St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Cathedral Acton is a

Syriac Orthodox , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascu ...

Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

Acton, London Acton () is a town and area in west London, England, within the London Borough of Ealing. It is west of Charing Cross. At the 2011 census, its four wards, East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 62,480, a ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, formerly known as St Saviour's Centre for the Deaf

Anglican church Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

, which was a social centre for deaf people, and the first and only purpose-built church for deaf people as such. St Saviour's was the central location for the London Diocesan Chaplaincy among Deaf and Deafblind people. The church and social centre closed in 2014 following a loss of funding, and insufficient financial reserves to maintain the premises. The final church service was held on Wednesday 24 September 2014, at which the

Bishop of Willesden The Bishop of Willesden is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of London, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Willesden, an area of the London Borough of Brent; the See ...

officiated. On 25 November 2016, the cathedral was consecrated as a cathedral for the

Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...

, under the new name of St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Cathedral Acton. The ceremony was officiated by Syriac Patriarch of Antioch

Ignatius Aphrem II , ar, سعيد كريم) , birth_date = , birth_place = , death_date = , buried = , resting_place_coordinates = , nationality = Syrian; American , religion = Syriac Orthodox , residence = , parents = Issa and Khanema Karim , occup ...

, at the presence of

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

and several seniors of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

History

St Saviour's Church, Oxford Street

The congregation was first established at a site in

Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and as ...

, where the original building was constructed from 1870 to 1874. The architect was

Arthur Blomfield Sir Arthur William Blomfield (6 March 182930 October 1899) was an English architect. He became president of the Architectural Association in 1861; a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1867 and vice-president of the RIBA in ...

. The

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had provided the site on a lease for sixty years. The foundation stone was laid by Edward, Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra, who had a hearing impairment. The first service there was held in 1873. The building became a great symbol for deaf people of their rights to play a full part in church and society.

St Saviour's Church, Acton

The church moved to a new site in Acton in 1925, when the Oxford Street location was required for redevelopment into the present

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. The congregation worshipped in the church continuously for 90 years. The building included many features specially designed for the deaf, which included dual pulpits (one for the speaker and one for a sign language translator), clear lines of sight (with no pillars or visual obstructions), and a sloping floor to ensure that even those near the back can clearly see the signers. The church and social centre closed in 2014 following a loss of funding, and insufficient financial reserves to maintain the premises. The final church service was held on Wednesday 24 September 2014, at which the

officiated. St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Cathedral Acton On 25 November 2016, the cathedral was consecrated as a cathedral for the

, under the new name of St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Cathedral Acton. The ceremony was officiated by Syriac Patriarch of Antioch

, at the presence of

and several seniors of the

Deaf ministry

Although St Saviour's Church has now closed, the congregation continues to meet. The Chaplaincy among Deaf and Deafblind people has four other meeting locations, although St Saviour's was the only dedicated premises, and the only church with specially designed facilities for the deaf. The closure of St Saviour's corresponds with the appointment of a new full-time Chaplain for the Chaplaincy service. Chaplains are ordained priests appointed to specialist ministries, in this case the provision of worship and social activities for the deaf and deafblind community in London.

The church building

In September 2014, the Diocese of London announced that St Saviour's Church building had been sold to the

community in west London, who have developed it for continuing use as a church within their own tradition, reopening it as St Thomas Cathedral in November 2016, with the attendance of

and

. Documents and archives associated with the church are currently being researched by the History of Place project, and will feature as part of a display at the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

during 2018.

References

External links

Image
of the Oxford Street church, British Museum {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Thomas Cathedral Acton Churches for the deaf Church of England church buildings in the London Borough of Ealing Former Church of England church buildings Church buildings converted to a different denomination Syriac Orthodox churches Syriac Orthodox cathedrals Cathedrals in London