Present day Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario has hosted Anglican missionaries to the Anishinaabe/Ojibwa peoples since the 1820’s; however, St. Luke´s Cathedral would be the first Anglican Church built in the city. The Rt. Rev. Alexander Neil Bethune, Bishop of Toronto, consecrated the first building on the Feast Day of St. Luke the Evangelist, October 18, 1870, as St. Luke's parish church. Its cornerstone was laid July 22, 1879, thanks in large part to the fundraising of Mr. James Chance. In 1873, the Diocese of Algoma was established as a missionary diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario, and St. Luke´s became the Pro-Cathedral of Algoma. Additions to the church were made in the early 1890´s, with the addition of north and south transepts, a chancel at the eastern end, and a belfry at the west. The Rt. Rev. Edward Sullivan, second Bishop of Algoma, laid the cornerstone of the enlarged Pro-Cathedral June 9, 1896 and consecrated the new Pro-Cathedral on St. Luke's Day, October 18, 1896.

The expanded pro-cathedral cost a total of $11,000 to complete. Contributions from within the parish were not sufficient to cover this cost; however Rural Dean (later Metropolitan of Ontario) Robert John Renison travelled to England 1898 during which time raised enough funds to not only cover the cost of the building, but also to contribute to building up the finances of the diocesan fund. This aid is also significant, because it led to St. Luke´s becoming a self-supporting parish. St. Luke’s celebrated becoming officially debt free on November 29, 1925.

A series of minor fires in October 1902 and February 1903 and a devastating fire in on November 22, 1952 posed serious challenges to the parish. The 1952 fire destroyed many stained glass windows, as well as was the cathedral´s organ. The parishioners responded on Sunday, December 22, 1952 by pledging $64, 000 towards a building fund, and the Vestry Board approved the renovation plans at its meeting of April 12, 1953. These plans included retention of the south transept, the bell tower and the intervening south wall, the latter of which belonged to the original 1870 building. These plans also included the complete demolition of the 1896 chancel-sanctuary and the scrapping of the stained glass east window, which had survived the 1952 fire. The Rt. Rev. William Lockridge Wright, Bishop of Algoma, laid the cornerstone of St. Luke's Cathedral on October 19, 1953. St. Luke's Cathedral celebrated its Centennial on the Feast of St. Luke on October 18, 1970 and its 125th Anniversary in 1995.

Quite early on, it was evident that there was a pressing need for a Parish Hall to host the parochial activities of the cathedral. In 1906 a Parish Hall Building Fund was set up, and in April 1907 a building committee commenced the plans which would be presented at the Vestry Meeting in December. At the meeting, Bishop Thorneloe expressed his concern in regards to the Parish ending up in too deep a debt, therefore the initial plans were rejected. However, the following motion was moved by C.F. Farewell, and seconded by G. Williams: "That this Vestry authorize the building committee to expend $8,000 on the new Hall." The motion was thoroughly discussed, and ultimately, carried. The Hall was constructed and officially opened by Bishop Thorneloe in 1910. Diocesan Synods were continually held in the Parish Hall until the Synod became too large in approximately 1970. Along with Synod, events such as Sunday School, Juniors and Girls' Auxiliary, Anglican Young People's Association, Women's Auxiliary, and more were held in the Hall. Of course, there have been necessary repairs, redecorating, and renovations over the years including the replacement of heating mechanisms, the building of additional storage space, roofing repairs, entrance rebuilding, interior changes to the kitchen, dining area, etc., redecoration of the bathrooms, new outer doors, and the like.

Incumbents of St. Luke´s in Sault Ste. Marie include: William McMurray (1832-1838); Frederick Augustus O´Meara (1839-1841); Gustavus Alexander Anderson (1848-1850); James Chance (1854-1871); John Carry (1865-1866); John Widmer Rolph (1872-1874); Thomas Henry Montague Villiers (1876-1881); Henry Heaton (1881-1882); George Bregs (1882-1884); Francis F. William, (1885-1890); Walter Windsor (1890); Eustace Allix Vesey (1890-1894); C. Cameron Waller (1894); Robert John Renison (1894-1898); Edward Henry Capp (1899-1905), Charles Wilfred Bishop (1905); Henry Arthur Brooke (1906-1914); W. S. G. Bunbury (1914-1921); Charles Wilfred Balfour (1921-1935), Percy Alfred Percy (1935-1940); William Lockridge Wright (1940-1944); James Hannington Craig (1944-1951); Walter Bruce Jennings (1951-1957); Frank Foley Nock (1957-1974); I. Lawrence Robertson (1975-1992); Allan R. Reed (1993-2001); William Garry Dobinson (2001-2007); Nelson Small (2007-2010); and James McShane (2010-).

Sources:

St. Luke's Cathedral, http://www.saultchurches.com/stlukes/index.asp [accessed 2013 July, 08]

Ontario's Anglican Cathedrals: http://cathedral.byethost13.com/algoma.htm [accessed 2013 July, 08]

"History of St. Luke's Cathedral Parish Hall", The Algoma Anglican 39, no. 8 (1992): 6.