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A Journey to The Church of the Redeemer

I was in a three year nurses’ training program at the Church Home and Hospital during the years of 1946 through 1949. Church Home was affiliated with several Episcopal related services. Once a month a priest would come there to lead the student nurses in morning prayers. Each morning before going on duty to care for our patients we would assemble in a circle to read a passage from the bible, say the Lord’s prayer, and sing a hymn. The patients loved waking up to the music. As I had not been raised in the Episcopal church, this was my first contact with the Episcopal religion.

One of my classmates. Page Waller, was the niece of the Reverend Richard Baker, who was then rector of the Church of the Redeemer. When we had completed our first six months of training as probies, we received our nurses’ caps. As a reward for our completing our probation period, Reverend Baker invited Page and our class to come for a picnic on the Redeemer Church grounds. While we were there we toured the church This was my first contact with the Church of the Redeemer.

In my last year of training I met my future husband, Colegate McShane. who was one of my patients. After graduating from Church Home in March 1949. I was married to Colegate at the Church of the Redeemer by Reverend Baker. My husband was employed by a company that required him to transfer to various locations. In 1967 he became ill and died. At that time we were living in Allentown, Pennsylvania and attending the Episcopal church there. Our rector there was Reverend David Birney who also was one of our good friends. He made all the arrangements for my husband’s funeral services to be held at the Redeemer.

To be closer to family, later that year, I and my two sons moved back to Baltimore and became members at the Redeemer. My sons were members of the youth group here, which at that time. was very active. The church had a number of good discussion groups I attended that were very helpful to me. In 1979, after being a widow for 12 years, I married John Hoey, who became a member of the church., and attended various functions of the church with me. However. John became ill and died in October 2002. His memorial services were held here in the chapel. The Church of the Redeemer has been a very important part of my life.



Annabela McShane Hoey
April 2005