St Thomas Syriac Orthodox Cathedral Acton is a

Syriac Orthodox The Syriac Orthodox Church (), also informally known as the Jacobite Church, is an Oriental Orthodox denomination that originates from the Church of Antioch. The church currently has around 4-5 million followers. The church upholds the Mia ...

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

Acton, London Acton () is a town in West London, England, within the London Borough of Ealing. It is west of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, its four Wards of the United Kingdom, wards, East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton ...

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

Anglican church Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in 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 The Syriac Orthodox Church (), also informally known as the Jacobite Church, is an Oriental Orthodox Christian denomination, denomination that originates from the Church of Antioch. The church currently has around 4-5 million followers. The ch ...

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

Ignatius Aphrem II Mor Ignatius Aphrem II (born 3 May 1965 as Sa'id Karim; ) is a Syrian-American Christian prelate who is serving as the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church since 29 May 2014. Born and raised in Qamishili, Syria, Karim took the vows of a ...

, at the presence of the Prince of Wales (later King

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

) and several seniors of the

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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 between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to t ...

, 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

Duke of Westminster Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ...

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 Selfridge's. The foundation stone of the new church was laid the previous year, once again by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

. 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 the Prince of Wales (now King

) 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

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. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, a ...

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 (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

during 2018.

References

{{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