The Commissioning of the Children's Chapel
16 October 2006
‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.’
Luke 18:16
On 16th October the Bishop of Warrington the Rt Revd David Jennings commissioned the Children’s Chapel at Liverpool Cathedral.
The Chapel has been designed for children and is intended to be a place of;
- Prayer
- A place of meditation and reflection
It is hoped that the Chapel will be visited by;
- School children
- Families
- Those who have been affected by the loss of a child
- Those who wish to pray for children world wide
It is our prayer that whoever comes to the Chapel will experience the comfort, love and peace of Christ and therefore be strengthened.
Shortly after I was appointed Education Officer in 2004, the Education Department launched a competition for school children to design pieces of art work to go in the Children’s Chapel. We received hundreds of entries and chose four winners. Three pieces were chosen to be embroidered into altar frontals and one to paint on to canvas.
Hannah Thompson from St Hilda’s C of E painted a picture of the Cathedral which now hangs on the wall in the Chapel. Laura Walters designed an altar frontal. Laura and her mum, Sue have been busy making the frontal and I am pleased to announce it will be appearing shortly on the altar. Laura Pythian also from St Hilda’s C of E designed an altar frontal which is currently being embroidered by a group called the ‘Allerton Peace Makers’. The frontal will be completed in the New Year. Finally Tessa Moon from St Luke’s Halsall C of E designed the frontal which is on the altar at present. The frontal was embroidered by David Peglar a member of our Cathedral congregation.
The 4 silk hangings on the window which focus on Creation were designed and painted by Lizzie Wall a Free lance designer.
During the designing of the Chapel a partnership was formed with the Alder Centre (who support families who have been affected by the death of a child). A Book of Remembrance and prayer tree (kindly donated by the Centre) is available for use in the Chapel.
Whilst on earth, Jesus drew children close to Him because he loved and valued them. In the same way the Chapel is a visible sign of the ministry of the Education Centre and the Cathedral’s commitment to children and individuals who are in need of comfort. Its opening marks the culmination of two years of planning and clearly displays the skills of so many talented individuals, to whom we are grateful, for enabling a vision to become a reality and offering a unique area for children and families.
As an extension of the support we would wish to offer bereaved families and those seeking comfort there will be a special service several times a year called ‘Embracing Hope’. This will be a time to be together in quiet reflection to remember in peace and prayer:
- children who are ill or those who have died
- those who care for them, their families and friends
- for those in need of comfort
This first service will be led by Revd Janet Fletcher in conjunction with the Education Centre and Alder Centre on Tuesday 28th November in the Lady Chapel 7pm – 8pm. For more information or to attend the Service please contact Dianne Rothwell 0151 702 7225.
