St. Patrick’s

Church

Governor’s Harbour, Eleuthera, Bahamas

:

“Wonderful Impressions of The Past… Great Expectations for the Future!”

Historical Sketch of St. Patrick’s Anglican Church 1892—2015

There was only one church in the entire central area of Governor’s Harbour. On Archdeacon Jrew’s visitation in May and June of 1847, he administered the sacrament for the first time in this church. The population then made a tremendous increase and the people of this area made a request that Fr. Richard Chambers who was the priest of five islands, be restricted to Eleuthera alone. During this time, however, there was a terrible hurricane and the church was completely destroyed, creating the need for a new church. On January 2, 1892, the new Anglican Church that residents of Governor’s Harbour had so long waited and worked for was finally begun. The site was laid out, the foundation dug out, and willing hands were sent to work. The Church’s outside measurements are 76 ft. by 40 ft.; because of the walls being 2 ft. thick, the inside measurements are 72 ft. by 35 ft. The foundation wall is 3 ft. thick. Hence the work was expensive but necessary in case of hurricanes or other bad types of weather. The cornerstone of the new church had now been laid under the leadership of Fr. Smith (who served 1886-1903). On completion in 1893 and consecration Nov. 26, 1894 by Lord Churton, Fr. Browne, Fr. Blum and the current Rector, Fr. Smith, this building was described as “A very substantial, large and beautiful church.” The cost was about £1,000, the money being gathered from the previous eight years by the means of church sales, collections, donations from residents of Governor’s Harbour and from friends in England. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel also donated £100. The stone with the alabaster columns cost £2,500, which represented the savings of the children in the Sunday School for the past 8 years. An organ and font were also bought for £1,264. On September 29, 1899, a stained glass window was dedicated in memory of the late Mrs. Laura Preston. Fr. Charles W. Smith (present priest at the time who served 1886-1903) performed the ceremony and was assisted by Fr. J.R. Vincent, his assistant priest. The window represented the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus and surrounded by adoring angels. It was the gift of Mr. C.C. Knapp of Beatrice, Nebraska, the eldest son of Mrs. Preston. A large number of friends in addition to the congregation were present at this ceremony. Fr. Langton (who served 1912-1921) had prepared the beautiful Church Yard Crucifix at St. Patrick’s. It was a privilege to consecrate it.

2 This edifice is still standing today and is in very good condition. On March 20, 1903, the Governor’s Harbour Anglican School for girls was begun. The school was being run by a Miss White, an English lady, and was for white girls only. These girls were Methodists whose parents rejected Miss White’s high churchmanship and took their children away. It then became the Methodist Institution. Miss White then moved into the old St. Patrick’s Church on Cupid’s Cay. Fr. Tanter (who served 1931-1936) came to Governor’s Harbour in succession to Fr. Griffiths in 1931 and was to be responsible for the out- stations of all of the outlying parishes, after which he was relocated to Harbour Island. Fr. Donald Knowles (who served 1936-1938) was temporarily put in charge of St. Patrick’s. In 1941, Fr. John Calnan (who served 1968-1970) came to South Eleuthera as Parish Priest in charge of that region and eventually was posted at St. Patrick’s.

Candlesticks & Tabernacle:

The candlesticks are made of wood and the tabernacle is made of metal; these were donated in memory of Fr. Wallop (who served in 1903) by his sister who brought the items over from England. The Tabernacle is said to be priceless. These were sent to the United States and England a few years ago (the later 1980’s) to be refurbished, and are thought of as museum pieces.

3 A church tabernacle is a box-like vessel for the exclusive reservation of the consecrated Eucharist. It is normally made of metal, stone or wood and is lockable and secured to its altar to prevent the consecrated elements within from being removed without authorization.

In early Christianity, priests and/or lay people commissioned by them took bread consecrated at the Eucharist to their homes in order to give it to the sick and others unable to attend the celebration; but when the Edict of Milan ended persecution (February 313 AD) and the early church was allowed to practice its religion publicly, the Eucharist was no longer safeguarded in private Christian homes, but was reserved near the church altar.

Pipe Organ:

This magnificent instrument, located in the loft, was manufactured by CORPS & SON, Finsbury Park, London, established in 1835, and was in- stalled during the consecration service in 1893, and was bought for the price of One Hundred Pounds.

4 During the 1928 and 1933 hurricanes, the organ was dam- aged, whereby some of the keys sank. After the death of the then organist, Mr. George Bethel (organist at St. Patrick’s for 73 years) donations in his memory which amounted to $2,000 were given by friends of his daughter, Ms. Enid Bethel, to de- fray the cost of repairs to the organ. The cost to repair the or- gan was $5,000, of which the church paid the balance. This organ is one of the most beautiful musical instruments in and the oldest. As of 2014, the organ is around 142 years old. Mr. Arthur Rolle is the current organist and has been for the past 45 years.

5 Church Windows:

The main church windows of the church were replaced in 2010 under the leadership of Fr. Jonathan Archer (who served August 2003-August 2010) with windows manufactured in North Carolina. Some parts of the old window have been pre- served by a few local parishioners. The wood of the frames is suspected to be Cuban mahogany which at the time was at least 117 years old and had never been in the presence of air conditioning.

One parishioner family commissioned an artist to create a chalice out of the very old and extremely dense mahogany window frames, along with 11 crosses to be given to the exist- ing and previous priests. The chalice is used on special occa- sions at St. Patrick’s.

6 The two round stain glass windows above and on each side of the altar were replaced along with the tall windows and shutters on either side of the church in 2010. The area for the round stained glass windows had been cemented over after being destroyed over 60 years ago. Thus for more than 60 years, until 2010, the church did not have windows in these locations.

7 The round windows replaced in 2010.

Church Bell:

A church bell is rung in the church to signify, in modern times, the hour for worship, a wedding or a funeral. Bells are commonly rung in celebration, such as after a wedding or a thanksgiving, and sometimes a single bell after funerals as the coffin leaves or is interred. The bell is mounted high in a bell

8 tower so it can be heard by the surrounding community. The bell was originally mounted in the Church steeple and could be rung from inside the Church. The bell was moved to its current location in the 1960’s, as a result of the difficulty in servicing the bell in the steeple.

The last time the wood shingle cover was rebuilt over the bell was 2014 after hurricane Irene in 2011 and hurricane Sandy in 2012 destroyed the cover.

9 Lichgate:

The Lichgate (also spelled as lychgate, lych gate, lycugate) is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English churchyard. The word lych survived into modern English from Old English or Saxon word for corpse, as an adjective in particular phrases such as lych bell, the hand bell rung before a corpse. Lych way, the path along which a corpse was carried to burial and placed on a bier (a stand on which a corpse, coffin or casket is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave), which was supposed to establish a right-of-way.

The gateway was really part of the church. Traditionally it was where the clergy met the corpse while part of the service was read before burial. It also served to shelter the pallbearers while the bier was brought from the church.

10 Parish Hall:

This was built in 1962 under the guidance of Fr. Foster Pestaina (who served 1956-1962), then Parish Priest at St. Patrick’s. This was a painstaking labor of love. There were many hardships and disappointments, but eventually it was completed. It serves many purposes: the church utilizes the hall for meetings, children’s Sunday School, the Social Outreach ministry stores food for distribution to the commu- nity, thrift shop and church social occasions. The community utilizes the hall for meetings, Government sponsored events, parties, community outreach functions and youth events.

The stone planters in front of the Parish Hall were constructed in the summer of 2013. Mr. Brent Petty, a mason from the community, volunteered most of his time to construct the ornamental stone wall. The members of St. Patrick’s had a mission for four to six Sundays called “bring a rock to church Sunday” and provided most of the stones from around the island. This was done under the supervision of the Grounds Ministry with donations from the parish and the Church to pay for labor, soil and plants.

11 Roof, Sacristy and Bapistery:

The church roof was re-shingled in 1988 under Fr. Pala- cious’ tenure (who served 1985-1988). This was also a major undertaking as it is a very dangerous feat to climb the roof because of its steepness. Mr. Vernal Bethel Sr. spearheaded this venture and completed it without any problem. An addition to the Sacristy was erected also by donations from Fr. Erwin Johnson, a native of Governor's Harbour and priest for many years. The original Church configuration of 1893 did not have a baptistery, this was an addition to the Church in memory of Fr. Wallop (served in 1903) and was consecrated March 22, 1903. As you pass through the baptistery you will notice the large concrete structure that created the original doors to the Church. In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The sacramental importance and sometimes architectural splendor of the baptistery reflect the importance of baptism to Christians. Over the past 121 years, many priests have served in this church. It has had its ups and downs, but through it all God has been good to S. Patrick’s. As we continue through our second centenary, may God continue to bless and guide us all. AMEN

12 Priests who served in St. Patrick’s Parish over the years:

All churches have a history of priests, but those who live in Eleuthera and worship at St. Patrick’s have a special affection for those priests who have served at St. Patrick’s. As the movie says, “it’s an island, if you did not bring it with you it does not exist”. Being a priest in the Bahamas requires a special discipleship which does not exist in most countries. When you are a minister at St. Patrick’s parish, even today, that means on Sunday, for example, you are doing an 8 AM service at St. Agnes in Gregory Town, 10:45 AM service at St. Patrick’s in Governor’s Harbour, 4:00 PM service at St. Margaret’s in Savannah Sound and Even- song at St. Patrick’s in Governor’s Harbour at 7:00 PM.

Fr. Smith - 1886 - 1903 R.I.P. Fr. Wallop - 1903 R.I.P. Fr. Stent - 1903 - 1911 R.I.P. Fr. Reynolds - 1912 R.I.P. Fr. Langton - 1912 - 1921 R.I.P. Fr. Wade - R.I.P. Fr. Wood - 1921 - 1928 R.I.P. Fr. Robbins - R.I.P. Fr. Griffiths - 1928 - 1931 R.I.P. Fr. Tanter - 1931 - 1936 R.I.P. Fr. Donald Knowles 1936 - 1938 R.I.P. (Bishop) Fr. Nelson - 1938 - 1944 R.I.P. Fr. Beste - 1944 - 1947 Fr. Ruston - 1947 - 1950 Fr. Black - 1950 - 1951 Fr. Arundel - 1951 - 1954 R.I.P. Fr. Barke Dale - 1954 - 1955 R.I.P.

13 Fr. Foster B. Pestina 1956 - 1962 R.I.P. Fr. Drexel Gomez 1963 - 1965 Retired Archbishop Fr. Morris - 1965 - 1968 Canada Fr. Calnan - 1968 - 1970 R.I.P. Fr. Larson - 1970 - 1974 Fr. Louis Dames - 1974 - 1977 Fr. Austin - 1977 - 1978 Fr. Gregston Gooding 1978 - 1979 Barbados Fr. Thaddeus Pratt 1979 - 1981 R.I.P. Fr. Harry Bain - 1981 - 1984 Christ the King, Freeport Fr. Jacobs - 1984 - 1985 R.I.P. Fr. James Palacious 1985 - 1988 Archdeacon of Admin Fr. Patrick Johnson 1988 - 1994 R.I.P. Fr. Kirkley Sands 1994 - 1995 Christ Church Cathedral. Fr. Colin Saunders 1995 - 1997 St. John’s College Fr. Henderson Nurre 1997 - 1998 U.S.A. Fr. Brown - July 1998 Fr. Mervin Belmontes August 1998 Fr. Frank Morris - Nov 1998 - Apr 1999 Fr. F. Colebrooke Aug 1999 - Dec 2000 St. Agnes Fr. Mervyn B. Johnson Jan 2001 - July 2002 R.I.P. Fr. Angelo Wildgoose Aug 2002 - July 2003 U.S.A. Fr. Jonathan Archer Aug 2003 - Aug. 2010 U.S.A. Fr. Scott Brennen Sep 2010 - Aug 2015 Fr. Ivan Eldon Sep 2015 - Present

14 Compilation of the Historical Sketch of St. Patrick’s Church 1892- 2015: This document was compiled by Al & Janice Curry in the spring of 2014 to serve as a vessel for those who visit, worship and pray at St. Patrick’s to understand and appreciate the history of this unique and beautiful place of worship. A large portion of the information contained herein was taken from the “Historical Sketch of St. Patrick’s Anglican Church 1892-1992”, a copy of which was found in the Bahamas National Archive in Nassau, Bahamas, and is available for review on the church website. We are continuing to work diligently to gather and disseminate addition- al history of the Church; if you have information regarding the history of St. Patrick’s which you would like to share, please email Al at [email protected]

SUNDAY SERVICES *8:00 a.m. St. Agnes Church Gregory Town 10:45 a.m. St. Patrick’s Church Governor’s Harbour *4:00 p.m. St. Margaret’s Church Savannah Sound 7:00 p.m. St. Patrick’s Church Governor’s Harbour *4th Sunday St. Margaret’s at 8am, St. Agnes at 3pm

WEEKDAY SERVICES / EVENTS Sunday: Sunday School St. Patrick’s 10:45 am Tuesday: Pastoral Visitation St. Patrick’s 11:00am Mass & Bible Study St Patrick’s 7:00 pm Wednesday: Pastoral Walkabout St. Agnes 4:00 pm Mass & Bible Study St. Agnes 7:00 pm Thursday: Pastoral Walkabout St. Margaret’s 4:30 pm Servers’ Practice St. Patrick’s 6:00 pm Friday: C.Y.M. St. Patrick’s 6:30 pm Saturday: Servers’ Practice St. Agnes 11:00 am

15 Donations: If you would like to make a donation to St. Patrick’s, please check our new website, www.stpatricksparisheleuthera.org. We hope to have a donate button in the near future on our website; donations will go to help restore and maintain the Church build- ing, inside and out, as well as maintain the grounds of the Church. Thank you for visiting St. Patrick’s Anglican Church. God’s Peace. Our Mission “To know Christ and make Christ known to others.”

Rector: Fr. Ivan Eldon Email: [email protected]

Tel.: (242) 332-2311 P.O. Box El - 25027 Cell: (242) 359-7311 (242) 225-0584 Fax: (242) 332-2592 Eleuthera, Bahamas

Visit St. Patrick’s Parish On facebook: St. Patrick’s Parish Eleuthera

Diocese of The Bahamas & The

www.bahamasanglicans.org

Archbishop of The West Indies The Most Rev. Dr. John Holder

Diocesan Bishop The Right Rev. Laish Boyd Assistant The Most Rev. Drexel Gomez (Retired) The Right Rev. Gilbert Thompson (Retired) Archdeacon The Ven. K. Knowles (East Cen. Bahamas)