A
Guide to St Saviour’s Church
(this
guide can be printed out and taken with you when you visit our church)
As you read this, you may already have been struck by the simplicity of
the church’s exterior. Although it was intended to be much bigger, as far as
we know it was never intended to be ostentatious. Lack of money prevented the
building from being completed on the scale its architect John T Micklethwaite
had intended.
If the outside of the building conveys simplicity and humility as the
church seeks to identify with the people it serves, the interior speaks of the
majesty and graciousness of God. The dedication to St Saviour links the
Christian community here to the community at Pusey’s Church of St Saviour’s
in Leeds. The dedication was amended to ‘with All Saints” in the 1970’s
when the two parishes were amalgamated.
The
Porch
The original design drawings for the church have never been found, so we
can only speculate which saint Micklethwaite had intended to place in the niche
above the steps. Since this would have been the entrance to the Lady Chapel (the
main entrance being on Gladstone road) it seems likely that it might have been a
statue of Our Lady. The foundation stone carved with the year 1901 is clearly
visible and the church was dedicated and opened for worship on 24 July 1902. The
large crucifix came from All Saints’ Church and it reminds us of the love and
sacrifice at the heart of the Christian faith. The water stoup containing holy
water is used to make the sign of the cross as you enter and leave the church
— a tangible reminder of your Baptism and of God’s blessing.
The
Nave (Latin: nay/s = ship)
The nave denotes the area between the entrance and the sanctuary and the
unintended slope of the floor makes the link with the word ‘ship’ more
meaningful! Bearing in mind that Micklethwaite had intended this to be just the
north aisle, you get an impression of the scale of his original design.
The
Stations of the Cross (Latin: stat/a = to keep watch)
The most striking artefacts in the nave are the fourteen pictures
known as the Stations of the Cross. They represent the final earthly journey
of Jesus from Pilate’s court to his burial in the tomb. They came from All
Saints’ Church originally and are thought to date from the 1880s. The cross on
the frame of the sixth station was damaged in 1915 when All Saints’ Church
received a direct hit.
The Stations are particularly important during Lent and Holy Week. For
those unable to visit Jerusalem and walk in the actual footsteps along the Via
Dolorosa, they provide us with an opportunity to make a short pilgrimage inside
the church and to reflect on the love and sacrifice of Jesus.
At
each station prayers are said, a hymn may be sung and a short meditation is
often used. Modern liturgical scholarship has suggested the addition of a
fifteenth station to represent the resurrection of Jesus. At St Saviour’s, the
font or even the altar is often used as the fifteenth Station.
The
Pews
In most churches as here, the pews face east to allow the light from the
rising sun to lift our hearts and minds to the ‘risen Son’ of God. These
pews used to fill the nave to the chancel screen and the side aisle and were
painted a deep red.
The
Nave Altar
The nave altar was installed in 1990 under the direction of the diocesan
architect Ronald Sims, and is placed on a raised dais to form a sanctuary (Latin
: canctus = holy). He also designed the altar rails and lectern. The sanctuary
contains three chairs made by Thompson of Kilburn (known as the Mouseman because
of his trademark)
The church has three altars, the nave altar, the original high altar at
the east end and a Lady Chapel altar facing west at the back of the building.
These altars are the most important objects in the church and the holiest. An
altar is a place of sacrifice where Christians celebrate the Mass or Eucharist
(Greek : eucharist = thanksgiving) in bread and wine. It is
here that the priest makes present the offering of Jesus on the cross and
where we offer to him our own lives in his service.
The
Rood Screen (Old English: rood= cross)
The three figures which stand above the nave altar were brought back from
Oberammergau by Father Ramsden — on either side of the crucified Christ are
the Virgin Mary and St John. In their early days the figures were rather
generously oiled and turned black partly due to incense smoke, and so they have
since been covered in gold leaf. The presence of the rood screen above the nave
altar is an apt reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and our own offering of
ourselves at each celebration of the Eucharist.
The
Stained Glass
There are only two stained glass windows, one at either end of the
building. The west window, designed by Francis Spear, depicts the risen Christ
still bearing the
marks
of his crucifixion. Scenes from the Passion and Resurrection of Christ move in
an anti-clockwise direction around the central panel. A plaque on the west wall
gives details of the window’s dedication.
The
east window is a real rarity — a depiction of the Coronation of our Lady
—Queen of Heaven. Most churches have a picture of the crucifixion as the centre-piece
of an east window, but this window was meant for the Lady Chapel in the north
aisle of Micklethwaite’s original design. The other lancets are clearly
visible. Pevsner’s North Riding volume (1966) says in its entry for St
Saviour’s, Scarborough ‘East window, mostly single figures. still echoes
of the Pre-Raphaelltes, but deep colours. Mrs Bailey-Browne was the
generous benefactor.
The
Chancel Screen
Walking down the church to see the east window will have taken you through
the chancel screen, which separates the nave from the chancel, sanctuary and
high altar. Designed by A W Mowbray, it is intricately carved on both sides.
It is a good example of an English screen and is often mentioned in books on
church architecture. Again it was a gift from Mrs Bailey-Browne.
The
Chancel and Sanctuary
The choir stalls came from All Saints’ Church, but the high altar with
its stone mensa is original to St Saviour’s. The brass altar cross and six
candlesticks were given by parishioners, in thanksgiving for a mission held in
the parish in 1907. A set of framed mission leaflets at the west end records
this event ten years into the ministry of Father Ramsden, whose commemorative
plaque is on a pillar in the chancel.
The
altar cross stands on the tabernacle which houses the Blessed Sacrament. Not
generally common in the Church of England, the reservation of the sacrament enables
Holy Communion to be taken to those who are very ill. It also means that in a
very real sense, when in church, you are close to the sacramental presence of
Christ. The hanging white light above the sanctuary is a reminder that the sacrament
is reserved here.
On the north wall of the sanctuary is the aumbry,
covered by a purple veil. It is used to keep the holy oils of catechumen, chrism
and infirmorum, used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and anointing
of the sick.
The sacrament of reconciliation (often known as confession) is a sacrament
of forgiveness. It provides an opportunity for a person to speak to a priest
in total confidence about those sins (word or deed) which they feel separate
them from God.
The
altar rails at the high altar were given in memory of the organist John Atkinson.
The beautiful double-sided ambo (reading desk) was made by Thompson of Kilburn
as was the bishop’s chair (in memory of Dorothea Gibson). The additional chair
in the sanctuary and the purple stole are used for administering the sacrament
of reconciliation when required.
The
altar frontals were specially made for the church — the green one in
particular is skillfully made. The different colours
reflect the church’s year. White is used for major festivals, red for
Pentecost and martyrs, purple for Advent and Lent and green for the remaining
Sundays of the year.
The
Organ
The organ is a two-manual Marshall organ. Originally the bellows were
operated by hand, using a large handle attached to the side of the organ.
Sometimes the action would go wrong so that the bellows gave out a huge sigh. In
the 1970s extensive repairs and modifications were made, so that today we can
still enjoy what Mozart called ‘the king of instruments’.
The
Vestry
This area is normally kept private for reasons of security, as it is the
only room in the church, which means it acts as kitchen, sacristy, meeting room
and. general storage area. A wide range of vestments and linen is worth looking
at if you are interested.
The
Font
The word font, derived from the Latin for fountain, is a reminder of the
living water Jesus promised to the Samaritan woman, and of the new life
received in this sacrament. It is here that the sacrament of baptism (Greek :
bapte/n = to immerse) is administered, as those who are baptised
are drawn into a new and life-giving relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Baptismal fonts often have eight sides, since the day of resurrection was
often referred to as the eighth day, following the seven days of creation.
The
Statues
The statue of Our Lady which is near the font came from All Saints’
Church, and was restored and repainted in 1999. Mary, holding the infant Jesus,
reminds us of her importance as the Mother of God.
The statue of the Good Shepherd (an image also reflected in the east
window) is located on a pillar on the south side of the nave. It is a wooden
statue, German in origin. The rather smug smile on the face of the sheep on the
shoulders of Jesus always delights children.
The
statue in the Lady Chapel at the west end of the church is that of Our Lady of
Walsingham, in Norfolk, with which the church has links. The remaining statues
are the Sacred Heart which can be seen as you enter and one of St Antony of
Padua, situated on a window sill. He was a Franciscan monk who proclaimed the
gospel using his skill as a preacher. The statue was presented in memory of John
Anthony Featherstone — Father and Mrs Mitchell’s nephew who died as a baby.
The statue has been in each church where Fr Mitchell has served as incumbent.
The
Votive Candle Stands (Latin: votum = devotion)
In front of the two statues of Our Lady there are votive candle stands.
People are welcome to light a candle as a silent prayer. You may like to light a
candle for someone while you are here. The Christian tradition tells us that
Mary is the greatest intercessor because she was closest to her Son. The
presence of her statue is a symbolic reminder that we ask her to join her
prayers with ours.
The
War Memorial
As you retrace your steps towards the main entrance, you will see the war
memorial tryptich on the west wall which lists the names
of those from the parish who were killed during the Two World Wars.