Cathedral Church of the Redeemer
The Cathedral Church of the Redeemer is located in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is the seat of the Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Calgary.
History
The original Church of the Redeemer, a wood-frame building erected just east of the present site, was completed and opened for worship August 3, 1884. It was the first Anglican church to be constructed in what is now the Diocese of Calgary. Originally intended to serve as a parish church, it was proclaimed the temporary pro-cathedral on February 14, 1889, following the creation of the Diocese of Calgary and pending the assumed ultimate construction of a cathedral.The parish replaced the frame church with a more elaborate structure in 1905, during Calgary's famous sandstone era. It is of local, rough cut Paskapoo sandstone, and has one of the oldest tin roofs in Calgary. It was designed by J. C. M. Keith of Victoria, British Columbia. The original cornerstone stated that it was laid by the Earl of Minto, Governor General of Canada, on September 8, 1904. It was completed and opened for services on July 30, 1905. It was designated a full cathedral in June 1949, when it was obvious that a large edifice of British or European proportions would not be built in Calgary. In September 1974, the cathedral building was designated a Registered Heritage Site, under provisions of the Alberta Heritage Act, 1973.
In December 2004, Barry Hollowell, seventh Bishop of Calgary, made the very controversial proposal to dismiss the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer and appoint another church as the diocesan seat. This controversy, in addition to the controversial closures of three parish churches within the Diocese of Calgary, led to the resignation of the bishop. Derek Hoskin, eighth Bishop of Calgary, was consecrated and enthroned in the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer on September 29, 2006.