Musings on May Webster, Part 1
By Christopher Rutty, SJWT-100th Team Lead.
Among St. John’s current congregation, one person, despite a rather diminutive stature, stands above all others in the longevity of her commitment to the parish. Indeed, May Webster has been a regular attendee for more than half of the century that St. John’s has occupied its home on Humberside Avenue. For those of us who have been part of St. John’s for many years, and those who are new, May’s importance to the church at its activities are obvious. However, May is generally soft-spoken about herself unless one asks her some questions, as I have. There are many questions I’d like to ask May, but I thought I’d start from the beginning: what first brought May to St. John’s?
May Zadkin came to St. John's by accident in December 1969. She was a single mother with a 3-year-old daughter, Mariquita (or simply Quita) and looking for a reason to get out of bed on Sunday mornings. She decided to undertake a tour of the neighbourhood churches. She wasn’t church shopping, but just looking to see the various styles of worship available. One of the first stops on the church tour was St. Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican on Glenlake Ave. at Indian Grove, and May saw it “as the way the Roman church used to be, only in English.” She visited several other churches of varying denominations, but would move on, “if I heard a sermon that made me uncomfortable.”
May Zadkin (later May Webster) with daughter, Quita, 1971
May then attended High Park Alhambra United Church (its former building on High Park & Annette is now becoming condos) on a day then known as “The Sunday Next Before Advent.” When the minister announced that Advent would begin the next week, May decided to spend Advent at an Anglican Church, and the closest was St. John’s.
She didn’t decide to stay until after New Years 1970 and up to that point had not spoken to anyone. “Which was just as well... I think if anyone had spoken to me I would have bolted!” When May finally introduced herself to Rev. Maurice Poole, after being encouraged by a girlfriend, she was pleased to discover that “Mr. Poole did not bite!” May’s neighbourhood church tour had ended, but her accidental arrival at St. John’s soon led her to meeting John Webster, who had also found his way to 288 Humberside rather accidentally. May and John’s story will be the focus of another “Musings on May Webster” article.
May and John Webster, c. 2000
The SJWT-100th Team held a productive meeting via Zoom on Feb. 13. A video recording of the meeting, along with notes, are available via this DropBox link,
Contact Christopher Rutty – hhrs@healthheritageresearch.com – with any contributions you’d like to make in support of the SJWT-100th initiative.
We are looking for volunteers interested in helping with the organization of special SJWT-100th events and activities, especially to:
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Mark the 100th of the laying the church cornerstone on May 5th
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Our anticipated participation in Doors Open Toronto, May 27-28
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The 100th of the official opening of our Humberside Home on November 4th.
