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Churches were an important part of the lives of our early settlers and townsfolk.They gave the people a place to find hope in the hard times of a homesteader, and gave families a place to meet to visit, share and leave behind the loneliness of the prairie farms.
At first church buildings were shared by different faiths, as they were few and far between, and the differences didn't seem to matter as much as the need to share the burdens of the day with fellow followers of the Christian Faith.
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St. Monica's Anglican Church When First Built1895
Mirror, Alberta
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The original St. Monica's Anglican Church building.This photo was most likely taken shortly after the church was built in 1895. One of the men in the photo is said to be Mathew Cook, who was one of the major contributors in the building of the church.
A series of meetings were held in 1894, at the Parlby's, the Westhead's and the Cook's, where men of all faiths, mostly bachelors talked about the need to build a church.
They decided to build one the next year in the middle of the Buffalo Lake district, where all in the area would have access.
Mathew Cook's son, William was a member of the committee appointed to choose a site for the church, and the spot they chose, then wild praire, would 16 years later, become the main street of Mirror.
Walter Parlby applied for a mission grant of 40 acres, which became the Mission of Lamerton, and they started working on building the church in spring of 1895.
Because of the many prairie fires, an abundance of trees was not to be found close by, so logs were purchased from natives in the Morningside area, about 40 miles northwest, and hauled by team and slay during the winter, then cut and squared.
In the spring, volunteers, such as Valentine and Henry Neis, hauled other building supplies by team and wagon from Lacombe, 34 miles west. They completed the church the same year.
Some of the names of the bachelors who built the church were:
Valentine and his nephew, Henry Neis, Edward and Walter Parlby, Ned Barnett, H.N. Beltz, Owen, George , Matthew, and William Cook, James Gadsby, Rev. H. Goodman, Alfred Inskip, M.A. Jarvis, William and Louis Kraft, Tom Lillae, W. Mailins, Charles Mott, P.S. Rowe, William Scott, Fred Sykes, Frank Taylor, T.W. Tiler, George Elliot, Hugh Croft, J.W. Woolcombe, Edward Goater, Jim Brindle, and Charles Westhead.
This was said to be the only church east of Lacombe to the Saskatchewan border, and possibly the first built between Calgary and Edmonton. It is one of the three oldest churches in Alberta.
The first service was held in the summer of 1895. The Church was later (1896 or 1897)consecrated by Bishop Pinkam, first Bishop of the Calgary Diocese, as St. Monica's Anglican Church of the Mission of Lamerton.
At first a Free Methodist minister walked from Lacombe, 34 miles away, once a month to offer a Sunday service.
As the population grew, a resident rector was warranted and E.L. McNaughton was hired in 1904.
The last church service was held at St. Monica's on April 22, 1984 with Rev. Carl Triskle officiating.
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St. Monica's Anglican Church1912
Mirror, Alberta
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St. Monica's Anglican church still stands on it's original spot today. It has had additions and alterations over the years, but the main structure has remained the same.It is now owned by our Museum, and has been declared a Historic Site for it's protection.
We have already had St. Monica's roof and bell tower restored and are in the process of gathering funds to complete the restoration.
Our organization offers the use of the church to the surrounding communities for weddings and other special occasions.
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St. Monica's Church Today1990
Mirror, Alberta
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A view of the church today, from the cemetery side. Note it's tiny cemetery.* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The following information about St. Monica's Anglican Church Cemetery comes from:
* AGS Cemetery Book
* Mirror History - by Douglas R. Honeyman, May 1985
* Register of Burials 1915 to 1983
There are 18 names recorded as persons who have been buried in St. Monica's cemetery. The death dates range from 1903 to 1914. The earliest known burial is of Thomas Alfred Brindle
(10 Dec 1900 to 30 Nov 1903), son of Tom Brindle.
The church lands were absorbed into the new town of Mirror when Mirror was officially declared a Village in 1912.
In July 1913, a by-law was passed making it unlawful to bury the dead within the Village limits. The by-law indicated that the English Church was to be duly notified.
Since our records show we have one recorded burial date in 1914, either one more burial was allowed, or the bylaw or burial date may be incorrect.
The last burial on record is of Ella C. (Crutchfield) MacLaren (28 Mar 1884 - 31 Mar 1914), wife of James E. MacLaren.
The last funeral service at St. Monica's Church was for 7 year old Jason Henry Holden who died on May 24, 1983 and was buried at the Holden Cemetery in Holden, AB.
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Reverend George Morgan1924
Mirror, Alberta
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Rev. George, Moore Morgan, rector of St. Monica's from 1924, to September 23, 1929, when he resigned from his position.We also have a list of other rectors of St. Monica's church as follows:
1908-09 Rev. L.O. Mott
1910-13 Rev. Oswin Creighton
1914-18 Rev. N. W. Holdo
1919-23 Rev. M. Peart
1924-29 Rev. George Morgan (in this photo)
1930-34 Rev. W.P. Griffiths
The list we have also covers later years that are not included here.
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The Original Methodist Church1904
Lamerton, Alberta
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Another church in Mirror with historical beginnings is our United Church.Lamerton (our predessor) had no church in the community in its early years. Services were held in a small room upstairs over a meat market and implement shop in Lamerton.
The congregation was from various denominations including Anglicans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists and even some with no particular religious affiliation at all.
George Driver, the first student minister, came as a young man from England.
He served a large area including, Lamerton, Manfred, Jarvis Bay, White Brush, Red Deer Lake and Meeting Creek. Travelling on horse back over open prairie, muskeg and corduroy roads, he camped out many nights on the open prairie.
A Methodist church was eventually built, and was dedicated in Lamerton by Rev. Dr. Arthur Barner on May 5, 1905.
The Architect was a Roman Catholic, Henry Neis. The chief collector of funds was Mrs. Edge, later Mrs. Neis.
The first Supt. Of Sunday School was Mr. Cairns. Stewards appointed were Mr. Charles Shipley, Theodore Sharp, Luther Sharp, Hal Brewster and Mrs. Edge.
The organist was Mrs. Kidd.
In order not to start the church with a debt, subscriptions had been taken to raise money to purchase building materials. The lot it was built on and all the work was donated. Mr. D.M. Jewell and C. Shipley were two of the men who hauled lumber from Ponoka or Lacombe for the church.
The Church was moved from Lamerton to Mirror the fall of 1911, after the railway was built.
In 1920, it was again moved, over to Lake Street this time. At that time, it was placed on a basement, an addition was built on and a coal furnace was added.
In 1925, all the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches joined together to become the United Church of Canada.
The building is still in use as our United Church in Mirror today.
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A Closer View1905
Lamerton, Alberta
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The building standing alone, second from the left in this photo of Lamerton is this same Methodist church.14
The United (formerly Methodist) Church as it is Today1990
Mirror, Alberta
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