McGill University has bought the Anglican Diocesan Theological College for an undisclosed amount.

"The sale price is between us and McGill University," college principal John Simons said yesterday. "But all things shall one day be revealed."

The college says it can no longer afford to maintain the century-old neo-Gothic building on University St. north of Sherbrooke St.

It will however, lease the north wing of the building, known as the Principal's Lodge, from the university, convert it into a seminary and continue to use St. Luke's chapel in the building's south wing, which it will share with McGill as a multi-purpose teaching facility.

"The church's influence and position in this city has been in sharp decline since the 1960s," Simons said. "Anglicans today represent less than one per cent of the city's population, and while the church still owns valuable real estate, the question as to how long we can maintain our buildings is one that won't go away. We're going down the river, and we can hear the roar of the falls."

The college was founded in 1873 by Ashton Oxenden, Montreal's second Anglican bishop, to teach "10 young men who desired to be trained for the ministry."

Affiliated with McGill University since 1880, its present red-brick building was a gift from Canadian cotton king Andrew Frederick Gault. Designed by Sir Andrew Taylor - who also designed Redpath Hall on McGill's campus - it opened in 1896.

Today, there are 35 students studying for the Anglican ministry.

Simons, who is moving out of the Principal's Lodge this week, said the faculty has a responsibility to provide an academically excellent and field-based theological education, adding that "we can accomplish this without maintaining a heritage building or running a residence for McGill students or by providing a meeting space for an array of campus organizations."

ahustak@thegazette.canwest.com