WE HAVE RECENTLY CELEBRATED the 150th Anniversary of the founding of Christ Church.

Here are some the key dates from that period

1852 - William Cubitt began building Christ Church at his own expense on land donated by the Countess of Glengall

1854 - Building work was completed.

1857 - Christ Church was consecrated.

1907 - The current pulpit was installed as part of a significant programme of alteration.

1911 - The original organ was replaced by one built by T.C Lewis of Brixton. Some of the components of the original organ were incorporated into the replacement.

1914 - The painted mural over the chancel arch is completed.

1950's - The Sanctuary was redecorated with the distinctive red and white wallpaper replacing Victorian wall coverings. The organ was rebuilt by Noel Mander and its console moved from the organ loft to the north transept.

1965 - St John's Church was closed and the Stations of the Cross, the Lady Chapel Altar, High Altar and St John's Chapel Altar moved to Christ Church.

1980's - The west end of the church was remodelled to provide an office and an upstairs meeting room. Two bays of the crypt were cleared and converted to provide a venue for the Cryptics Youth Club.

1991 - Stained Glass windows that had originated from St Mildred's Settlement were found in Christ Church, rededicated and installed in the north transept.

To view a leaflet documenting the history and art of Christ Church please click here. Please note: The link will open a pdf file; in order to read this, you will need Acrobat Reader installed. For a free copy, click on the Adobe Reader logo.

THE FOLLOWING FACILITIES for disabled visitors are available

• Wheel-chair visitors can enter the church through the South Door located in Glenaffric Avenue where there is a portable ramp that can be placed in position as required.
• There are large-print Hymn Books and Service Books available. The Weekly Notice Sheet is also available in large-print
• The nave area has an Audio Loop Circuit that can be connected to by placing the Hearing-aid into the ‘T’ position.

The nave is the main area for worship, used primarily on Sunday mornings for the Parish Mass. With as seating capacity of 200, it is also used for baptisms, weddings, funerals and special services such as the Island Schools Christmas Carol Service.

Situated in the South Transept, St John’s Chapel is used for intimate services such as the Midweek Mass on a Wednesday evening and the night-long vigil from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday.

We would like to give it a refresh with new paintwork, lighting, seating and floor covering. We are also in discussion with local craftsmen for a new altar and a new Icon.

We have been most fortunate to receive a donation of £5,000 that will cover the cost of most of the work. However, we need to raise a further £2,000 to bring all our plans to fruition.

We would most grateful to receive any donation to help us with these plans. The simplest way is to make a donation through JustGiving. It is totally secure and your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to us and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.

Click here to make a donation through JustGiving.

Situated in the North Transept, the Lady Chapel is the perfect place for times of individual prayer and reflection. It is also used for Morning and Evening Prayer.