Saint John Stone Church marks 200 years with gala

Two-hundred years ago, many people in Saint John, N.B., needed a church. The popular Trinity Church in the heart of the Port City overflowed with attendees during most services, leaving several people without a place of worship.

Enter the Stone Church.

Officially known as St. John’s Church (but known by most as the Stone Church due to the stones that were brought from England to build it), the structure has been a permanent fixture in Saint John, surviving the great fire of 1877, bad weather, and the steady march of time.

“The DNA of Stone Church has stayed the same,” said Barbara Shantz, a lead fundraiser for the church. “It’s always remained the church for the average person. The doors are open most days for drop-ins for the homeless and they can access haircuts and do laundry.

“We’re constantly asked if there are still church services and there are. It’s not a church that sits empty.”

The Stone Church is celebrating its 200th anniversary throughout 2024, kicking off the year-long festivities with a fundraising gala on Jan. 20 that seeks to reflect on the building’s past while continuing to secure its future.

The Stone Church in Saint John is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2024. (Courtesy: Rev. Jasmine Chandra)Andre Haines, an artist who recently completed a residency with Stone Church, is organizing the gala, which will start at the Saint John Arts Centre before moving into the church itself. The event will feature performances by Hilary Anne Ladd and the Saint John String Quartet along with a live painting session by Tracey Brown and a poem reading by Clyde Wray.

“I got interested in the wonderful humanitarian work going on at the church every day,” Haines said. “The gala is going to be a really fabulous evening.”

The gala will help raise funds for the Stone Church’s ongoing conservation project, which started in 2021 with the goal of repairing and securing the building’s large tower.

According to the church’s website, they focused on “significant structural and masonry deterioration” on the western and southern sides of the tower in 2023. The work cost more than $650,000.

In 2024, they hope to address the eastern side of the side and potentially replace the west-facing louver, work that is estimated to cost $400,000.

“We’re doing conservation work to prevent the building from falling down,” Shantz said. “I’m enthralled that we still do what the church has always done. It makes me want to work hard to make sure the building is conserved. It’s also a presence for the future.

“We feel this is what God would want a church to be.”

The gala starts at 6 p.m. on Jan. 20 and tickets are available on the Stone Church website.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.