St Agnes, Kennington Park facts for kids
.jpg)
St Agnes, Kennington Park, is a special kind of church in south London. It's part of the Church of England but follows older traditions, often called Anglo-Catholic. You can find it in the Southwark area, right behind Kennington Park and close to the famous Oval Cricket Ground. The closest subway stations are Kennington and Oval.
The first church here was built in 1875 by George Gilbert Scott Jr.. It was big enough for 1,000 people! Sadly, the church was bombed during World War II. It was rebuilt in 1956 by Halliday and Greenwood, following a design by Ralph Covell.
The Church Building
The first church, built in 1875, looked like old Gothic buildings. George Gilbert Scott Jr. designed it. He also worked on colleges at Cambridge University.
Many parts inside the church today are from the original building. This includes a special decorated screen called a reredos, made by Temple Moore. It's said to be like a golden one in a church in Germany.
The current church has a special area for baptisms under the west gallery. There is also a Lady Chapel on the north-east side. The church also has an office, a meeting space, and a church hall. All of these are within a small churchyard. The main part of the church includes the nave (where people sit) and the chancel (near the altar).
Church Services
St Agnes is a Church of England parish church. Its worship follows the Catholic tradition. This means they have a special service called Mass.
Mass is held every weekday in the Lady Chapel at 10 AM. There is also a bigger Solemn Mass every Sunday and on special Feast days. St Agnes also has weekly Bible study sessions. These happen on Wednesdays, right after the 10 AM Mass.
Music at St Agnes
St Agnes has four musical instruments. One is a two-manual choir organ. It was built by N.P. Mander between 1960 and 1961. This organ is in the organ loft.
There is also a harmonium from 1903. This instrument is in the Lady Chapel. It is used for special Festal services and during Christmas.
In May 2018, a new, very large organ was put in the main part of the church. It uses a special computer system called Hauptwerk. This organ has 67 different sounds, called stops. The current director of music is a composer and organist named Matt Geer.
Church Leaders
Fr Paul Ensor became the Vicar at St Agnes, Kennington Park, in March 2013. The honorary Assistant Priest is Fr Simon Acland. He is the son of a politician from New Zealand named Jack Acland.
