St Mary Magdalene Church, Holloway Road facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Mary Magdalene Church, Holloway Road
Hope Church Islington
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Location	Holloway Road, Islington, N7 8LT, London
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Low Church
Website	[1]
Architecture
Architect(s)	William Wickings
Years built	1814
Administration
Parish	St Mary Magdalene & St David
Diocese	London (Stepney Area)
Division	Islington Deanery

St Mary Magdalene Church is a historic building in north London. It is one of the places where Hope Church Islington holds its services. This Anglican church is on Holloway Road. It is named after Mary Magdalene, a friend of Jesus.

The church is located in St Mary Magdalene Gardens, across from the Islington Central Library. St Mary Magdalene is part of the Hope Church Islington Parish. In 2013, its sister church, St David's, reopened. Now, St Mary Magdalene is one of two main worship spots for the Parish. Both churches share the same leaders and staff.

The church building was built in the early 1800s. It is used for church services and other activities. These include a winter night shelter and a toddlers' group called 'Mini Mags'. The church also offers spaces for other groups to use. Important life events like baptisms, weddings, and funerals often happen here. The church building and its iron fences are very old and special. They are listed as a Grade II* listed structure, which means they are important historical buildings. They were first listed in 1954.

About the Church Community

The church community at St Mary Magdalene is part of the Church of England. It has a lively and welcoming approach to worship. The 9 AM service is more traditional, with clergy wearing special robes. Other services are more relaxed.

Hope Church Islington works closely with other churches nearby. These include St Mark's Tollington and Christ Church Highbury. They also have strong connections with Holy Trinity Brompton, a large church in London. St Mary Magdalene is a Fairtrade church. This means it supports fair prices for goods from developing countries.

Since November 2013, Hope Church Islington has grown. It now has three main meeting places. These are St Mary Magdalene on Holloway Road and St David's on Westbourne Road. They hold four services every Sunday. There is also a Nags Head Church Community. This group meets at Costa Coffee at the Nags Head on Wednesday evenings. A special service for toddlers and their parents is held at St Mary Magdalene on Tuesday mornings.

Church History and Building

Building the Church

St Mary Magdalene Church was built in 1814. It was designed by an architect named William Wickings. At first, it was a smaller chapel for the main parish church of St Mary's Church, Islington. It became its own parish church in 1894.

The church is a typical Georgian building. It is made of brick and has six sections. It has three rows of small windows. The lowest windows are for the crypt, which is an underground room.

The Bell Tower

The bell tower is at the south side of the building. It is square and holds eight bells. These bells were made by John Warner and Son in 1875. They are called a "maiden" ring. This means they have never been changed or re-tuned since they were first made.

Inside the Church

Inside, the church still has its galleries on three sides. These are like balconies supported by columns. They used to be horseshoe-shaped. But they were changed to a rectangular shape in 1894–95. Most of these changes were undone in 1983. At that time, the choir stalls and pews (church benches) were removed. Meeting rooms were built under the galleries.

The Church Gardens

The church gardens used to be the church's burial ground. They were opened to the public in the late 1800s. Today, many people enjoy the gardens as a peaceful place to relax.

Music at the Church

Music is an important part of the services at St Mary Magdalene.

• At the 11 AM service, a band and singers lead contemporary music.
• The 9 AM service features well-known hymns. The music is led from the piano.

Sometimes, the church hosts concerts during lunchtime or in the evening. You can find out about these on the church's website.

St Mary Magdalene has a large organ with three keyboards. It was built by George Pike England. Famous London companies like Henry Willis & Sons and N. P. Mander later made small changes to it. Henry Willis himself was the organist here for almost 30 years. As of 2009, the organ was not fully working. Only about a third of its pipes were making sound.

Sunday Services

Hope Church at St Mary Magdalene holds two services every Sunday:

• A 9 AM service of Holy Communion.
• A more modern and informal service at 11 AM.

Hope Church at St David also has Sunday services. They have a 10:30 AM service with groups for children. They also have a 5 PM service with extended worship.

The church parish also organizes regular prayer meetings. They have bible study and discussion groups. They also run Alpha courses three times a year. These courses are a chance to explore the Christian faith.

Other Activities

The church offers many activities and groups:

• A Little Hope: This is a support group for parents. It meets on Mondays during school term time, from 10 AM to 11:30 AM.
• Bellringers: A group that regularly rings the church bells. They practice on Wednesdays from 7 PM to 9 PM. They also ring the bells on Sundays from 10 AM to 11 AM.

St Mary Magdalene Church also has close ties with the St Mary Magdalene Academy on Liverpool Road.

Hope Church Islington is part of the Islington Deanery. This is a local area within the Diocese of London.

See also

• HTB network