St. Thomas’ Huron Street Toronto Ontario (a.k.a. Smoky Toms’)

I was reading “Household of God: a parish history of St. Thomas's Church, Toronto”. I borrowed the book on interlibrary loan from the Ottawa Public Library. I found it interesting that the copy I had was from the Toronto Public Library.

This is the church I attended for two years when I was studying at the University of Toronto just around the corner from the church.

The book was very long and there were lots of details about people and liturgies and music etc. I most interested in the people stories - especially names that I recognized.

It is a very high Anglican church and there are many bells and smells with all the incense used - hence the name Smoky Toms’. The list of weekly services is very impressive.

I was interested in reading about the long association of the parish with SSJD. This is where I was first introduced to the sisters.

I was also interested in reading about Fr. Bull who was rector there when I was there.

One quote said that he was always younger than his years (he was born in 1917 like my dad). He was a mystic and deeply in touch with the spiritual. He had to leave St. Thomas and its many demands because of his health. In later years he was said to be a sensitive and prayerful spiritual director. I could easily see that in him. He died some years ago.

One of the groups that came to matter to me was the one that met on a Friday evening. “On Friday evenings an experimental liturgy, based initially on that of New Zealand, offered the opportunity for an intimate sense of community and individual expression. Many were enriched by the personal encounters this afforded.” (page 85)