The first Anglican church in Calgary was built in 1884 on the site where the cathedral now sits. The present sandstone building was consecrated in July 1905.

"This was a very stupid mistake, an insult to a parish that has never received any support from the diocese," said Rev. David Carter, former cathedral rector and dean of the diocese (1969-79), MLA and Speaker of the Alberta Legislature (1979-93).

Carter has written an open letter to Hollowell, condemning what he calls an "unprovoked attack" on a historic church, whose congregation once funded most of the Anglican churches in southern Alberta.

"This was the second building in all of Alberta designated a provincial historical site," Carter said. "If they try to tear it down, I'll take them to court."

Hollowell confirmed his decision to have his cathedral elsewhere.

"A decision's been made to undesignate the Church of the Redeemer, but a final date has not been determined," said Hollowell.

Hollowell denied suggestions he was delaying the "undesignation" for the sake of the church's centennial celebrations. And he refused to say whether he has chosen another church to designate as his cathedral.

Carter said Hollowell will have a problem getting another church to accept a "second-hand" designation. And Cathedral vestry (council) member Dick Morton said the congregation of another, wealthier parish is splitting on the issue of becoming the cathedral. "Some of them think it's the wrong thing to do," he said.

In replying to Carter's letter, Hollowell said the cathedral designation is being removed "with the intent of freeing (Church of the Redeemer's) congregation to discover anew what its mission and ministry might be in the heart of the city today."

However, the bishop added, "the present reality is that the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer fails to meet the basic requirements of being designated a parish, let alone a cathedral."

Morton said the real issue is money. Hollowell sunk the diocese's $600,000 capital fund into the new megachurch, Holy Trinity in Hidden Valley, as the beginning of a general move from neighbourhood parishes to "big-box" suburban churches. But Holy Trinity's growth has been slow, Morton said, and the diocese still carries half of the original $2.4 million debt.

Meanwhile, the downtown cathedral church itself has "air rights" (city permission to build upward), potentially transferable and saleable to high-rise developers and worth perhaps $2 million. So former rector Carter believes the motive is obvious.

"As a historic property, (the diocese) might not be able to sell it, because developers can't tear it down," Carter said, "but if they can close it, they'll get the proceeds from the air rights."

City historic properties officer Daryl Cariou could not be reached.

Morton admits the congregation is struggling. With roughly 150 Sunday attendees, the cathedral church had an income of $210,000 last year. These figures fall within diocesan guidelines for a viable "program parish" of 140 members and $120,000 yearly income. But those guidelines also require that 65 per cent of parishioners be under age 60, a bar the cathedral can't clear.

"It doesn't help, trying to attract new families, that the bishop refuses to give us a new rector," said former treasurer Morton. The bishop has appointed no priest to the church since Rev. Don Axford retired in mid-2003.

More seriously, Morton continued, the 100-year-old building needs a lot of upkeep and renovations. And because of its big operating and maintenance costs, the parish has not been able to meet its "apportionment," its annual dues to the diocese.

"Last year, the diocese set our apportionment at $43,000, and we paid $25,000. We've paid over $20,000 every year, but it's not enough," he said.

"The diocese is hurting for money. Over two years, the bishop's capital campaign brought in only $1.2 million, and half of that was from the sale of property. It's clear the Anglican population isn't buying into his program, so he's selling off their property."

In October, Hollowell announced the disestablishment of three Calgary parishes: All Saints in Renfrew,

St. Gabriel's in Mount Pleasant, and St. Edmund's in Bowness. They were all to close Jan. 1.

St. Edmund's 40 members, however, are "carrying on until the locks are changed," said warden Trevor Bennett. "We're still holding services, and our monthly clothing sale is Saturday -- that supports our food bank, which is feeding 300 people weekly."

St. Edmund's sits on three lots, so its people can't afford the rumoured $600,000 the diocese expects for it; meanwhile, the diocese continues monthly withdrawals from the parish bank account, toward the church's $5,000 apportionment, Bennett said.

All Saints in Renfrew is keeping its doors open, with a retired priest presiding on Sundays.

Vestry member Mark Pollard, 55, remembers his father signing a $22,000 mortgage in 1956 to build it. The church can support a pastor but lately has been able to carry only half of its $6,000 apportionment.

The diocese assessed All Saints at $300,000, but the congregation of 60 hopes to buy it back for something less than that, then join another denomination.

St. Gabriel's locks its doors for the last time this Sunday. The property on 4th Street N.W. will be sold.

Anglican archdeacon (diocesan chief operating officer) Barry Foster could not be reached for comment.

Long-standing Cathedral members Michael Prior and Morton say their church is in the privileged position of holding its own title (like St. John's in Inglewood). So, if necessary, they said, their church will split from the diocese.

"With the air rights and foundation money we can put together, we can make a go of it," said Prior.

"We have a mission downtown and we're going to fulfil it."

END