On Sunday, August 30, Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Hawkesbury celebrated 180 years of worship and service to the community with a special anniversary service led by Kathryn Otley, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa. The church was full for the service, with parishioners and guests gathering to mark the milestone.
The celebration began with a procession outside led by Otley and Reverend Felix Longdon before parishioners gathered inside for the service. A barbecue and gathering for the parish followed at Baden Powell Hall, attached to the church.
In her remarks, Otley reflected on the anniversary’s significance and the generations of people who have been part of Holy Trinity’s history. Otley spoke about the importance of both the physical church building and what she described as the church’s “spiritual temple”: the people who make up its congregation.
Otley also reflected on the history of the land where Hawkesbury developed, noting that the area had long been a meeting place for Indigenous Peoples before the community’s later development around the mills and the Hamilton family.
Holy Trinity was established in 1846, when Hawkesbury was still a small settlement of homes and shops. The church has since remained part of the community through generations of change.
Otley highlighted the connection between Holy Trinity and the Hamilton family, including Charles Hamilton, the fourth son of George Hamilton. Charles Hamilton later became the first bishop of the Diocese of Ottawa.
“Generations of faithful members” have continued the church’s worship, prayer, and outreach to the community, Otley said.
The anniversary was also an opportunity to look beyond the church’s history and toward its future.
“We are giving thanks to the generations who have served, to a new generation, honouring the past, to celebrate our present, and the future,” Otley said.
