St Mary Magdalene Church

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The Church of St. Mary Magdalene (also known as SMM) is a parish of the Anglican Church of Canada located in Toronto. It is famous for its association with composer Healey Willan who was organist and choir-master for well over four decades. The current rector is Father David Harrison, who became rector on June 1, 2010, after a nine-year incumbency at the parish of St. Thomas', Brooklin. In 2013, SMM celebrated its 125th anniversary.Cultural referencesSMM was part of the composite Robertson Davies used to form "St. Aidan's" in his novel The Cunning Man. Davies attended Mass there while still a Presbyterian and a student at Upper Canada College. The church is also mentioned in Marian Engel's "The Glassy Sea".Notable peopleFormer Governor General Adrienne Clarkson has been a parishioner for many years.Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visited, participated in the Solemn Mass and unveiled a national historic plaque to the memory of Healey Willan.TheologyAs an Anglo-Catholic parish, SMM has always celebrated the Eucharist as the central act of worship. This has historically been done at SMM in a liturgical style reflecting the convergence of Roman Catholic and Anglican influences. In 1919, the church shifted more towards Roman-style parish life: the Rev'd H. Griffin Hiscocks began hearing private confession. This period also ushered in the use of incense and the installation of a large statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary (now in the south aisle of the church). Newspaper accounts of the time reveal how controversial the installation was. A chip in the statue's toe shows evidence of a hammer attack made by those hostile to SMM's Catholic spirituality.