There were balloons at the back of St. Luke’s Cathedral on Sunday morning, September 13, and the Venerable Dr. Harry Huskins knew enough to suspect something was coming.
“I see the parade forming up,” he joked as people began moving toward the front. Then his tone shifted. For some time, he said, St. Luke’s had lived with a “darkening shadow hanging over us” — its debt to the Diocese of Algoma. On Sunday, that shadow was lifted.
With balloons, a decorated cake and a congregation gathered in thanksgiving, St. Luke’s Cathedral formally celebrated the retirement of its diocesan debt following a summer debt-reduction campaign that drew an extraordinary response from parishioners and friends of the Cathedral.
Watch highlights from the September 13 celebration at St. Luke’s Cathedral.
A Milestone Worth Celebrating
Warden Cheryl Linklater delivered the formal announcement.
“In July, two generous gifts opened a sacred invitation through a special matching gift challenge, helping us to this day of thanksgiving and celebration. This morning, we gather with grateful hearts to mark a significant and joyful milestone in the life of St. Luke’s Cathedral: the retirement of our debt to the Diocese of Algoma.”
The challenge invited the Cathedral community to raise $50,000 toward its debt, with those gifts to be matched. The goal was met, and giving continued beyond it.
Final campaign total: $134,151.55
With the debt retired, the additional $34,151.55 will be directed to a reserve fund, as approved by the Cathedral’s advisory board.
Giving from a Place of Abundance
The successful campaign followed months of careful attention to the Cathedral’s financial position and included guidance from Bishop Victoria Matthews, who worked with Cathedral leadership during the debt-reduction effort and helped develop the matching-gift approach.
Matthews has spoken about matching gifts as more than a fundraising device. They can, she said, help people “give themselves permission to be generous.”
“Sometimes people need an excuse to be generous. So if it’s a matching gift, I’m actually, in a sense, giving twice as much.”
For Matthews, however, the larger purpose was never simply to raise money. The goal was to remove a financial burden so that St. Luke’s could turn its attention more fully toward ministry — particularly outreach — rather than allowing debt to continue shaping the Cathedral’s priorities.
Her message to the congregation on September 13 reflected that emphasis on abundance rather than scarcity.
“For all this abundance, I give thanks to the God of abundance, and for St Luke’s Cathedral. Our spirits rejoice.” — Bishop Victoria Matthews
A New and Fresh Beginning
For Archbishop Anne Germond, paying down the debt before the arrival of the Rev. Elizabeth Sipos carries particular significance.
“St. Luke’s debt has been a significant concern in recent years. I commend the Cathedral community for their faithfulness in wanting to pay it down before their interim incumbent arrives, so that this can truly be a new and fresh beginning.” — Archbishop Anne Germond
That sense of a new beginning was built directly into Sunday’s celebration. Linklater described the service and reception as “an act of praise and remembrance,” giving thanks for God’s faithfulness and honouring “the steadfast generosity of parishioners and friends of St. Luke’s Cathedral.”
She also pointed toward what comes next.
With the debt behind it, St. Luke’s has identified three priorities for 2026:
- Worship
- Education
- Outreach
Those commitments are expected to help guide the Cathedral as it develops its strategic plan, mission statement and vision for the years ahead.
