Parishioners gathered at noon on Wednesday to honor Queen Elizabeth II at Emmaus Anglican Church on Wellington Street East.
The group – led by Reverend Holly Clemensen in an opening and closing prayer – took turns ringing a bell 96 times over the course of an hour for each of the late monarch’s 96 years.
While Emmaus does not have a church bell, a bell from a British Royal Navy ship owned by a Sault resident was loaned to Emmaus and hung over the church’s main entrance for parishioners to ring at Wednesday’s service.
Queen Elizabeth II, as monarch, was the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the Anglican Church of its Canadian counterpart.
The title of Supreme Governor has now passed to her son, King Charles III.
“It’s sad,” Klemmensen said of Queen Elizabeth’s death on Sept. 8.
“He was the head of our church and our faith as Anglicans. She was a woman of great strength, fortitude and servitude. He was a model of service to others and to our Anglican Church, a model of devotion and love for Jesus.”
Klemmensen said she noticed the queen mentioned her faith more in her later years.
“She felt more comfortable talking about her faith. Perhaps she felt that the Holy Spirit was compelled to speak more about faith, especially in a world that seems to be very divided and informal for God, and I think she was the best example in living her faith for her family, for the country, for the world.”
Klemmensen said she will follow the reign of King Charles III with interest.
“I look forward to seeing how he will lead and reign. I pray for him.”
As Britain, Canada and other Commonwealth countries go through an official period of mourning ahead of the Queen’s funeral – which will take place on September 19 – Anglican clergy have been asked to make arrangements for their church bells to ring 96 times.
Flags on Anglican Church properties are flown at half-mast.
After the Queen’s funeral, a national Canadian memorial service in Ottawa, a national Anglican evening service in Toronto and an evening prayer service at St. Luke’s Cathedral in Sault Ste. Marie, individual Sault and area parishes are encouraged to hold special memorial services but only after these four events have taken place.
The Evening Prayer Service at St. Luke’s Cathedral in the Sault takes place at 7 pm on Sunday, October 2.
There are seven Church of England parishes in the Sault and region, including St. Luke’s Cathedral, Emmaus, Holy Trinity, Christ Church, St. George’s in Echo Bay, St. James on the Goulais River and Holy Trinity on the island of St. Joseph.
