Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

St. Andrew’s Anglican Church of Breckenridge held a centennial celebration and courtyard dedication on Saturday afternoon, April 22.

The church, formerly known as St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, located at 200 N. Easton St., recently replaced windows in the parish hall and office and refurbished the courtyard with funds raised by the Women of St. Andrew’s Church through the Bargain Box thrift store.

Bishop Emeritus Jack Iker of Fort Worth blesses the courtyard at St. Andrew’s. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/ Breckenridge Texan)

The ceremony was presided over by Father Don Sackett, St. Andrew’s rector, and Bishop Emeritus Jack Iker from the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, ACNA.

“We’re blessed that all of you could come and see the work that we’ve been able to do here to the honor and glory of God,” Sackett said. “We’re grateful for 100 years of being here continuously as an Anglican Church.”

In the courtyard and flowerbeds, overgrown shrubs were replaced and other work was done to refresh the area, he said.

“It really changed the appearance of the church, and we’re celebrating that here today,” Sackett said. “And the significance of the blessing of courtyards is, of course, the blessing for God’s glory.”

He introduced Iker, who led the blessing of the courtyard. “Oh God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour thy blessing upon this Courtyard and grant that whosoever shall use it in quiet reflection and prayer with thanksgiving may, by the invocation of thy holy name, receive from thee, who art its maker, health of body, protection of soul, and inspiration by thy Holy Spirit, through Christ our Lord,” Iker said.

Iker completed the blessing by sprinkling the courtyard with holy water.

According to information in the ceremony program, the first Holy Communion at St. Andrew’s recorded in the archives of the Diocese was celebrated in 1923, with eight people present. The service was conducted by the Rev. Frank H. Stedman, and intermittent services were held in Breckenridge “as weather and roads permitted.” Rev. Stedman was later named the parish’s first vicar in 1926. The early Register of Baptisms for St. Andrew’s included Verna Mae Hardy, James Elven Allison, Jr., George Jenner Clark, Lester Francis Clark, Earle Hartford Clark, Ruth Marie Clark, Laura Mary Russell, Sadie Mae Russell, Neal Russell, and Carl Robert Tillotson.

Father Don Sackett, rector at St. Andrew’s, right, talks about the history of St. Andrew’s during the courtyard dedication. Bishop Emeritus Jack Iker also participated in the ceremony. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The parish initially worshipped in a small wood-framed building on Hullum Street, located east of the Baptist Church and south of the first YMCA building. In 1948, St. Andrew’s began a season of steady growth which resulted in a building program. The present church sanctuary was consecrated in 1965. Rev. William V. Albert, the rector during this period, was resourceful and purchased most of the furnishings, stained glass windows, and other appointments for the sanctuary from the private chapel of J. Pierpont Morgan.

In 1962, the St. Andrew’s Bargain Box opened its doors, offering used clothing and household items to many who did not wish to accept charity. The Bargain Box was originally established by Nancy Pitzer, Cecil Tolle, Bea Walton, Anna Kime, and Gussie Holland. The Bargain Box continues its mission today, serving the community at its newest location on the corner of Highways 180 and 183.

On June 13, 1965, members of the parish planning committee broke ground for what is now the completed St. Andrew’s parish hall, classrooms, and courtyard. Those named on the committee included Frank C. Payne, P. A. Sheets, Marvin Naylor, Blake Johnson, Lester Clark, and William Blodgett. The project was completed sometime before the Feast of St. Andrew, in November of 1983, when Rev. Stephen D. Carter presided over the burning of the paid bank note, signifying the consecration of the facility and the debt-free status of the parish. After nine years of planning and fundraising, the Ross King pipe organ was installed in 1999 and dedicated to “The glory of God and in loving memory of Gwendolyn James Dean.”

Saturday’s ceremony was followed by an organ concert and reception.

Bishop Emeritus Jack Iker, left, blesses the St. Andrew’s courtyard with holy water, during a dedication ceremony Saturday, April 22, while Father Don Sackett looks on. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Bishop Emeritus Jack Iker of Fort Worth and Father Don Sackett of Breckenridge hold a dedication ceremony for the refurbished courtyard at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Saturday, April 22. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)