Founding Principles of St. Barnabas’ Church

The Mission of St. Barnabas was founded in 1870 by the Reverend Henry Holland, rector of St. George’s Church in St. Catharines, who recognized the need for church expansion to the city’s less affluent east side. The history of the church, written by Father Bill Steinmen and entitled “To the glory of God and for the Salvation of All” (words engraved on the cornerstone laid in June 1893), outlines three guiding principles emphasized by Fr. Holland for the new congregation:

1. Free Seating: Seating was to be free so that no one would be “disbarred by inability to rent seating,” as many churches at the time rented pews to raise income.
2. Choral Services: Services were to be choral, led by a surpliced choir and based on the Book of Common Prayer, reflecting an Anglo-Catholic spirit also seen in the church’s architecture.
3. Spirit of Mission: A “spirit of mission to the wider community would prevail”.

The Gospel and the Mission:

The third principle, a “spirit of mission to the wider community,” aligns with the gospel reading assigned for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost: the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

1. Eternal Consequences: This parable is noted for its “stark clarity” that what one does with their wealth has eternal consequences.
2. Indifference Condemned: The rich man was condemned not for his wealth, but because he did not share even scraps from his feasts with Lazarus, the beggar at his gate, and was indifferent to Lazarus’ wounds. In Jesus’ time, it was a societal expectation that the wealthy would act as a patron to the unfortunate beggars.
3. Jesus’ Example: Jesus embodied care of the poor by word and example, offering “the way to life eternal” through living out the beatitudes and by laying down his life.

St. Barnabas Today

The church’s buildings can be described as “two lungs”:

1. The sanctuary—the sacred space for Worship and nurture by word and sacrament, in which we exercise the love of God.
2. The large hall and library are a space for community, fellowship and service in which we exercise the love of neighbour.

Today we celebrating that the Spirit of mission to the wider community imagined by our founder Fr. Holland does prevail. St Barnabas’ Church’s “spirit of mission” is currently expressed:

• Physical Needs: St Barnabas will provide meal kits containing over 20,000 servings and distributed through Community Care. The Northend Church Outreach program running out of our large hall is noted for its outreach addressing hunger expects to served nearly 14,000 meals in 2025. St Barnabas’ community kitchen program invites people from the neighbourhood into our kitchen to prepare food and enjoy fellowship, and our weekly fresh produce market and café respond to physical and psycho-social needs.
• Spiritual Needs: Every week St Barnabas gathers for Sunday and mid-week mass along with a weekly time of silent meditation. The Northend Church, in our large hall, also addresses spiritual hunger through the Alpha program, Celebrate Recovery and offering prayers and a brief reflection at outreach events.

These are a few examples of how Fr. Holland’s faith that God would call “faithful and generous people” to share their bounty, and that St. Barnabas’ would operate with a “spirit of mission to the wider community” is currently being lived out.

Call to Action: Share God’s Bounty

Inspired by the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, let us embody Christ’s care for the poor by sharing our bounty with those in need. Please support St. Barnabas’ ongoing mission to address both physical and spiritual hunger in the wider community. To donate online click here.