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The English word 'church'
is derived from the Greek adjective 'kyriakos'.The phrase 'kyriakon
doma' means 'the Lord's house', that is, a Christian place of worship.
The Porch | | |
Where to start? At the entrance, through
the porch is the main door of the church.
Here, you are welcomed, you can find information about the church, the life
of the parish. and the
activities of groups in and around the parish. |
Holy Water |
 | As you come into the main body of the church you will find to your
right and left a 'stoop' which is filled with water. This is the 'holy water' which is used in the church as a sign of blessing. It reminds
us of the water of baptism, blessed and used to give life to those becoming members of the church.
We make the sign of the cross to remind ourselves of our own welcome into the family of God through baptism. | | To the left of the stoop you can see the wallboxes, for donations. |
Reconciliation Room | | | To hear confessions we have a
'Confessional' or 'Reconciliation' room. It is here that people come individually to seek the
forgiveness and healing of the Lord. The options are 'face-to-face' or 'hidden', when the priest is separated from the person making confession by a complete barrier. A new directive, in line with child protection policy, now insists that the door of the reconciliation room has a window installed. |
The body of the church.
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This is called the 'nave' from the Latin 'navis'-'a ship'
as it forms the shape of an upturned boat |  |
The Stations of the Cross
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 | The devotion of the Stations of the Cross,
also known as 'the way of the cross' is a series of 14 meditations on the Passion and Death of Christ.
The devotion traces the path followed by Christ from the palace of Pilate to Calvary and burial.
These are found along the two side aisles of the church, and form the journey we take as part of that
devotion. To see all the Stations and reflections upon them,
click here. |
Consecration Crosses
| | These mark the points around the church where the Bishop
blessed the church and consecrated it to the glory of God with oil. There are 12, signifying the apostles
and each point is marked with a cross. |  |
A candle is placed and burnt there on special feast days
in the church's year. Also, there are 5 in the altar, signifying the five wounds of Christ. |
The Sanctuary |
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The focal point in the church from
where the liturgy is lead. In this picture, the altar can be seen. The altar always traditionally contains the relics of a Saint, in this case, St John Bosco. This recalls the time when the early Christians met to worship in hiding, in catacombs and a tomb would be used as an altar table.
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Also in this picture, the three overhead carved panels are just visible. These, also came from Austria. They were taken down in the 1960's, but has now been restored to their former position. It depicts three scenes, recalling the name of the Church itself: the crucifixion is in the centre, with St Peter receiving the keys from Christ on one side and on the other, Judas of the Maccabees, collecting alms on the battlefield for the families of dead soldiers (hence:'All Souls').
Above the carving, but not visible in the picture, stand four woodcarvings: the Archangel Michael, with figures carrying items from the crucifixion story - a whip, a cock, pieces of silver etc. |
 | In this area of the church we find the tabernacle, where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, ready to be taken to the sick and housebound. |
The Holy Oils | | Holy Oils are kept on the sanctuary, in a corner cupboard. Three oils are used: the oil of Chrism, used for ordination and during baptism, and for blessing a new church, the oil for the anointing of the sick, and the baptismal oil. They are identified by coloured ribbons: gold for Chrism, purple for the sick and green for baptism. |  | Every year during Holy Week, the oils are brought from the cathedral, where they have been blessed by the Bishop during the Chrism Mass. They are used throughout the year. All substances are disposed of carefully, so any oil left at the end of the year is burned. In the same way, the holy water is always poured into the sacristy sink, which has an outlet straight into the earth. |
The Lectern |
| Also on the sanctuary is the lectern, from which the Word of God is read. Two focal points on the sanctuary are the lectern, on which the Word of the Lord is 'broken' through the homily, and the altar, where the bread, which becomes the body of the Lord at consecration, is broken. |
The Easter Candle |
| The Easter candle, symbolising the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. Each year, the candle is replaced, and is first lit on the night of the Easter vigil, to symbolise the resurrection. It stays alight throughout Easter and is subsequently relit at baptisms and funerals. |
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The Peace Chapel |
 | Moving away from the Sanctuary, we come to the Peace Chapel, to the left hand side. Originally the Benefactors Chapel, this was renamed 15 years ago. The carvings again are Austrian. Click on the image on the left to see a larger version.
The altar contains a side panel in which is kept a book recording their names. The altar, along with the carvings in the chapel, was carved in the Austrian Tyrol in 1910 and depicts the Last Supper.A small tribute to the Blessed Henry Heath, the 16th century Peterborough born Catholic martyr, is also kept here. (right) |
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The Chapel of Our Lady and St Katherine | |  | | | | |
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The window of this chapel, to the right of the sanctuary, is very striking. Click on the image of the Chapel to see a larger version | | This picture, known as 'Our Lady of Czestochowka',
was presented to the church by the Polish Community
some years ago.
and hangs in the chapel |
The Sacristy |
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All is stored here for the services, those presiding prepare themselves here. Vestments and all the material
goods needed for the celebrations are kept here; candles, books, chalices, ciboria, microphones, linen. Vestments are chosen according to the season:
green for Ordinary time,
white for Easter or for Requiem masses,
red for feast days and Pentecost,
purple for Advent and Lent and requiems,
pink for mid-Lent and mid-Advent,
gold for Christ the King, the first Sunday of the new year in the church. | | The door to the sanctuary. The bell which signals the beginning of Mass can be seen in the centre of the picture. Every altar server is keen to ring it! |
For more information about the origins of the church and its interior, see
'St Peter and All Souls Catholic Church. The First 100 Years' by Peter Waszak.
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