INNISFAIL - St. Mark's Anglican Church is celebrating a milestone anniversary.
The local parish has served the community for 125 years and is welcoming residents to take part in a special anniversary celebration on April 30.
"We're going to be having a service at 10:30 Sunday morning, " said Rev. Chris Roth. "We're going to have our Archbishop, Greg Kerr-Wilson. He is both the Bishop of Calgary and the Metropolitan of Rupert's Land."
Roth, inducted a year ago in November, became the 21st minister in the church's 125-year history.
The actual anniversary date when the congregation was formed is believed to be in early May 1893 but April 30 is St. Mark's Day, the saint the church is named after.
"Saint Mark was one of the gospel writers. Every saint is given a saint's day where we do a remembrance of that person's life and death and what they stood for," said Roth. "We call that a patronal festival.
"It is encouraging that we learn to follow Jesus by following other people who follow Jesus as well," he added. "It reminds us that we have a history. It reminds us that we are a community of people that are learning together about how to embody God's love."
St. Mark's Anglican Church has played an important role in the community and in the lives of many in Innisfail over the years.
Isabelle Roberts is one of them. She began attending the church in 1958.
"It's a very warm, welcoming church and the people are so grand," said Roberts. "They made me feel at home."
Since its first service 125 years ago, St. Mark's Anglican Church has kept much of its original structure but has also seen some changes, including an addition built several years ago and a small garden planted at the back of the church.
Roth shared what it means to have the church a part of the Innisfail community for 125 years.
"What I find in this church is there's a holding of the community together," he said. "The stories of the community, the history of our community and that we together are learning what it means to follow Jesus today and for the next 125 years."
This milestone anniversary is a good time to reflect on the past, look to the future and ask God who He wants them to be today noted Roth.
"We hope to be a community that continues to love God, that continues to teach us how to love one another and continues to serve the community," said Roth. "We want to be able to do this for another 125 years."
Rev. Chris Roth
"It reminds us that we have a history. It reminds us that we are a community of people that are learning together about how to embody God's love."
