You may have visited this page through our African Altar appeal. You will find here some pictures of the current state of the altar and the surrounding floors and walls of the Chapel.
Saint
Matthew's is a Parish of the Church of England in between Harlesden and
Willesden, North West London. We are a traditional parish preaching and
living the word of God as a community of people from many nations
gathered into one body by the cross of Christ. We reach out into our
community, through school work, youth work and a rigourous programme of
education and ecumenism, offering a welcome to every person who comes
into our doors and an authentic Anglo Catholic witness.
Harlesden and Willesden are places of great change. Traditionally
African and West Indian, we have welcomed a large Eastern European and
Somali Muslim population recently and on the Eastern side of our Parish
the house prices have risen greatly in recent years. St Matthew's
strives to be a focus of unity for the parish and a place of spiritual
nourishment, as well as planning the provision of housing for local
people in a new development.
Our Church is a fine, large and airy building, well fitted for the
worship of almighty God in our traditional pattern of prayer and the
Holy Mass, but our furnishings are in poor condition and there is no
money to restore them.
Prized among our furnishings is the African Altar. A beautiful
piece of gilded carved wood, showing the flight of the Holy Family to
Egypt which shows side panels of traditional African village life,
appropriate to the only part of the scriptures where Christ goes to the
African Continent.
The walls of the chapel are badly damaged after lead theft
severely harmed the Church and the altar is in great danger of becoming
irreparable through related damp rot. Would you please help us
to restore this valued and much loved altar, both a work of art which
speaks directly to our congregation of the sanctity of the African
Continent and is also a place where we would wish to gather for the Mass
together.
The total cost of renovation is in the region of seventeen
thousand pounds and we appeal to your kindness to help us to restore
this part of our church to the glory of God for ourselves and the
children and childrens children of this parish.
Please make cheques payable to 'Saint Matthew's PCC', marked on the rear 'African Altar appeal' and post to
Fr Andrew Teather, African Altar Appeal, St Matthew's Vicarage,
St Mary's Road, Harlesden, London NW10 4AU Thank you for your kindness and consideration.
