Primate pays tribute at high mass

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, paid tribute to the Anglo-Catholic tradition Tuesday, Nov. 1, when he presided at a “pontifical high mass,” one of the last celebrations of the 150th anniversary year of the Church of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Montreal.

The primate, who drew a few chuckles from the congregation when he thanked parish leaders for guiding him through the liturgy, said the parish represents the finest of the Anglo-Catholic tradition, honouring Christ both at the altar and in St. Michael’s Mission, a day shelter for the poor in its basement.

Preaching on All Saints’ Day, he said the Christian faith with its saints has “a past, a present and a future dimension.”