St. Paul's is the oldest Protestant place of worship in Canada. Founded by proclamation of King George II in 1749, the building was erected in the summer of 1750 and first opened its doors for services on 2nd September of that year. It has been designated a National Historic Site, and is a registered heritage property with the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality.
St. Paul's architectural plans were based on those of St. Peter's Church, Vere Street, in London, England, which was designed in 1722 by James Gibbs, a pupil of Sir Christopher Wren. In spite of the addition of a new north front and steeple in 1812, the two side wings in 1868 and the chancel in 1872, the resemblance between the two buildings is still remarkable.
Jesus Christ,
you gave your all
for me though I have done nothing to deserve it.
Help me to accept
the free gift of your love, and to open
my life to your redeeming presence,
that I may give
my all to you
and follow in
your steps.
The original timbers of St. Paul's were cut in Boston (still a British colony at the time) and shipped to Halifax, with most of the rest of the materials, including the bricks to line the walls, being made locally. Two and a half centuries later, the original wooden structure remains as sound as the day it was put in place.
With the arrival of Charles Inglis as the first Anglican Bishop of Nova Scotia (and the first in the British colonies) in 1787, St. Paul's was made a cathedral, and continued as such for a period of 78 years until 1865. St. Paul's was also the first garrison church in Halifax, and remained in that capacity until the construction of a separate garrison chapel in 1844.
For more than 12,000 Sundays worshippers have gathered here to celebrate Christ's death and resurrection, to read God's word and to hear it preached from the pulpit, to bring before him the needs of the world and to offer him humble thanks for all his goodness.
Today, St. Paul's continues to fulfill its primary function as an active Anglican parish. With a congregation drawn from throughout the Halifax area, we continue to proclaim and to celebrate the good news of Christ. Conscious of our Royal Foundation, we rejoice in our Divine Foundation as the church of Christ. His cross is the point at which God's holy love and our human sinfulness meet head on. Through his death and resurrection he has conquered the powers of evil and death. As we come to him in sorrow for our own wrongdoing and open our lives to him in trust, we ourselves share in his victory.
Please take a virtual tour of
our building, but please do not leave this page without considering all that Christ has done for you -- at the cost of his life -- and spend a moment to offer yourself to him in thankful praise.
When you are finished your tour, why not sign our guestbook?
St. Paulīs Church
has been designated by the Government of Canada
as a place of national historic significance,
part of the family of
one of more than 800 places across Canada which help define the important aspects of Canada's diverse but common
heritage and identity.
