The Centenary United Pastoral Charge is selling their building on Fortune Street in Point St-Charles, but the congregation will live on at St. Columba House.
The following is a brief history of this formerly Methodist, now United Church congregation (from the Société d’Histoire de Pointe-Saint-Charles).
“In 1864, Point Saint Charles’ first Methodist church opened on the corner of Wellington and Charon Streets. In 1891, a new, bigger church was built and given the name Centenary Church in honour of the centenary of the Methodist Church in Canada. It cost $32,000 and could seat 950. The congregation counted 400 families and its Sunday School was Montréal’s largest. The Hope Chapel on Ryde St was also built, served for ten years and, then was sold. It is still standing today.
Centenary joined the United Church of Canada in 1926.
In 1950, fire ravaged the church. It was rebuilt on a smaller scale, with only 250 seats and at a cost of $70,000.
The Mount Zion Seventh Day Adventists bought the church for $300,000 in 1990. The front and side walls date from 1891.
Since the church’s sale, Centenary United Church has been holding religious services in the presbytery at 585 Fortune St.”
A new chapter for Centenary began, appropriately, we would say, at Easter. Sunday services are now being held at St. Columba House, 2365 Grand Trunk in Pointe-Saint-Charles. SouthWest United wishes them all the best!
The Centenary we know on Fortune Street will soon be sold.
The congregation’s new home, St. Columba House on Grand Trunk.