Sunday services continue at three-breakaway Anglican churches

TORONTO — Two of three breakaway Anglican parishes in the Diocese of Niagara spurned an Ontario court ruling issued last week requiring them to share their church buildings with the diocese, opting instead to conduct Sunday services at new locations.

The third parish honoured the Ontario Superior Court ruling and shared its facilities, but not without problems, said Rev. Gerry Brodie, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in St. Catharines.

"There was a point where some parishioners felt snubbed (by the diocese)," he said, adding he found it "logistically" difficult when it came to parking and the timing of services.

The breakaway parish typically holds services at 9 a.m and 10:30 a.m., but was forced to adjust its schedule to accommodate an 8:30 a.m. service run by the Niagara diocese.

"I feel pressure on me to speed up things and I shouldn't, but you just feel that pressure anyway," he said, noting about 130 people attended his services compared to the 10 who arrived for the diocesan service. the rest