St Mary Magdalene Church, Holloway Road
Encyclopedia
St Mary Magdalene Church is an Anglican church on Holloway Road
in north London
. It is located in St Mary Magdalene Gardens
opposite Islington Central Library and is the parish church of the Parish of St Mary Magdalene and St David. The early 19th century building accommodates the activities of the church congregation, including church services, the church's Refugee Centre and the offices of its social action initiative The Paradise Project, and provides spaces to other users. Baptisms and confirmatons, marriages and funerals are regularly held here.
farther south on Upper Street. It became a parish church in its own right in 1894. A typical Georgian six-bay brick box with three tiers of small windows, the lowest to the crypt
. The bell tower at the south of the building is square and houses eight bells, cast by John Warner and Son at their Spitalfields foundry in 1875. The bells are a “maiden” ring (they have never been re-tuned or altered in any way). Inside, the interior retains its galleries on three sides supported by Tuscan columns. Originally horse shoe-shaped these were converted to a rectangular plan when the furnishings were altered in 1894-5. Most of this work was undone in 1983, when the choir stalls and pew
s were removed and meeting rooms were built under the galleries. The church gardens are the church's old burial ground, which was opened to the public at the end of the 19th century, and now is a space appreciated by many for its recreational amenity.
The 9am service's music is led from the piano and features well-known hymns.
There are occasional lunch-time or evening concerts, advertised on the church's website.
St. Mary Magdalene is home to a fine three-manual organ by George Pike England, slightly modified by the famous London firms of Henry Willis & Sons
and N. P. Mander. Henry Willis
himself was organist here for nearly thirty years. The organ is not in use (2009) as only about a third of its pipes are working.
s three times a year (Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings - with a creche on Thursdays).
In addition, St Mary Magdalene is closely associated with the St Mary Magdalene Academy on Liverpool Road.
St Mary Magdalene is in the Deanery of Islington, in the Diocese of London (Stepney Episcopal Area).
Holloway Road
Holloway Road is a road in London. It is one of the main shopping streets in North London, and carries the A1 road as it passes through Holloway, in the London Borough of Islington...
in north London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is located in St Mary Magdalene Gardens
St Mary Magdalene Gardens
St Mary Magdalene Gardens on Holloway Road in Islington, London, are the old burial ground of St Mary Magdalene Church. Some tomb stones still bear witness to these early times...
opposite Islington Central Library and is the parish church of the Parish of St Mary Magdalene and St David. The early 19th century building accommodates the activities of the church congregation, including church services, the church's Refugee Centre and the offices of its social action initiative The Paradise Project, and provides spaces to other users. Baptisms and confirmatons, marriages and funerals are regularly held here.
Congregation
The church has traditionally belonged in the evangelical stream of the Church of England. More recently it has become more closely associated with a charismatic evangelical approach to worship, informal other than at the 9am service which is robed. There are good ties with other churches in the Deanery, especially St Mark's Tollington and Christ Church Highbury. There is also a strong relationship with Holy Trinity Brompton and related churches. St Mary Magdalene is a certified Fairtrade church.History
Building & Gardens: The church was built in 1814 to a design by William Wickings as a chapel of ease to the parish church of St. Mary'sSt Mary's Church, Islington
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is the historic parish church of Islington, in the Church of England Diocese of London. The present parish is a compact area centered on Upper Street between Angel and Highbury Corner, bounded to the west by Liverpool Road, and to the east by Essex Road/Canonbury...
farther south on Upper Street. It became a parish church in its own right in 1894. A typical Georgian six-bay brick box with three tiers of small windows, the lowest to the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
. The bell tower at the south of the building is square and houses eight bells, cast by John Warner and Son at their Spitalfields foundry in 1875. The bells are a “maiden” ring (they have never been re-tuned or altered in any way). Inside, the interior retains its galleries on three sides supported by Tuscan columns. Originally horse shoe-shaped these were converted to a rectangular plan when the furnishings were altered in 1894-5. Most of this work was undone in 1983, when the choir stalls and pew
Pew
A pew is a long bench seat or enclosed box used for seating members of a congregation or choir in a church, or sometimes in a courtroom.-Overview:Churches were not commonly furnished with permanent pews before the Protestant Reformation...
s were removed and meeting rooms were built under the galleries. The church gardens are the church's old burial ground, which was opened to the public at the end of the 19th century, and now is a space appreciated by many for its recreational amenity.
Music
Music is led by vocalists and a band at the 11am and 6pm services and is contemporary.The 9am service's music is led from the piano and features well-known hymns.
There are occasional lunch-time or evening concerts, advertised on the church's website.
St. Mary Magdalene is home to a fine three-manual organ by George Pike England, slightly modified by the famous London firms of Henry Willis & Sons
Henry Willis & Sons
thumb|250px|St Bees Priory organ, the last major instrument to be personally supervised by "Father" Henry Willis, 1899Henry Willis & Sons is a British firm of pipe organ builders founded in 1845 in Liverpool. Although most of their installations have been in the UK, examples can be found in other...
and N. P. Mander. Henry Willis
Henry Willis
Henry Willis was a British organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era.-Early Life and work:...
himself was organist here for nearly thirty years. The organ is not in use (2009) as only about a third of its pipes are working.
Services
St Mary Magdalene conducts three church services every Sunday: a 9am service of Holy Communion and two informal services - one service at 11am (with children's groups; all-age worship 1st Sundays; Holy Communion 2nd and 4th Sundays; Morning Worship 3rd and 5th Sundays) and the other service at 6pm (with Holy Communion once a term). In addition, the church runs regular prayer meetings, bible study and discussion groups, and two Alpha courseAlpha course
The Alpha course is a course which seeks to explore the basics of the Christian faith, described as "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life" . Alpha courses are currently being run in churches, homes, workplaces, prisons, universities and a wide variety of other locations...
s three times a year (Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings - with a creche on Thursdays).
Additional activities
The church's activities and ministries include:- MiniMags - for Toddlers and their Parents and Carers, Tuesdays 10-12
- KidzClub - Fridays 3:30-5:30
- St Mary Magdalene Centre for Asylum Seekers and Refugees (Refugee Centre) -- provides support for refugees, including English language and computer classes
- Bellringers -- regularly ring the church bells (practices on Wednesdays at 7-9pm; ringing at 10-11am Sundays)
- The Paradise Project -- social action in the community
In addition, St Mary Magdalene is closely associated with the St Mary Magdalene Academy on Liverpool Road.
St Mary Magdalene is in the Deanery of Islington, in the Diocese of London (Stepney Episcopal Area).