-
Holy Trinity Church
The Creation of Holy Trinity
In 1845, Bishop John Strachan, a member of Toronto’s social elite, received an enormous bequest of 5,000 pounds from the sisters Mary Lambert and Ellen Eliza Swale. The sisters were well-to-do women from Yorkshire, England who followed Strachan’s career with interest. Their aim was to establish an Anglican church in Toronto where the pews would always be free and unassigned. At that time, many Anglican churches charged pew fees for revenue. As a result, Bishop Strachan established the Church of the Holy Trinity in 1847 with no pew fees, an attractive option for Toronto newcomers and labourers.
Prior to the 1871 School Act, which made elementary education both compulsory and free, many religious organisations provided basic instruction to children, often at a cost either to the pupils or their municipality. In the mid-19th century, the Church opened Toronto’s first school for girls on the second floor, as well as a boy’s school. In 1860, 19 girls and 28 boys attended the Church’s school. Free education was made available to students with good conduct.
1 / 6 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
Holy Trinity Church
Dorcas Societies
In the early days of Toronto, people experiencing poverty would seek assistance from family and friends, private donors, or religious institutions of their denomination. Places of worship distributed food, clothes, and medical aid within their parishes, as they continue to do today. The demand for poverty relief was strong, as people without community support attempted to establish themselves in a new country.
In response to the overwhelming need for assistance, women formed charitable groups such as Dorcas Societies, which created and distributed clothing. For women of economic privilege at that time, charitable work was one of the few socially-acceptable options available for civic engagement. Although Dorcas Societies originated as Christian initiatives, groups were also formed by members of Holy Blossom Temple synagogue and the Toronto Mission to the Deaf.
Many Toronto charities in the 19th century worked with women-led associations, including the House of Industry, but often would exclude them from executive roles. The Ladies’ Association of the House worked hard to be included, as they were concerned with the moral well being of the residents. Over time, women played a larger role as superintendents of the House, including Frances Laughlen.
2 / 6 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
Holy Trinity Church
A Parish for Immigrants
Situated near Bay and Dundas Streets, the Church of the Holy Trinity sits in the heart of downtown Toronto. When it was built, the Church was on the outskirts of the city in Macauley Town, isolated by swampland and forest.
As Toronto expanded, Macaulay Town became St. John’s Ward, or ‘the Ward’. During the 19th and early 20th century, the Ward was a landing place for immigrants from all over the world. Many of them arrived with little money, and stable work was often hard to find. The neighbourhood became known for its cramped boarding houses and unsanitary living conditions.
As soon as the Church opened, great change came to Toronto. In 1847, the population of Toronto was 20,000. In the same year, 38,000 Irish immigrants arrived in the city fleeing the Great Famine. Although the majority of the Irish immigrants eventually left Toronto to settle elsewhere, Holy Trinity found itself in the centre of a fast-growing neighbourhood requiring social support.
3 / 6 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
Holy Trinity Church
The Social Gospel
By 1935, the Church was a community staple and was known affectionately as the “Old Grey Church in the Square”. Reverend John Frank led the Church congregation and advocated the importance of the Social Gospel, a Protestant movement focusing on social reform. Reverend Frank assembled a Social Action Committee to identify ways to support Toronto’s most vulnerable communities.
In the 1960s and 70s, under the leadership of James Fisk, the church became a champion for social justice issues: It opposed the Vietnam War and allowed pacifists to refuge in the church, it strongly supported gay and lesbian rights, and offered programs and services to support people experiencing poverty and unemployment.
4 / 6 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Today
Today, the Church of the Holy Trinity continues its mandate to serve Toronto’s most vulnerable citizens. The Church works to bring awareness and action to social justice issues including Indigenous treaty rights and the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, refugee sponsorship and support, affordable housing, opioid harm reduction, and 2SLGBTQ+ rights.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented food and shelter insecurity in the city. The Church partnered with Toronto Urban Native Ministry to create Unity Kitchen. During the height of the pandemic, Unity Kitchen served fresh food to about 350 people per day, and also provided clothes and hygiene products. Unity Kitchen expanded through partnership with local religious institutions and Indigenous community groups to meet the growing need.
Since opening its doors over 175 years ago, the Church deals head-on with the socioeconomic challenges of life in Toronto. Many of those challenges have evolved significantly over time, while others, including the need for affordable housing and healthcare, gainful employment opportunities, and refugee integration services, remain virtually the same.
5 / 6 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
-
Holy Trinity Church
Additional Resources
Bennett, J. C. “How Formal Anglican Pew-Renting Worked in Practice, 1800-1950.” The Journal of Ecclesiastical History. Vol. 68, No. 4, 2017. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Douville, Bruce. The Uncomfortable Pew, Christianity and the New Left in Toronto. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021.
Holy Trinity Website. “Justice.”
Nicolson, Murray. “The Other Toronto: Irish Catholics in a Victorian City, 1850-1900”.Multicultural History Society of Ontario. Polyphony. Summer 1984.
Smyth, William J. Toronto, The Belfast of Canada: The Orange Order and the Shaping of Municipal Culture. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2015.
Toronto Homeless Memorials Network. online memorial.
6 / 6 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
