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 Apart from Sheffield Cathedral, St Matthew's is the only Anglican Parish Church within the city centre. Having celebrated its 150th anniversary of consecration during the last year, it exists to serve God and the community as a place of worship and gathering and contributes to various social needs in the area according to its resources.
Holding daily services, it encourages people who live, work or shop locally or who are visiting the city to stop for a time of prayer, quiet reflection, to take part in its daily rhythm of worship, or at various arranged times for spiritual guidance, counselling or confession. An important contribution to the people of the local area is considered to be the Sacramental Healing Service which is held monthly and to which people both near and far attend. St Matthew's also seeks to serve the locality by providing a venue for the Occasional offices of marriage, funerals and christenings. Working ecumenically with other churches in the city, the incumbent, Parochial Church Council and congregation seek to play a part in the mission of the whole Church seeking to make Christ known and nurturing those with whom the Church comes into contact.
The Vicar and PCC have responsibility for the maintenance of the church and the church buildings at 45 Carver Street, Sheffield.
Vicar's Report
Last year the Annual General Meeting was held on Sunday 22nd April. This year the AGM will be held on Sunday 13th April. I am writing this report shortly after Low Sunday, 30th March and it seems fitting therefore to reflect on what has happened since the same time last year, the Sunday in question being the 1st April 2007, although I realise that this report will therefore include two Easter Sundays.
Since 1st April last year until 30th March 2008 there have been a total of 451 services recorded in the service register at St Matthew's and a total attendance at those services was recorded as being 7,598. It was my privilege to officiate at 275 of those services, my thanks being extended to Fr Richard Buckley, Fr Will Lamb, Fr Geoffrey Harbord, Fr Alan Parkinson, Fr Trevor Morley, Fr Michael Healey and all who have officiated at services in my absence enabling the round of services to be observed at times when I have not been able to be present. There were 53 Sundays during the period under consideration and the 9 o'clock Mass was attended by a total of 176 people, making an average weekly attendance of 3. The Solemn Mass at 11 o'clock by a total of 2763 making an average total weekly attendance of 52 which includes children, the average attendance being 5 per week. There were 2404 communicants resulting in an average weekly communicant number of 45. Evensong and Benediction was held on 10 occasions, sometimes sung by the choir and sometimes more simply by the small congregation present. Total attendance was 158.
There were 308 daily Masses at which total communicant numbers were 2063 making an average of 7 communicants at the daily services. There was 1 Funeral Masses for Irene Ward (40 communicants, 90 attendance), two baptisms which took place within the Solemn Mass and there was one wedding. Communicants at Solemnities are as follows:
Maundy Thursday 2007 – 43 (attendance 51)
Good Friday Liturgy 2007 – 46 (attendance 54)
Easter Vigil 2007 – 45 (attendance 52)
Easter Day 2007 – 64 (4 at Low Mass, 60 at Solemn Mass)
Ascension Day 2007 – 31
St Matthew – 76 (attendance 78)
All Saints – 19
All Souls – 50 (attendance 59)
Christmas Day – 58 (18 at Midnight Mass attendance 22, Christmas Day attendance 45)
Ash Wednesday – 45
Maundy Thursday 2008 – 48
Good Friday 2008 – 45
Easter Vigil 2008 – 28
Easter Day 2008 – 76 (2 at Low Mass, 74 at Solemn Mass)
Some comments need to made concerning services. Generally speaking attendance at the Solemn Mass on Sundays shows a huge disparity. Some services are extremely well attended, and some are extremely poorly attended (the lowest recorded as being 30 communicants). There often is no readily available explanation for this disparity and perhaps betrays the fact that we suffer (or are blessed by) our location. Part of our observance and our recognition as Catholic Anglicans is that attendance at Mass is supposed to be of obligation and is to be central to our lives. For some attendance at services will be difficult because of illness, weather, work, or other commitments, but perhaps all of us need a period of self examination and see if we can do more to improve our attendance. Often I am encouraged to adjure, cajole, admonish and threaten the congregation into attending, especially at major festivals and solemnities during the week. However if we want things to improve at St Matthew's then it has to be St Matthew's people that bring about those improvements.
The decision to hold Evensong once a month has enabled us to ask the choir to attend (although this isn't always possible on the first Sunday of the month because of commitments, rehearsal schedule etc.) and has resulted in increased attendance. The 9 am Low Mass is of some concern. Numbers have never been great and I have always viewed the service as a bit of a 'luxury' rather than as part of our staple diet. Numbers have really dwindled of late and during the past year this service has not taken place on 8 occasions due to lack of a congregation. I suspect that this situation will be reviewed by the PCC shortly. During the past year on one occasion we were unable to hold a scheduled service as police investigations meant that Carver Street was inaccessible.
The Advent Carol Service was well attended this year as indeed was the Christmas Carol Service which was held on Christmas Eve at 1.15 pm and sung by an 'ad hoc' choir. This service contained a Nativity Play performed by members of the Sunday School, and for the first time, a short sketch. Midnight Mass remains under review and this year we held an experimental Mass of the Nativity around the crib which was attended by 22 people (18 communicants). As is our custom we welcome a visiting preacher for Holy Week and Easter as part of our mission within the city. Last year we were led in our thoughts by Fr Trevor Thurston-Smith, the Bishop of Leicester's Chaplain to those living with HIV/AIDS who greatly appreciated his time with us. During Advent we were lucky to have a course of sermons at the Solemn Mass. Once again we held a successful Harvest Festival and parishioners were extremely generous in donating dried food, tins and breakfast cereals which were donated to the Ecumenical Soup Run and the Archer Project.
Having a definite tradition which distinguishes it from other churches in the city, I believe the liturgy to be the main evangelistic tool that we possess to encourage, recruit and sustain attendance. Liturgy and music are of an extremely high standard in St Matthew's and great effort is made to make sure that the standard is maintained, and, if possible, improved. I am very grateful to our Sacristan, Stephen Linskill, his assistant David Oatley, and the servers for all the hard work involved in preparing the church and ensuring that the ritual is meticulously observed. I am also grateful to all who read, lead intercessions, teach the Sunday School, prepare, decorate and clean the church, provide refreshments and offer an important ministry of welcome at the main door of the church. Special mention also needs to be made of Mary Hodges who lovingly tends the small flower beds is front of the church and makes the area look so attractive and also to those who organise and arrange the flowers in church.
We were able once again to be able to offer Christmas Dinner to those who were alone at Christmas or to those who wished to come along. Sherry and mince pies were served to the whole congregation after Mass, and when the majority had gone home, a three course meal was served with crackers and wine. The cost of the food and drink was again covered by generous donations from members of the congregation and it was again a truly wonderful occasion appreciated by all who were able to attend. We were also able to offer Lunch on Easter Day to those who wished to come along and it was attended by 24 people.
We also enjoy a close fellowship and sense of community and thanks are due to those who enable social events. Various social events have been held throughout the year to increase our fellowship together. A number of Quiz evenings were held, the evenings being hosted by the previous winning teams. Four Parish Lunches have also taken place. During Lent we have kept the practice of Penitential Lunches during Lent the proceeds of which are donated to the work of Christian Aid. We continue to offer Lunch on Tuesdays the proceeds of which are donated to church funds.
During the past year we have held various educational and devotional events such as the Reading Group and Film Club. We have also participated in various Ecumenical ventures such as the Lent Course, Soup Run, Food Festival, Safari Supper, Ecumenical Services, and Churches Together meetings and events. This year during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we broke with the usual custom of a joint service held in a weekday which last year was extremely poorly attended on account of extremely bad weather, and a pulpit swap was held instead on the Sunday in question. This was an interesting experiment – I preached at Central URC and Fr Des Sexton from St Marie's preached at St Matthew's.
We continue to offer the both the church and rooms as venues for various events. During the past year we hosted a concert by a student group organised by Helen Luckman, we hosted the University Singer's Society Carol Concert, an Organ Recital given by Derek Grover in Lent and we hosted a recital of carols by candle-light given by Viva Voce.
We continue to welcome many local and city wide groups who use St Matthew's rooms for meetings and events. Thanks are again due to David Lodge who coordinates the bookings and who keeps those who use the rooms happy – no mean feat on occasions! We are extremely lucky to have such facilities to offer and to use ourselves as they provide a useful resource.
Much attention is also given to providing information about our services and events and to this end a Weekly Leaflet and Parish Magazine are produced. My thanks to all who contribute to the Magazine, especially those who submit interesting and thought provoking articles.
The Parish website continues to be excellent and is a source of information and education for all online. Containing details of services, our history, events, pictures and articles, it has been described as being the best in the Diocese. Having put a 'clicker' on the site to record the amount of 'hits' (people visiting the site) we note that over 8,000 visits to the site have been made. The webiste brings interesting comment and correspondence, one priest (not of our churchmanship!) telling me at the crematorium recently that he regularly visits the site and that it is on his top ten favourites list! Occasionally I also receive emails from former parishioners living both near and far who offer their comments and reminiscences, some of whom ask for prayer. Sometimes the website results in new people attending services. It is a great source of information and an important means of evangelism by technological means. Grateful thanks are due to David Lodge who has devotedly and creatively brought the site into being and who regularly updates and maintains it.
Once again we had an extremely successful pilgrimage to Walsingham attended by about 40 people. Each year is different to the last and seems to get better each year. Grateful thanks to Eve McQuater who lovingly and carefully organises the weekend. In November we also had a pre-Advent pilgrimage to St David's which was attended by 14 people. Transport was arranged by sharing cars, and we were made extremely welcome both by St Non's Retreat Centre and St David's cathedral where we attended Evensong, had a Mass at the shrine of St David and also had an extremely informative guided tour. It was an extremely spiritual and enjoyable event, one which we hope to repeat in 2009.
We note with great sadness the deaths of two beloved parishioners – Irene Ward and Betty Hollings. We were also sad to be informed of the death of Fr Eric Bristow, a former curate at St Matthew's, the experience obviously having been extremely beneficial for his as he lived well into his nineties! May they rest in peace and rise in glory. There was one marriage during the past year, 2 baptisms, 2 confirmations, and I have officiated at 20 funerals at the crematorium.
Two faculties have been applied for during the past year. Firstly, the PCC unanimously agreed to to the relocation of the Font. Where the font is currently located is something of a 'black hole', it is inaccessible, especially for those who are disabled, it is a dark area and cannot be seen by the congregation gathered in the nave. An application has been made to relocate the Font to the middle of the north aisle where it will be more visible and make a visible statement about the centrality of the Sacrament of Baptism. Secondly, we have been approached by The Goldsmiths' Company who wish to borrow a processional item for a major exhibition of Church treasures to be held in London from May until July. Both faculties are currently under consideration by the DAC and Diocesan Chancellor. Having bought a new crib set and recently having had a stable made, we were approached by St Luke's Hospice asking whether they could borrow our old crib figures. The PCC subsequently unanimously agree to donate the figures to St Luke's to help them with their Christmas celebrations.
Personally, a major set back occurred last Summer with the critical and sudden illness of my mother. The prognosis was extremely poor and it necessitated my absence from the parish for some weeks. Fortunately she is now much recovered. It was an extremely stressful and upsetting time, and I am extremely grateful to those who held things together here, arranged for clergy to officiate at services and for the prayer and support of all at St Matthew's. When my mother woke up in ITU in Swansea she was surrounded by cards and best wishes, most of which were sent by people at St Matthew's. It is a clear sign of a close and caring community and I am extremely grateful for the care and concern shown during that time.
Not surprisingly I have attended many meetings during the past year! Among them is the City Centre Forum, expertly chaired by Dave Jackson, a member of our congregation. The forum has been established to consider issues affecting the city centre and has a membership of residents, commercial interests, members of faith and voluntary groups and local councillors. Recently we have been informed about the New Retail Quarter which is to be built within the city centre. The new Sevenstone development will be a massive £600 million exercise involving a major part of the current city centre and including the expertise of 8 architects working on different sections of the development with the intention of maintaining architectural integrity of current differing styles. Costain have recently completed a major operation in preparation for the development, and you will be glad to know that the disruption within the city centre during the last year has resulted in the coordination and re-siting of 11 utilities all of which are now clustered together in one trench beneath the roads, hopefully resulting in efficiency of maintenance and less disruption. Hammerson's are the developers of the Sevenstone project and are accomplished and respected for their work in other major cities, not only in the UK but also in Europe. The development is an exciting prospect and, when completed will contain a mixture of residential and retail accommodation all of which will be connected via walkways. It is also envisaged that a new small transport interchange will be located at the bottom of Carver Street at Charter Square. The development is an exciting project which will invigorate the city centre even further, providing accommodation and a quality shopping experience along with pleasant areas for cafes, bars and restaurants. The Public Enquiry is yet to take place, but if everything goes to plan, it is envisaged that work will begin later this year. There will be much disruption within the city centre for a period of about 3 years, but when the development is completed St Matthew's will have quite a prominent place and a challenging ministry. This of course has implications for future events, services and perhaps even staffing levels and we also must begin to plan for our future ministry and witness within the city centre.
It was with a sinking heart that I learned of our Director of Music, Andrew Linn's plans to have a Sabbatical year in Norway with his family. I needn't have worried however as he had arranged a temporary replacement in Fraser Wilson. Fraser has been a superb asset to our liturgy and musicand indeed to the church and is extremely talented and enthusiastic. During his time with us at St Matthew's the choir has gone from strength to strength. He has recruited a number of excellent Choral Scholars who are all extremely talented, have settled into life at St Matthew's, and have become an invaluable part of our community. Musical achievements include a superb Advent Carol Service, Candlemas and Holy Week and Easter services at which extremely challenging music was performed, some of which had been specially commissioned for the occasion. Joint services with the choir of St John's Ranmoor have also been held on two occasions and the choir have taken part in a Diocesan event and have more recently sung Evensong and Benediction in Selby Abbey which was a truly memorable occasion. Fraser has been appointed Director of Music at St Bartholomew's church in Dublin and will leave us during the early Summer. We offer him our congratulations, our thanks and our best wishes as he takes up his new post. We are also fortunate from time to time to have the services of Peter Heginbotham and offer our congratulations on his recent engagement to his fiance, Rachel was has also sung in the choir! A more secular occasion was held during February with a 'Sing for you Supper' event was organised by the choir which included a meal and music and which was enjoyed by all who attended. It is hoped to have a cathedral visit sometime in June, details are yet to be confirmed.
As the parish priest of the city centre it has been my privilege to be able to offer chaplaincy to various organisations, including the RAMC Association, the Civil Service who once again held their Carol Service at St Matthew's last December. The Civil Service within the city is experiencing a time of change as many in some departments face the uncertainty of redundancy as staffing levels are cut, while there is also the building of new accommodation for those who work for the Immigration Service. I am also Chaplain to the Sheffield Theatres and have attended various productions, writing up reviews for the magazine and website. The Crucible is currently temporarily closed while a major refurbishment takes place.
Many of you will remember that at a crucial time of staff shortages I was approached and asked to become a Locum Chaplain to the Sheffield Hospitals Teaching Trust, ministering especially at the Hallamshire Hospital. This was a time when it was my privilege to be alongside people at a time of often great distress and including parents who have suffered the death of a child. During the past 12 months I have officiated at the funeral of 5 babies which was personally very draining, being able to offer not much more than being with, and seeing people through an extremely desolate time. As staffing levels at the hospital have increased and funding for the chaplaincy department has decreased, my time there has come to an end. I will always be grateful for the experience of being with many brave people who have undergone various treatments, some of whom have have been alone, frightened and anxious. For the vast majority of patients things have gone well and they have left hospital totally cured, others I have met have bravely lived with debilitating conditions, some I have ministered Sacramentally to as their lives were drawing to a close, and some people I have sat with as they have shed tears and wondered why life has played such a cruel hand to either themselves or someone they have loved. In the two and a half years that I ministered at the hospital there were many times of tears and laughter and I have met some extraordinary people, staff and patients. I will keep in my prayers those who still minister at the hospital, and each time I pass, I shall think of and offer a prayer for those on duty and of those anxiously in beds receiving treatment or undergoing investigations.
Some things come to and end, and others begin. Perhaps there is indeed some greater plan and it is therefore providential that at the time when my work at the hospital comes to an end that the parish of St Mary's Handsworth becomes vacant after the retirement of my colleague and friend, Fr Ian Hollin. During recent years we have built up quite a friendship with the parish of St Mary's, joining together for various events such as Corpus Christi and Patronal Festivals. Some candidates from this parish were confirmed at St Mary's a few years ago. The clergy have helped each other out and Fr Hollin has been a source of great personal encouragement and support to me and will be sadly missed. During the Interregnum I have been asked by the Churchwardens to cover the Sunday Mass which they have moved to 9.30 to make this possible. It is a privilege to be with them during this time, and, being so different to St Matthew's is a challenging experience and is one which I am enjoying greatly. Fr Loxley at St Catherine's is also helping out at Handsworth, and, at a time when many in the diocese are thinking about parish 'clusters' and of working together, it is good to see the catholic parishes of Sheffield working together and supporting each other.
We could not keep the round of services that we do at St Matthew's without the help and support of various clergy. Among them I owe a great debt of gratitude to Fr Richard Buckley who more often than not covers services on my day off. During the past year he retired from his work at Christian Aid (rather reluctantly) and it was a marvellous occasion when, on his last working day I asked him to say Mass in the evening at St Matthew's. There was of course a small gift and a surprise party which to my amazement was kept totally from him! The following weekend was also a milestone for him as he and Sylvia celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary and renewed their vows during the Solemn Mass. I am very grateful to Fr Buckley for all that he does in the parish and am gratfeul for his wisdom and support. Recently there has also been another retirement, that of Fr Morley who has retired from being a parish priest in the Diocese of Wakefield after years of being a hospital chaplain in London. Fr Morley led Holy Week for us this year and inspired us with insight from his wealth of pastoral experience and also his humour! My thanks also to him for his support and all he does within the parish. Both Fr Morley and Fr Buckley are in great demand in various parishes and we are extremely fortunate that they have made their spiritual 'home' with us. During the last year we also welcomed Fr Michael Healey to the parish for a month's placement as part of his Initial Ministerial Education. He very much appreciated his time with us as we indeed enjoyed his time with us. Fr Healey has since been appointed Priest in Charge of Beighton and we wish him well in his future ministry.
It has been an extremely busy year and there have been the usual high and low points no doubt reflecting the nature of life itself. I am extremely grateful to everyone for their continued support. We continue to worship God as we are best able and to offer a Christian presence in the midst of a bustling city centre, a space for reflection and quiet, and family and friends for those who attend or those merely passing through who stay for a while. We note that a high proportion of our congregation have moved away during the past year and we warmly welcome a significant number of newcomers. St Matthew's continues to provide a warm welcome and fellowship to those who find themselves 'passing through' our city. We have received many blessings during the past year and we have much for which to be thankful along with various challenges which need to be addressed. May we give thanks for all that is past and reach out to all that is to come and may God continue to bless us in our work at St Matthew's.
Fr Simon
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