St. Monica is the infant among Anglican Churches in the Turks and Caicos Islands and possibly in the Diocese. Since the early 1960's when the economic boom began in Providenciales (popularly 'Provo') and the first American settlers began acquiring huge plots of beachfront and hilltop land from the rich legacies of native heirs and heiresses, it was acknowledged that the presence of the Anglican Church was necessary.
As more and more tourists returned and more and more businessmen opened offices and more and more hotels and palatial homes decked the miles of beaches and picturesque hilltops, the Church answered the need for organized worship There was a man who will never be forgotten when the history of the Church in Providenciales is written. He was Nathaniel (Nattie) Robinson.
In September 1974, one of the first Civil Servants to be transferred to Provo to administer government there, Nattie missed his regular Sunday and weekday worship in Grand Turk. There were no regularly scheduled inter-island flights to take him to Grand Turk for Sunday worship, and so Nattie did the next best thing. In so doing he created a page for the history book, for you see, he was the first person to assemble a gathering and hold Mattins in Providenciales, and he did so from the living room of his house. Thus began the Anglican Church in Providenciales.
Nat's need for regular worship did not go unnoticed, and soon he and his small congregation were blessed with visits from the clergy and Bishop Eldon, who, accompanied always by Archdeacon Murillo Bonaby never failed to visit Nattie in Provo during those early years, and to encourage him and his small congregation. As the congregation grew services were held in the Court House until the completion of St. Monica. Bishop Eldon, realizing the rapid economic growth and the population explosion of Provo was anxious to establish an Anglican presence in Provo, and so, God blessed him with the opportunity of being involved in the planning, building and naming of St. Monica.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Saturday, July 12, 1986, under the Rectorship of Fr. Connor Lynn. The first Mass was held in the incomplete building on Easter Day of 1987. The service of dedication and the first Holy Eucharist was celebrated on Sunday, April 2, 1989. The Choir of St. Mary's and many of the clergy and laypersons travelled to Provo for this event. Fr. Colin Sampson was the first resident Priest in Provo, arriving in 1993. He was followed by Fr. Neil Macintosh, Fr. Antonio Martin, Fr. Scott Brennen, Fr. Bernard Been, Rev. Dr Tellison Glover and Fr. Alvardo Adderley, the current Rector of the parish. The Church is growing and attracting the dedicated services of young men and women from the public and private sectors of the island.
"A Growing Giving and Boldly Community of Faith and Care"
