St Matthew's Church, Burnley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Matthew's Church, Burnley
St Matthew's Church, Burnley, from the South-East
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Location	St Matthew Street, Burnley, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Liberal Catholic
Website	http://www.stmatthewsburnley.com
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	7 October 1876
Consecrated	1 November 1879
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	William Waddington, Henry Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1876
Completed	1931
Administration
Parish	Burnley (Habergham Eaves) St. Matthew the Apostle with Holy Trinity
Deanery	Burnley
Archdeaconry	Blackburn
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Matthew's Church is a special building located on St Matthew's Street in Burnley, Lancashire, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. It serves as a parish church for the local community. The first church building was constructed between 1876 and 1879 by architects William Waddington and Sons. Sadly, this church was destroyed by a fire in 1927. The church you see today was built to replace it. In the 1970s, St Matthew's Church also teamed up with the nearby Holy Trinity Church.

History of St Matthew's Church

Building the First Church

The first St Matthew's Church was designed by William Waddington and Sons. It was built between 1876 and 1879. Another famous architectural firm, Paley and Austin from Lancaster, also tried to get the job but wasn't chosen.

The very first stone, called the foundation stone, was laid on October 7, 1876. A lady named Miss Halsted from Hood House placed it. The church was officially opened and blessed, or consecrated, on November 1, 1879. This ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Manchester.

The first church had beautiful stained glass windows. These windows were designed by famous artists like Kempe and Burne-Jones.

Church Traditions and Changes

In the early days, St Matthew's Church followed some special traditions. These included using certain clothes for priests, lighted candles, and special hats called birettas during services. These practices were part of the Anglo-Catholic tradition.

However, these traditions caused some discussion within the church's area, called the diocese. The Bishop of Manchester even hesitated to allow the church to have an assistant priest. This was until the main priest promised to follow the church's rules. Today, the church still uses two altar candles and follows the traditional Anglican liturgy in its worship.

Fire and Rebuilding

In 1924, electric lights were put into the church. On Christmas Day in 1927, a fire started because of these electrics. The fire sadly destroyed the church, leaving only its walls standing.

But the community didn't give up! The church was rebuilt between 1929 and 1931. This rebuilding was overseen by Henry Paley from the firm Austin and Paley. The work cost £14,093, which was a lot of money back then. The new church could seat 620 people.

The rebuilt church was opened by the Bishop of Blackburn. The priest who served the longest at St Matthew's was Reverend F. Jones. He was the vicar from 1923 to 1945. In the 1970s, St Matthew's Church officially joined with Holy Trinity Church.

Architecture of St Matthew's Church

The church's design is inspired by the style of the 13th century. It has a small tower, called a turret, at its southwest corner.

Stained Glass Windows

The church has lovely stained glass windows. One window, made in 1951, was created by an artist named Harry Stammers. There are also two other windows designed by Henry Harvey.

The Church Organ

The original pipe organ was built in 1880 by Jardine of Manchester. Sadly, this organ was destroyed in the 1927 fire.

A new organ was brought in to replace it. This organ had three manuals (keyboards) and was built in 1920 by Alexander Young, also from Manchester. It was originally made for a church in Farnworth. In 1933, it was moved to St Matthew's in Burnley and put back together by Laycock and Bannister of Cross Hills.

St Matthew's Church Today

St Matthew's is still a very active Anglican parish church. It is part of the Burnley area, which is called a deanery. This deanery is part of the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and then the larger diocese of Blackburn.

The church's area, or benefice, has joined with that of Holy Trinity, Burnley. Together, they form the benefice of Burnley (Habergham Eaves) St Matthew with Holy Trinity.

St Matthew's holds church services on Sundays and during the week. Many groups are connected with the church, including Scouts, Guides, and the Mothers' Union. These groups help the church stay connected with the community.

See also

• List of ecclesiastical works by Austin and Paley (1916–44)
• Places of worship in Burnley