A burning St. Mary and St. George seen from a distance July 24. Photo via Facebook
A historic Anglican church in Jasper, Alta. is gone after a wildfire burned the nearly 100-year-old building to the ground July 24.
Bishop of Edmonton Stephen London confirmed in an open letter that St. Mary and St. George Parish was destroyed along with many homes in the town of Jasper, located in Jasper National Park.
“Jasper is a special place, a place where people have said they feel closest to God,” London said. “We are all heartbroken. There are no words.” The bishop expressed gratitude to those who risked their lives to fight the fire and evacuate 25,000 people. He asked for prayers for the community and parish.
Architect A.M. Calderon designed St. Mary and St. George based on the blueprint of a 14th-century English Gothic church. Built in 1928, the church included gifts from supporters such as Freeman Freeman- Thomas, Viscount Willingdon, who as governor general of Canada laid the building’s founding stone.
In 1985, Alberta’s Ministry of Culture designated St. Mary and St. George a Historic Resource, part of the English Gothic revival movement and the only remaining ecclesiastical structure designed by Calderon. The church was a favourite site for weddings and popular tourist destination, including a 2001 visit by Queen Elizabeth II.
Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, lamented the destruction of St. Mary and St. George in an email to bishops. “Our hearts go out to all affected—and our prayers for +Stephen and all providing support and care,” the primate wrote.