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ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH Port Angeles, Washington |
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OUR HISTORY Church History: 75th Anniversary 85th Anniversary 90th Anniversary Parish Profile: 1993 Parish Profile 2008 Parish Profile Annual Report: January 2008 The first "Episcopal Guild" was created by a group of Port Angeles residents in 1891. A small building at Sixth and Chase streets was the first home for St. Andrew's. This property was traded for a lot at Second and Peabody Streets where a new church was constructed and dedicated in 1905. (Current home of the Salvation Army.)
A parish hall was added in 1908 which, although under control of St. Andrew's, was for the use of all in the community. This enabled the parish to supply, with the help of other churches and service-minded organizations, food, clothing, fuel and other assistance to the needy during the depression of the 1930s. This caring concern and sharing of our property continues to the present. In recent years, the parish hall has housed a free clinic for those without medical insurance and a safe place for the homeless to spend the night.
During Fr. Storm's tenure, St. Andrews replaced its old organ with a fine Kenneth Coulter pipe organ. This quality instrument enables the parish to provide concerts and to open the church to many other musical experiences in partnership with Peninsula College and others. Also during this period, the church was approved to create on its property a memorial garden for the remains of the parish members who wished to make this choice.
As our church grew, a larger site was selected on Park Avenue, our present location and was dedicated in 1971. Financing for the building was provided by a modest capital campaign which was enhanced by special gifts from memorials and others enabling us to burn the mortgage and consecrate the church in January, 1975.
St. Andrew's Place, owned by Episcopal Retirement Communities, opened in June 1998 on property owned by St. Andrews, just south of the church. This United Way agency serves assisted-living residents. Members of St. Andrews church participate with pastoral care, social opportunities and other assistance.
We are currently being served on an interim basis by the Rev. Margaret Bourne- Raiswell who brings us loving pastoral care and meaningful sermons. Senior Warden Betty Marshall skillfully manages our business as a full-time volunteer. Our vestry is fully committed to its work. Together, Maggie, Betty, the vestry and the congregation continue to fully engaged in our mission, "To know Christ and to make him known", as it has been over the past 117 years.
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© 2008 St. Andrew's Episcopal Church All Rights Reserved |
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St.
Andrews reached out early in its history to provide pastoral care to
communities on the North Olympic Peninsula. Fr. John Como,
our rector from 1939 until his untimely death in 1960, helped
St. Luke's, Sequim, become a parish in 1959 (having previously been
a mission). We continue to serve St. Swithin's, our Forks
mission, which was begun under Canon Walter McNeil, our rector for
St. Andrews from 1964 until 1971. This mission work was further
expanded to St. Jerome's in Sekiu/Clallam Bay by Fr. David
Storm who served us as rector from 1972 through 1993.
This mission however was not sustainable and was discontinued.
Following
Fr. Storm, Fr. Michael Carr served as our priest from 1995
through April 2007. Shortly after his term began, it became
necessary to add a new parish hall for fellowship as our "old"
parish hall was being used so much for community services.
This addition proved far more costly than anticipated and
challenged us financially. After a capital campaign, which
later was supplemented by large gifts from several parishioners,
we were able to burn this mortgage in July 5, 2005.