St. Martin's Cathedral (Gander)

St. Martin's Cathedral is a pro-cathedral of the Diocese of Central Newfoundland, a diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada, in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador.{{cite web|url=https://centraldiocese.ca/about/#cathedral|title=About|publisher=Diocese of Central Newfoundland|location=Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador|access-date=11 November 2022}} St. Martin's was established as a parish church in 1959 and was elevated as a pro-cathedral after Gander became the episcopal see of the diocese after it, the Diocese of Western Newfoundland, and the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador were split from the former Diocese of Newfoundland in 1976.{{cite web|url=https://anglicanenl.net/our-history/|title=Our History|publisher=Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador|access-date=12 November 2022}} The current dean of the cathedral is David Hewitt.{{cite web|url=https://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/member-churches/member-church/diocese/cathedral.aspx?church=canada&dio=central-newfoundland&cath=st-martins-pro-cathedral|title=St Martin's Pro-Cathedral|publisher=Anglican Communion|access-date=11 November 2022}}{{cite book|title=St. Martin's Pro-Cathedral, Gander, Newfoundland: A Twenty-Five Year History, 1959-1984|date=1984|publisher=Parish of St. Martin's|editor-last=Eveleigh|editor-first=F.}} The cathedral hosts ordinations and the diocesan synods.{{cite web|url=https://anglicanlife.ca/diocese-of-central-newfoundland-holds-47th-synod-welcome-to-the-future/|title=Diocese of Central Newfoundland Holds 47th Synod–"Welcome To The Future"|work=Anglican Life|date=1 November 2021|access-date=11 November 2022|last=Caines|first=Terry}}

Description and history

A plaque in the cathedral commemorates three crewmen whose bodies were not recovered following a 1943 crash of a Royal Canadian Air Force B-24 Liberator into Gander Lake.{{cite web|url=https://legionmagazine.com/en/divers-find-long-lost-ww-ii-bomber-in-newfoundland-lake/|title=Divers find long-lost WW II bomber in Newfoundland lake|work=Legion|first=Stephen J.|last=Thorne|date=13 September 2022|access-date=11 November 2022}} In August 1985, Robert Runcie, the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, arrived in Gander unannounced before starting a 18-day tour of Canada. He was greeted by officials from the cathedral.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/ca/manitoba/winnipeg/winnipeg-free-press/1985/08-29/page-23/|title=Archbishop of Canterbury poised to start Canadian tour|work=Winnipeg Free Press|date=29 August 1985|access-date=11 November 2022|location=Winnipeg|page=23}} Runcie's sermon at St. Martin's was his first major event of the tour.{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A165588598/BIC?u=wikipedia&sid=ebsco&xid=3cf8b5b4|title=Across Canada: Archbishop's tour begins in Gander|work=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto, ON|date=31 August 1985|page=5|via=Gale in Context}}

The interfaith memorial service for the 256 U.S. Army soldiers killed on Arrow Air Flight 1285R was held in St. Martin's Pro-Cathedral on 15 December 1985, drawing between 600 and 900 people.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/west-virginia/bluefield/bluefield-daily-telegraph/1985/12-16/|title=Memorials Conducted for American soldiers|work=Bluefield Daily Telegraph|location=Bluefield, WV|date=16 December 1985|page=1|access-date=11 November 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/256996144|title=GI rites in Canada|work=Chicago Sun|location=Chicago|date=16 December 1985|access-date=11 November 2022|id={{ProQuest|256996144}} |via=ProQuest}} A 25th anniversary memorial service was held at the cathedral in 2010.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/arrow-air-crash-s-25th-anniversary-observed-1.959423|title=Arrow Air crash's 25th anniversary observed|publisher=CBC News|website=cbc.ca|date=12 December 2010|access-date=12 November 2022}}

The diocese's first youth synod was held in 2003, including services at the cathedral.{{cite journal|title=First youth synod|journal=Anglican Journal|volume=129|number=8|date=September 2003|page=10|publisher=Anglican Church of Canada}} Bruce Stavert, the Bishop of Quebec, was elected as the metropolitan bishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada in 2004 at St. Martin's.{{cite journal|title=Canada elects Stavert as metropolitan|journal=Anglican Journal|volume=130|number=9|date=November 2004|page=17|publisher=Anglican Church of Canada}} David Torraville, former rector of the parish in Gander and the cathedral, was elected as Bishop of Central Newfoundland in 2005.{{cite journal|title=Nfld. diocese gets new bishop: it took three ballots to elect Torraville|first=Marites N.|last=Sison|journal=Anglican Journal|volume=131|number=8|date=October 2005|page=13|publisher=Anglican Church of Canada}} When Claude Miller, the Bishop of Central Newfoundland, became the Metropolitan of Canada in 2009, he signed his oath in St. Martin's.{{cite web|url=https://dq5pwpg1q8ru0.cloudfront.net/2020/11/06/17/36/39/d1621951-3811-47ce-9403-ebef226631d4/nba0910.pdf|title=Bishop Miller elected Metropolitan|work=The New Brunswick Anglican|date=October 2009|page=1|last=Watts|first=Ana}} In 2016, the cathedral's rector John Watton was elected bishop of the Diocese of Central Newfoundland.{{cite web|url=https://anglicanjournal.com/john-watton-elected-bishop-of-central-newfoundland/|title=John Watton elected bishop of Central Newfoundland|first=Tali|last=Folkins|work=Anglican Journal|date=5 May 2016|access-date=11 November 2022}} The diocese credits Watton's rectorate with making St. Martin's among the fastest-growing Anglican parish communities in Canada.{{cite web|url=https://centraldiocese.ca/our-bishop/|title=Our Bishop|publisher=Diocese of Central Newfoundland|location=Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador|access-date=12 November 2022}}

References

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Category:20th-century Anglican church buildings in Canada

Category:Anglican cathedrals in Newfoundland and Labrador

Category:Anglican church buildings in Newfoundland and Labrador