Ship of Fools: St Matthew the Apostle, Douglas, Isle of Man

The Mystery Worshipper

Ship of Fools: St Matthew the Apostle, Douglas, Isle of Man

Accept God’s gifts: incense, good coffee, birthday cake – but not sulphur!

Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here

Gee D

A church building clearly meant for its setting - the harbour of an island where you could expect strong winds and blowing rain. That's why there are very few windows on the apse which led to the MW's comment that the exterior was not particularly attractive.

Bishops Finger

IIRC, the east end of the church backs (or used to back) onto the bus station (or vice versa - the church was there first, I guess) but the harbour side aspect is much better, as can be seen from the photo accompanying the Report.

St Matthew's is the only Anglo-Catholic church on the island, so I guess it's inevitable that many of the congregation will be from parts other than Douglas. The Diocese of Sodor and Man is largely low-Church or MOTR.

The preparation of the altar during the Intercessions is indeed a bit odd. At Our Place, we usually have a longish Offertory Hymn to cover the preparation - maybe on this occasion the hymn was rather too short for the purpose?

Amanda B Reckondwyth

I did not, however, think that the bustling about of persons in cassock and cotta before and after mass was at all unusual -- whoever they were: acolytes or choristers, as the reporter thought, or sexton and sacristan. I was brought up in the tradition that setting up the altar, and clearing away after mass, was always done at least in cassock, but never simply in street clothes.

Bishops Finger

Amanda B Reckondwyth wrote: »

I did not, however, think that the bustling about of persons in cassock and cotta before and after mass was at all unusual -- whoever they were: acolytes or choristers, as the reporter thought, or sexton and sacristan. I was brought up in the tradition that setting up the altar, and clearing away after mass, was always done at least in cassock, but never simply in street clothes.

Yes. The same is done at Our Place, in cassock and cotta, as insisted upon by Madam Sacristan.

Bustling is frowned upon, but discreet movements (performed in silence) are OK...

(BTW, and slightly tangentially, closer examination of the photo shows a block of new flats behind the church, where the bus station used to be. What have They done with the buses?)

Darda

I was staying on the Isle of Man in August and attended Communion in Peel Cathedral. Like Jonah & the whale, I was surprised (and delighted) to share the common cup

Gee D

Amanda B Reckondwyth wrote: »

I did not, however, think that the bustling about of persons in cassock and cotta before and after mass was at all unusual -- whoever they were: acolytes or choristers, as the reporter thought, or sexton and sacristan. I was brought up in the tradition that setting up the altar, and clearing away after mass, was always done at least in cassock, but never simply in street clothes.

When I'm an acolyte, from the time of taking altar ware, wine, breads etc from the vestry until they're all back into their proper places in the vestry afterwards, I'm wearing my alb. It's the standard rule at St Sanity.

Who knows when we'll be able to have services in church - some rules about gatherings are being eased in a couple of weeks, but so far not for churches as far as I can pick out.

Bishops Finger

Darda wrote: »

I was staying on the Isle of Man in August and attended Communion in Peel Cathedral. Like Jonah & the whale, I was surprised (and delighted) to share the common cup

The Isle of Man is a foreign country. They do things differently there.

(With apologies to L P Hartley)