St. Agnes rearranges nave

The first baptism has taken place in the newly remodeled sanctuary of St. Agnes in North Vancouver.

St. Agnes is a traditional building dating from 1911; the 1950's addition, which was built onto the original Church, has a significantly lower roofline and ceiling, making for a long somewhat narrow structure.

The late former rector, the Rev. Bud Raymond and parishioners felt that the long chancel with the Altar under the lower ceiling was not the most conductive to worship.

They set about re-visioning where the altar and lectern/pulpit could be placed to achieve more of a sense of church in the round. Several plans were drawn up showing different configurations of the altar on either the south or the north walls.

During last fall repairs were carried out on the foundation of the building, a new floor laid and a raised altar platform built against the north wall of the chancel. Parishioners now have a choice of seating on three sides of the altar which now stands in the center of the church.

St. Agnes joins at least two other parishes in the diocese in which a long and fairly narrow church has been remodeled to bring the altar to the centre of the nave. They are at St. Anne's, Richmond, and St. David & St. Paul, Powell River.

The first baptism in the renovated St. Agnes took place when the priest-in-charge, the Rev. Keith Gilbert, recently baptized Kiara Tai Graham, the daughter of Anna Duong and Delacey Graham.