St Matthew's Church, Sheffield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Matthew's Church, Sheffield |
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St Matthew's Church, Sheffield
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| OS grid reference | SK 35137 87108 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo Catholic |
| Website | http://www.stmatthewscarverstreet.co.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Matthew |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Sheffield |
| Diocese | Sheffield |
| Province | York |
St Matthew's Church, often called St Matthew's Carver Street, is a historic church in the heart of Sheffield, England. It's a special building, protected as a Grade II listed building, which means it's important for its history and architecture. This church belongs to the Anglo-Catholic part of the Church of England.
Contents
The Story of St Matthew's Church
Building the Church in the 1800s
St Matthew's Church was built in the mid-1800s. It was needed for a new area called St Matthew's parish. This new parish was created in 1848 when the main Sheffield parish was split into smaller parts.
At first, the church services were held in a school on Carver Street. The first vicar, J.F. Witty, led these early services. After a few years, enough money was raised to build a permanent church. Land was bought for £600. The first stone for the church was laid on June 1, 1854. The building work was done by a company called Flockton & Son. The church was officially opened on June 6, 1855, by the Archbishop of York, Thomas Musgrave.
The church was described as "a neat building with a graceful spire." It cost £3,297 to build. A rich snuff maker, Mr. Henry Wilson, gave a lot of money, £1,020. Other groups also helped, like the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and the Incorporated Church Building Society. Reverend Witty worked hard to raise the rest of the money. In its early days, the church could seat 731 people. Many people lived nearby in crowded areas, so the church was very busy.
A Special Vicar: George Campbell Ommanney
In 1882, George Campbell Ommanney became the third vicar of St Matthew's. He stayed at the church for a very long time, 54 years, until he passed away in 1936. Ommanney was known as the "People's Priest" because he was very close to ordinary people. He even chose to live in the poorer areas near the church.
He made St Matthew's a key place for teaching and practicing the Catholic Revival within the Church of England. This movement aimed to bring back some traditional Catholic practices into the Anglican church. Ommanney wrote a book about his life called Ommanney of Sheffield.
Surviving Challenges and Changes
St Matthew's Church was lucky during World War II. It was not damaged, even though many buildings nearby were hit during the Sheffield Blitz in December 1940.
In August 1956, parts of the church were damaged by a fire. This included the organ and the Lady Chapel, which had just been fixed up. By 1960, all the homes in the parish were taken down to make way for shops and businesses. This meant the church no longer had people living right next door to attend services.
In the 1970s, there were plans to build a big road that would have meant tearing down the church. Luckily, the plans were changed, and the church was saved. In 1982, two rooms in the church were improved. Then, in 2000, the church got a big makeover both inside and out. This was paid for with money from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The inside cleaning removed black dirt from Sheffield's industrial past.
St Matthew's Church Today
Today, the area around St Matthew's has a growing number of people living there. It's a busy church in a lively city center. The church is now surrounded by the Devonshire Quarter of Sheffield. This area has unique shops, pubs, bars, and many students. The church is open every day for services, visitors, and quiet prayer.
St Matthew's follows the Anglo-Catholic way of the Church of England. Because it has traditional views on allowing women to become priests, it receives special guidance from the Bishop of Beverley (currently The Rt Revd Stephen Race).
Church Design and Inside Features
The front of the church has a tall, eight-sided tower with a spire on top. This tower holds one bell. The main entrance is below the tower on Carver Street.
The church has three main stained glass windows. The east window, from 1886, shows the Incarnation (God becoming human) and includes St Matthew and other saints. This window was designed by J. D. Sedding, who also redesigned the east end of the church and added a new chancel (the area around the altar). The two west windows are from 1902 and were made by Lavers, Barraud and Westlake. Other light comes from windows high up on the walls, called clerestory windows.
The altar and the reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) were also designed by Sedding. They have carvings by Frank Tory and a painting in the middle by Nathaniel Westlake, showing the Adoration. The inside of the church is beautifully decorated, with many designs by Henry Wilson.
The church organ was built in 1992 by Martin Goetze and Dominic Gwynn. It's made in a classic British style, based on the early work of a famous organ builder named Bernard Smith. Next to the main entrance, there is a war memorial. It's a plaque that lists the names of people from the church and parish who died in World War I. Just above the door, there is a statue of the Crucifixion. Next to the church building is St Matthew's House, which used to be a home for clergy and a Sunday School.
See also
