On the job I rubbed shoulders with smart clergymen. I have often mused that evangelical preachers find satisfaction in giving people their distinct way to God. On the other hand, Anglican priests get their jollies by helping people find their own way to God.
The biggest story I handled was the discovery of, in the library of St. John’s College, a Bible probably used by King James himself. It had personal notes scribbled in the margins, believed to have been written by the King. That story went around the world. Later I went to see the book in the University of Manitoba Archives wearing plastic gloves and a face mask.
Each year there was a conference of Anglican editors that took place in cities from east to west in Canada. I discovered that my cousin was editor of the Anglican paper in Ottawa.
Since the Anglican and Lutheran churches had recently agreed to be in communion with each other, a huge convention took place in Winnipeg. One of the festive events was a public mass in St. Boniface Cathedral. Robed priests lined the riverbank prior to proceeding inside.
I knew it would be like that, so I went to the Forks to ask a guy with a boat if he might take me upriver for a photo from the water. He happened to be an Anglican parishioner from St. Andrew’s On The Red, a historic Gothic structure, the oldest stone church still being used in western Canada.
Needless to say, the photo made the front page of my next edition.
When I retired I passed the mantle to Terrance Moore, a long-time editorial writer retired from the Winnipeg Free Press. It was a smooth transition.
