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Congregation at St Mellitus, ‘still very much a thriving, cosmopolitan church,’ according to its historian, Dr Michael Winter |
‘United Nations’ church hits 50
Golden jubilee party for congregation with the whole world in their aisles
THIS photograph taken outside St Mellitus Church in Finsbury Park – showing people from 72 nations – said more for community relations in Islington than any number of words.
The picture taken by a Tribune photographer has pride of place in a new history booklet celebrating the golden jubilee of the Tollington Park parish.
It was taken for “international day” one Sunday after mass in March 2007. Parishioners were invited to put pins in maps of the world and of Great Britain and Ireland to show where they came from. Altogether, 374 members of the congregation took part.
In the two years since, St Mellitus has become an important centre of social support, particularly in the light of the recession.
The former congregational church was built in 1864 but acquired by the Catholic diocese in 1959. As part of the celebrations, former members of the congregational church are being invited to a jubilee party, reunion mass and concert in December.
Parish priest Father David Ardagh-Walter said: “We who today worship in our imposing church owe a very great deal to previous generations of Christians, in particular the congregational community who built the church, and to the many Irish immigrants who then paid for it and adapted it for Catholic worship in 1959.”
The booklet, written and researched by Dr Michael Winter, contains photographs provided by past and current worshippers.
“It is still very much a thriving, cosmopolitan church,” Dr Winter said. “We have quite a large congregation, with 300 worshippers on Sunday. Fortunately, St Mellitus can hold up to 1,000 people.”
More than 1,000 mourners filled the church for a memorial service for murdered St Aloysius College schoolboy Martin Dinnegan two years ago. |
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