of Petawawa. He has served at many Churches in the Diocese and as Diocesan Administrator. He is currently the Incumbent of All Saints Westboro in Ottawa.

David Charles Bolton
David Bolton was born July 11, 1935. He was involved in Church activities from the beginning as his father was a well known minister, Archdeacon Ken Bolton.

David took his theological training at Trinity College in Toronto and was ordained a deacon June 11, 1964. He was appointed the Rector of Campbell’s Bay on February 1, 1966 and the Rector of St. Mark’s May 1, 1971. His interest in liturgy led to his appointment to head the Committee on Liturgy of the Diocese.

He left St. Mark’s in 1977 for Grace Church-on-the-Hill in Toronto. He served in the Diocese of Niagara until he retired in December 1998. He moved to Vancouver Island after retirement.

David Kennedy Stalter
David Stalter was born in Markham, Ontario on April 5, 1934 to Oliver and Phyllis Stalter. Oliver, at that time, was the principal of the local high school. David was the third child with two older sisters. A younger sister arrived some years later.

David was educated in Markham, but left at an early age to try his hand in business, banking, and later the RCAF. He received an honorable discharge from the RCAF in 1958, and enrolled in the Church Army. During his time at Church Army he met Marion who would later become his wife. Upon leaving Church Army he took a job with the Provincial Government in the Department of Health and Welfare. He was due for a large promotion, when he heard God calling him to study for the priesthood. He left the Government to commence his studies at Huron College in London, Ontario.

David graduated from Huron College in 1965, and was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Huron for the Bishop of Ottawa. He served in the parishes of South March, Maberley-Lanark, Ashton, St. Margaret’s Vanier, and St. Mark’s, Ottawa. During these years he was involved with both diocesan and community affairs, serving on many committees in both areas.

David was a gentle and patient man of God who lived his faith. He believed deeply in the power of prayer, and often pointed to himself as proof that prayer works. He loved to look communicants right in the eyes whenever he delivered the chalice, and many of us keep up this tradition as a living memorial to him. David also left with us the concept of all members being “ministers”, and that is carried on to this day as we list “Ministers: The Whole Congregation.”

As well, David always found time to spend with his family and friends. David died November 29, 1983. He is survived by Marion, his wife, and three children, Cathy, Mark, and Elaine. Marion is still an active member of St. Mark’s.

Henry Thomas Bowkett
Harry Bowkett was born in London England on May 19, 1914. Despite being born within the sound of the Bow Bells, he had no accent. He was the manager of Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa and an active lay reader at St. Margaret’s Vanier before becoming ordained as a deacon on November 23, 1973. He came to St. Mark’s in 1981 as an Assistant to help during David Stalter’s illness. David and Harry were old friends from St. Margaret’s.

He was soft spoken and a finder of middle ground in any situation. He was affable, right and proper, learned, and a determined Englishman. He gave good sermons. He came as a friend to help; he stayed as a parishioner to help. His own illness and death on September 8, 1981 cut short his ministry.

Harold Eugene Bridges
Hal Bridges was born July 21, 1921. He had a full career in the RCAF before retiring and taking theological training at Saint Paul. He was ordained a deacon on June 1, 1975. He was appointed Priest-in-Charge in 1982 while David Stalter battled cancer.

He easily fitted into St. Mark’s. He had a tremendous grasp of problems and provided great leadership to the Parish in the time of need.

A few of us who knew him in the RCAF days found it very humorous one morning when he read a letter from the Bishop condemning nuclear weapons, because Hal, as the Commanding Officer of 409 Fighter Squadron in Comox, B.C., had led the charge to equip the Voodoo fighter with nuclear missiles. When he was asked if he felt a twinge when he had to read the letter, he simply shrugged his shoulders and replied that he had a new boss now.

He left us on September 1, 1983 to take up the post as Rector of Kars. Hal died in June 1992.

Gordon Henry Worden
Gordon Worden was born on January 6, 1946. After doing a degree at Queens, he took his theological training at Huron. He was ordained a deacon on May 21, 1971. Before coming to St. Mark’s, he served in Smiths Falls, Mattawa, Strafford, and St. Lawrence East. He took his first service at St. Mark’s on March 4, 1984 and was inducted on St. Mark’s Day, April 25, 1984.

Gordon and Leslie MacEachern were married in St. Mark’s on October 16, 1971 so he had a special place in his heart for St. Mark’s already. Gordon and Leslie shared the Rectory with their daughters Rebecca, Emily, and Jessica.

In 1990, Gordon accepted the Bishop’s call to go to St. James’ Carleton Place, where at the time of writing he has served many years as Archdeacon.

Lawrence Gregory Bloomquist
Greg was born in Cherokee, Iowa, USA on October 27, 1951. He was raised in Quimby, Iowa (population 400!) until age 14. He attended Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire from the age of 14 to 18. Greg received a B.A. in History and Law from Beloit College in Wisconsin, and a M.A. and M.Religion from the University of Toronto, and a ThD from Wycliffe College.

Greg taught at the Jesuit Seminary in Barcelona, Spain from 1981 to 1986 and Saint Paul University in Ottawa (1987 to present). He is the co-founder of Augustine College.

Greg was ordained deacon on Pentecost in 1987 and priest on Palm Sunday in 1988 by the Rt. Rev. Alan Read (Bishop of Ontario). He has been a priest of the Diocese of Ottawa since 1993, and at St. Mark's for (almost) the whole time since 1987.

Greg and Rachel live in the Parish and have four children Julia, Kristin, Laura, and Jonathan.

Courtenay David Lethbridge
David Lethbridge was born on November 5, 1933. He took his theological training at Bishop’s University and racked up his knees playing football as well. He was ordained a deacon on May 24, 1959.

Prior to coming to St. Mark’s, he served at All Saints Westboro, Navan, North Gower, and Deep River. On September 1, 1990 David Lethbridge was appointed Incumbent. He was inducted on November 21, 1990. He and Phyllis moved into the Rectory shortly after his appointment.

David often used mouse puppets to illustrate his talks to the children, and there are many children and adults who remember the mice well.

He was appointed a Canon of Christ Church Cathedral in the Canonry of St. Patrick on September 24, 1995.

As well during his time at St. Mark’s, he was appointed by the Bishop to be the Chaplain of the Brotherhood of Anglican Churchmen. He retired from St. Mark’s in November 1996.

Frank Alexander Peake
Frank has served as the Honorary Assistant at St. Mark’s since 1994. He took a double major of History and Theology at Emmanuel College in the University of Saskatchewan, then a Masters at the University of Alberta and a Doctorate at Huron College.

He was ordained by Bishop Walter Barfoot of Edmonton. After serving parishes in the Diocese of Edmonton, he taught and served in Edmonton, Vancouver, London, and Sudbury. He retired as Professor of History (Emeritus) from Laurentian University in Sudbury and came with his wife Connie to live in Nepean.

Frank was Editor of the centenary volume for the Diocese of Ottawa, Anglicanism in the Ottawa Valley, which was published in 1997.

Roger Alan Steinke
Roger Steinke was born on September 28, 1947. He studied at Concordia in St. Louis, Missouri in the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church. After serving as a Pastor in the Lutheran Church for three years, he found that his religious beliefs were closer to the Anglican faith than the confessional tradition of the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church. He was warmly welcomed by Bishop William Robinson and was ordained a deacon of the Anglican Church on September 29, 1976.

Prior to coming to St. Mark’s, he served at St. Thomas’ Ottawa, St. Mary the Virgin Blackburn Hamlet and St. Mary’s Navan, St. Lawrence East, and Holy Trinity Pembroke. He provided distinguished service as Archdeacon of Pembroke from 1988 until his appointment as the Incumbent of St. Mark’s on January 1, 1997.

He was appointed by the Bishop as Chaplain to the BAC in 1998.

Roger and Karen have two sons, Philip at Queen’s University in 1999, and Alan who lives at home.

Written by Lorne Bowerman with the help of
Norma Mellon, Fred Neal, and many friends.