St. Albans' Episcopal Church Spooner WI

St. Alban, the first English Martyr, was a Roman soldier who conceled a Christian Priest who was fleeing persecution by Alban's superiors. Alban dressed in the Priest's vestments and turned himself over. The site on which he was tortured and martyred became the Cathedral of St. Alban's, the second longest church in England. He is credited with telling the judge at his trial "If you wish to know the truth about my religion, know that I am a Christian and am ready to do a Christian's duty." The traditional date of his martyrdom is June 22nd, in the year 304.

St. Alban's is a small, but mighty parish. We enjoy serving serving our community and all those in need.

Our Mission

Alban's Table - FREE Community Dinner last Weds of each month. Alban's Closet - Twice a year no cost clothing and other miscellaneous. NEW! Alban's House - Use of parsonage as a homeless shelter.

 

Download St. Albans' Episcopal Church vCard with Service Times

Click here to contact the church  

Download Vicar The Rev. Aaron Zook vCard

Click here to contact The Rev. Aaron Zook  

 

https://www.sites.google.com/site/stalbanschurchspooner/  

 

 

Know how to get there? Share the knowledge with others!  

Please share parking information and/or parking experience!  

 

 

 

The History of St. Alban's

The history of St. Alban's Church remai ns a puzzle since a fire destroyed our earli­est records in 1932. Today, much of what we know of St. Alban's early years is based on the oral histories of four women, all of whom were among St. Al ban's original parishioners. They are, accord­ing to one source, Martha Quinnell, Margaret Ramsdell, Mina Smith, and Julia Schmitz.

According to the same source, it was on March 9, 1900, that a group of area women organized the first St. Alban Women's Guild with two goals in mind: to build a church and to support a fulltime priest. After much hard work and many donations , the St. Alban women and their husbands broke ground and laid the original foundation in July 1903--more than 110 years ago. In August of that same year, our forebearers built what is currently the small chapel, located on the west side of the altar.

After finishing and furnishing the building during the next several months, St. Alban Episcopal Church was dedicated officially in April of 1904. In a 1906 article in The Church Times, Reverend Clyde B. Blakeslee , one of our early priests, describes the original parishioners as "the little band of women ... [who] worshiped in private homes, in the school house, and in the Methodist building [across the street], but three years ago the Ladies' Guild, then numbering about twelve, and incl uding the entire congregation, set about to earn money for the erection of a Church house. In two years, by their indus­try, they accumulated $500 ... With this and borrowed capital they erected, at a cost of $1,500, a Church of which they may well be proud." At the time, St. Alban' s altar was considered one of the prettiest in northwest Wisconsin.

In 1924 the Guild Hall was added, making St. Alban's an area landmark and a gathering place for decades to come. Many of our current parishioners remember church-sponsored youth dances, basketball games, and even community plays being held in the St. Alban Guild Hall.

In 1952 the congregation remodeled the Guild Hall, and we believe this is when the stage was removed from the east wall. The most recent work there occurred in 1974. Between these two remodeling projects, Mrs. Rev. Richard Warder donated land to the church as a memorial for her husband who died in 1964. Along with funds from a United Thank Offering (UTO) grant, the con gregation built the current vicarage in 1965.

Pastoral Leadership

Despite the fact there was no church for him , the Reverend A. Burton Peabody was holding religious services in and around Spooner in the late 1890s and early 1900s. He was not only a missionary to the early loggers and railroaders of the time--the very men who constructed our church when they could take time from their jobs--he was also the first Episcopal priest in the area.

However, The Reverend Edgar Frederick Gee was St. Al ban's first supply priest, followed soon by Alexander Coffin (1896-1896), James Trimble, DD (1897-1901) , Arthur Wi lliam Bell (1906), Henry Edward Chase, DD (1907- 1913), James J. Crawford (1914-1917), Richard C. Talbot (1921-1923) , and E.D. Weed (1926). Other priests include Clyde Blakeslee as well as The Reverends Purchase, Whital, Chane, Reed, and Hood (first names and dates unknown).

From 1926 to the present, our records are more complete and our resident priests more consistent:

Albert H. Head, 1926-1932 George Robertson, 1932-1933 James Golder, 1933- 1936 John Tredrea, 1936-1941 Wilbert Bennett, 1942-1945 Richard C. Warder, 1947-1964 Raymond Holly, 1965-1967 J. Schrader, 1968 Bruce Brehm, 1968 John Ambelang , 1969-1972 Porthan III, 1972 John Ambelang , 1973-1975 Paul Sanford, 1976- 1981 Paul Traeumer, 1982-1990 Bruce Gardner, 1991 Ward Simpson, 1992-1994 Alan P. Coudriet, 1995-2002 Robert Rodgers, 2003-2012 Aaron Zook, 2012-present