The London Link - St. Chad's and St. Mary Abbots

My Dear Friends,
May I ask your kind consideration of the following account of the Mission District in my diocese, which owes its formation to your former generosity? Can you do anything further to help this good man in his difficult yet prosperous work?
Yours very gratefully,
W. D. Lichfield

It is now more than four years since, with the aid of funds entrusted to him; by his former parishioners at Kensington, the Bishop of Lichfield was enabled to appoint a Clergyman to take charge of the district of West Coseley, and S. Chad's Mission had its beginning. The district has been formed out of two parishes, one of them with a population of very nearly 12,000, the other with about half that number. In the former case, the only provision that the Church made for the spiritual needs of these people was a Church and one Clergyman. Of course, the result was deplorable. The single fact that out of this vast population there were only 30 baptisms in a year tells very plainly the spiritual destitution there was on every side. In the other part of the district there had been, for several years, a small Mission Church, with seats for 170 people; here matters were indeed somewhat better, but still very far from satisfactory. So much for the condition of things before the Mission began its work.

What has been done to remedy it? During the four years of the existence of the Mission, 230 persons (including 27 adults) have been baptized; 80 persons have been presented for confirmation; the communicants have increased from 17 to over 80, the average number every Sunday, at eight o'clock, being over 20. The services have been held partly in the Mission Church, and partly in the West Coseley Schools, which have been thoroughly cleaned and painted, a sanctuary formed, and other alterations made, so as to give them as devotional and Church-like an appearance as possible. These improvements cost us £110; not a large amount, and yet in such an extremely poor district, no easy matter to raise; however, it was done, and henceforward the more distinctly Mission services were held there.

The teaching of the Young has always formed a very important part of the Church's work. The Sunday Schools have increased from 150 to over 300; and what is an especial cause for thankfulness is the very large proportion of elder scholars (i.e., over 16 years of age) that are attached to them. The Day Schools have also largely increased, both in numbers and efficiency, especially as regards religious teaching; and at the last examination for Bishop's prizes, children from this school succeeded in carrying off five of them. They are now a most valuable part of the Church's machinery.

An additional Class Room for 55 children has been built at West Coseley, at an expense of over £100. A second Day School (not at present under Government), with about 100 children, has been opened. So that we have in all about 550 children in our Day Schools.

In addition to the ordinary services of the Church, many other agencies have been used for the bringing in the godless and indifferent, and retaining them after they have been once Impressed. It is impossible within the limits of this paper to do more than name a few of these. Among them may be mentioned, short simple services, for men only, on Sunday nights an Old Scholars' Association, meeting weekly, during the winter months ; occasional addresses at all the great festivals and other special times to the men at work in the mines, and mission services in different parts of the parish, taken by laymen. In this work the Mission Curate has been assisted by several young men from the neighbourhood, who serve as lay-helpers in the parish; one of them has lately left us, having succeeded in gaining an Exhibition at the Lichfield Theological College, after completing his course at which, he hopes, in due time, to be admitted to holy orders.

It remains to speak of the most important part of the work that the Mission has accomplished. The good work had been begun: how was it to be continued and made permanent? The stipend of the Mission Curate was raised by temporary help, and it was felt that both for the growth of the work and the security of its permanence, the building of a Church, and the formation of a distinct parish, with an endowment from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, was absolutely necessary. A sum of over £3,000, towards which the Earl of Dudley gave £1,000 and the site, has been raised for this purpose, and a Church, with seats for 500, has been built, and was consecrated in Easter week, by the Bishop of Lichfield. The building itself is, I think, a thoroughly satisfactory piece of work: it is plain but lofty, of good proportions, and with a great deal o dignity about it, so that all may feel at once, as they enter its walls, that they are in the house of GOD. The total cost has been about £3,700, including everything that has yet been entered upon, but taking no account of the organ chamber or choir vestry, portions of the work which it has been decided to postpone for the present, and for which another £200 would be needed. With the exception of these and some internal fittings, the Church is complete.

It will be seen that a sum of £600 is still needed to meet the liabilities we have already incurred.

In this statement of the work, the brighter features are naturally those that have been dwelt upon, and it might seem from this as though we had had nothing but successes; and yet it is not really so. The work has been in many ways a most difficult one; we have had very many failures, and notwithstanding all that has been done (for which we are very thankful), one cannot help feeling how small is the impression made on the mass of indifference and vice that is around us, how much is left undone that might have been done were it not for the extreme poverty of the district, and the fact that there is only one clergyman at work in it. The great immediate need is the raising of £600 still required for our new Church. This amount, though not large in itself, is quite sufficient, in a neighbourhood like this, to cause the Committee considerable anxiety, and if unpaid for any length of time, is likely to be a very serious hindrance to the work of the Mission.

People in richer parishes can hardly understand how difficult a matter it is, and how burdensome to the Clergy, to have to raise even an extra £5 for a school treat, or school prizes, when the only way in which it can be done is by shillings and sixpences, diligently begged for. Our own poor people have contributed liberally to the work, and while speaking of this, I am tempted to add some words of the Bishop, spoken by him at the luncheon, when the foundation stone was laid, and reported in the local paper.

The Bishop said, "He was delighted to see so many hard-working men and women at the service. He was also charmed to see the eagerness with which many of their hands were lifted over .the heads of their neighbours, that they might not lose the opportunity of making their offerings. When the working men of England contributed with such eagerness to a good work of that kind it was a good sign for the Church."

It is impossible for the people in this district to do very much more. They are, with scarcely an exception, of the working class - mostly colliers and ironworkers, and so cannot do much, especially in times of great distress and depression of trade; like the present. Our neighbours on all sides have been asked for help; the different Church societies have given us liberal aid, and yet we have still £600 to raise, so that we are compelled to appeal elsewhere.

A good work is, I believe, being done, and it is that this work may grow, and not be hindered, that I ask all who have it in their power to do so, to contribute as liberally as they can towards raising the amount required for our New Church.

G. C. De Renzi, Vicar-Designate


Parish Magazine extracts reprinted by kind permission of St. Mary Abbots Church, Kensington, London (see their informative website for more details of this very interesting London church).