St Mark's Church, Newport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mark's Church |
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| The Parish Church of St Mark | |
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| 51°35′22.5″N 3°00′10.1″W / 51.589583°N 3.002806°W | |
| Location | Newport |
| Country | Wales |
| Denomination | Church in Wales |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 20 July 1872 |
| Dedication | St Mark the Evangelist |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Style | Neo-gothic |
| Years built | 1872–74 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of floors | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Newport North West Ministry Area |
| Deanery | Newport |
| Archdeaconry | Newport |
| Diocese | Monmouth |
| Province | Wales |
The Church of St Mark is a church in the Church in Wales. It is located on Gold Tops, in the Allt-yr-yn area of Newport, Wales. This church is an important building in Newport. It is also part of the Newport North West Ministry Area.
Contents
A Look at St Mark's Church History
This church was built in the 1870s. It was needed because the population of Newport was growing. More people meant more churches were needed.
The land for the church was given by Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar. He was a very important person. He said the land could be used if £4,000 was raised for building costs. This money needed to be collected by the end of 1870.
Even though they were £1,000 short, the building work began. Lady Tredegar laid the first stone on July 20, 1872. The church building was finished by 1874.
Because St Mark's is close to Newport Civic Centre, it has been used for many community events. These include events for groups like Scouts and Guides.
How St Mark's Has Changed Recently
The area around St Mark's Church has changed. It used to be mostly homes, but now it has more businesses. Also, fewer people were attending church services. By 2013, there were worries that the church might have to close. This was especially true after the Vicar, Canon Andrew Willie, retired.
During Canon Willie's time, many improvements were made. The heating system was updated. The church was redecorated. Stone parts of the building were repaired. The large organ, made by Conacher, was rebuilt by Nicholson's of Malvern.
Special quilted banners were also made. These banners show scenes from the life of St Mark. Church members, including Mr Terry Wooff, his wife Ida, and Mrs Myrna Brown, designed and made them. They hang on the balcony. Old plaques about Newport's history were also saved and placed in the church.
The church hall was sold. The money from the sale, plus funds from other events, helped improve the church's inside. A new kitchen area was added. Secure storage and a meeting room were also built. This work finished in the summer of 2013.
Canon Willie retired in 2013, but the church stayed open. In 2014, the Revd Dr Paul Thompson became the new leader. The church then joined with Newport Cathedral again. Canon Thompson continued the good work started by others.
St Mark's Church Today
In 2020, Newport Cathedral became a separate organization. St Mark's then became part of the Newport North West Ministry Area. This area includes several churches and communities. They are all on the western side of the River Usk in Newport.
The churches in this area are:
Important Leaders at St Mark's
Many important church leaders have served at St Mark's. Some of them went on to hold very high positions.
- John Roland Lloyd Thomas was Vicar from 1949 to 1952. He later became the Dean of Monmouth.
- Raymond Ellis Evans was Vicar from 1952 to 1953. He also became the Dean of Monmouth.
- Noël Debroy Jones was an assistant curate from 1957 to 1960. He later became a Bishop.
- Gareth Lewis was Vicar from 1978 to 1982. He later became the Dean of Monmouth.
- Kenneth Sharpe was Vicar from 1982 to 1997. He later became the Archdeacon of Newport.
