Sudbury's Grace United Church keeps charred cross as new building nears completion

Sudbury's Grace United Church continues its journey toward welcoming back its congregation in person after two lightning strikes on July 24, 2019 started fires that burned it down.

The church has slowly been rising from the ashes during the pandemic, but once again held its Christmas services on Zoom this year as restoration continues.

The church opened in 1941 and was known as St. Luke's until it merged with Trinity United in Garson and formed a new congregation under the new name.

Erin Todd has been the minister there for the past 10 years. 

She recalled the evening two-and-a-half years ago when she looked on the ruins of the building. 

"It was very upsetting, very surreal, you know?" she said.

"It was very much a landmark in the neighbourhood and and it was really exciting for people. Just to see that kind of gaping hole in the landscape. And then particularly so when they had to knock down the ruins, right?"

The ruins have been replaced with a new building which is still in progress, and which, to some, appears to be bigger. But Todd said that's a trick of the eye.

"The original church was built in two parts," she said.  "There was the sanctuary and then a little bit later, the hall was built on the back. This is all one piece, so I think that's what makes it look bigger."

Not only is it filled with light, but it's more practical, as well, Todd said.

"People were having to come through the back door through the, into church," she said. "So we were able to change the location of our main door, which is nice to have a nice entrance. And it's just a big, beautiful, airy space."

She said some valuable items were spared from the flames. As a result, precious, old items will find their place in the new church.

The church was able to save a charred cross that it will install in the new building.

"It's still intact and we're actually not going to fix it," Todd said. "We're going to keep it as a memento."