About Us
St Chad’s Haggerston, is a parish under the pastoral care of the Bishop of Fulham. We are in the Stepney Area of the Diocese of London. It reflects in the congregation the fullness of the local community. Encompassing traditional and modern liturgy. Hackney is present in the Mass here too.
You can look up its history as a building. Please see some links below. Just to say this much: Designed in 1868 by James Brooks, an architect from nearby Stoke Newington, St Chad’s was described by Sir John Betjeman as “one of the best examples of an East-End Anglo-Catholic church”. Nowadays it is a Grade 1 listed building. A parish church has the privilege of being able to serve the whole community. It is rooted in the present and past experience of the community. Our mission statement includes the experience of our parish church being there for all people in the community. ‘Membership’ of such is not required to somewhere rooted in the locality. ‘Rooted not planted‘ as someone recently remarked… It is the Holy Spirit that gives us life and health and makes us part of the Body of Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Every person counts as a unique gift of grace in our worship.
At its foundation the parish of St Chad was combined with St Mary’s Haggerston. Known as the ‘mother church’ at one time. (The area around which is now called St Mary’s Estate) St Mary’s was a fine eighteenth century church, destroyed by a direct hit in the Blitz of World War II. More recently St Chad’s Parish encompasses St Augustine’s Haggerston, the birthplace of Father Wilson’s A Haggerston Catechism.
St Chad’s church stands within the Fellows Court Estate on the corner of Dunloe Street and Appleby Street.
Church buildings are special places constructed in a community by people for people. If they are prayed in, they feel ‘hallowed’. People come in and pray before the Blessed Sacrament throughout the day. Please read the ‘ministries‘ link to see more.