Dating from 1868, Orangeville's oldest church now has a new look, a new entrance and the town's newest stained glass window.

The original brick work on St. Mark's Anglican Church is long gone, covered by a stucco-like, weatherproof grey surfacing. An addition at the southwest includes a welcoming area and an elevator that makes both floors of the church fully wheelchair accessible, and this week a local artisan installed a new stained glass window with some uniquely local features.

The church on First Avenue is actually the parish's third. The original log church east of what is now Orangeville dated from 1837 and was replaced in 1854 by a stone building on the present church's site.

This Sunday, St. Mark's will have a single service of dedication for the $1.1- million restoration and the window, which was donated by the Raymond family in memory of their mother, Bernice Marie Raymond.

And then there'll be special services on Sept. 27 in which Ven. Peter Scott, recently appointed Regional Archdeacon of Wellington, will tell the story of the window and of its significance at both regular services, 8:30 and 10 a.m.

The window might have a special significance to glass artist David Burns, as he is about to close Foiled Again, his Mono Plaza outlet, and continue his craft in St. Jacob's where he will work with Robert Brown Glass and Metal in addition to carrying on his own work.

The stained glass window at St. Mark's, he said, will be his last major installation in Orangeville for at least the time being.

The window itself has a representation of an angel looking over Orangeville. If you look closely, you can recognize the waters of Island Lake, the buildings of the town, and the surrounding fields in a prosperous farming area.

It is surmounted by a Celtic cross, perhaps representing the settlement of the area as well as the fact that the church normally holds Celtic services on the first Sunday of each month, Archdeacon Scott said.

The Celtic services are, however, in English but in a more "earthy" and straightforward phrasing than the traditional. "I barely know two words of Gaelic," joked the rector. "I suppose I shouldn't say that with a name like Scott."

Mr. Burns doesn't take credit for the angel itself, as it came from a church in Toronto. He said he and the rector designed everything surrounding the angel, including part of the angel's damaged wings.

Crafting a stained glass window of this magnitude and detail wouldn't be the work of an amateur. Mr. Burns said he has been 20 years in the business. You keep growing in the business as the years pass, he said.

Archdeacon Scott said that with the renovations, the church is now fully accessible with the 1,000- square-foot "lift area" and the elevator that has been in use since April.

The exterior of the church as taken on a new appearance, with Dryvit — a "new and improved form of stucco" — all around.

The brick-like stucco that was applied over the crumbling brick in the 1970s began falling off in the 1990s and had to be replaced at a cost of about $100,000.

Sunday's service, at 10:30 a.m., will be presided over by Rt. Rev. Michael Bird, Bishop of Niagara. It will be preceded by an open house Saturday afternoon to which all are welcome and at which cookies and lemonade will be served. That evening there'll be a dedication dinner featuring prime rib roasts.