Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto)
Toronto, Canada · built 1900
The Church of St. Mary Magdalene (also known as SMM) is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada located in Toronto. It is named for Jesus' companion, Mary Magdalene, and is famous for its association with composer Healey Willan, who was organist and choirmaster for over four decades. The church was built in 1888.
SMM is an Anglo-Catholic parish. Originally the church used a liturgical style reflecting the convergence of Roman Catholic and Anglican influences. In 1919, the church shifted more towards Roman-style parish life. At that time the Rev H. Griffin Hiscocks began hearing private confessions. During this period, the church began to use incense and installed a large statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary (now in the south aisle of the church). Newspaper accounts of the time relate that the installation was controversial. A chip in the statue's toe shows evidence of a hammer attack made by those hostile to Catholicism. In 1966, the church became one of the first Anglican churches in Canada whose priests gave the Solemn Mass facing the congregation, as became common among Catholics following the Second Vatican Council. "In 1967 the Rev'd Mountain "Monty" Hutt became rector... [and] organized the first outdoor procession of the Blessed Sacrament in 1974." Rev Hutt was the brother of William Hutt, an actor in the Stratford Festival who also toured nationally and internationally.
The church was founded in 1888 by a group from the nearby Church of St. Matthias led by the Reverend Charles Darling, who had previously been an assistant at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Paddington. The church building was designed by the rector's brother—Toronto architect Frank Darling. The original building was completed in 1908, with a choir loft added in the 1920s. In 1993, renovations added spaces for instruction, meeting, and church administration. In 2008, another renovation to the liturgical space opened up windows that had been closed in the 1920s.
Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).