The History of St. Michael's
St Michael and All Angels was created from the ancient Parish of Beddington in 1872.
Initially a wooden church was built on Bandon Hill, the site of the current local primary school. The parish was built in response to the rapid overspill from London encouraged by the expansion of the railway. St Michael's was part of the Oxford movement and for many years has cherished a high Anglican church tradition and now understands itself as modern Catholic.
In 1906 the parish bought new land in Milton Road and with architect W.D. Caroe began to build the fine new church that continues to serve the parish today. The first phase was completed and the church opened in 1907. It was however unfinished due to lack of funds. The original wooden church was dismantled and sold for £500, a sixth of its original cost, to serve as a church in Porchester, Nottingham, and was in use for a further 60 years.
In the 1920s Caroe was asked to finish his building. The original plans, which had called for a nave to hold 800, were scaled down and as a compromise, only one of three bays was retained. This and the Narthex were completed under Garbett's "25 churches" plan in 1929.
The St. Michael logo
St. Michael and All Angels has a very distinctive "angel" motif on all its publications. Where did it come from?
The logo represents St. Michael, the archangel, holding Christ on the cross. He seems to be tenderly sheltering the Son of God in his suffering, at the same time showing Him forth to all the world in triumph.
Note the ethereal effect of the Angel's white robe simply merging with the white background of the intricate plumage of his wings.
The logo was originally devised and drawn by Brandy Pearson just before the turn of the Millennium. She was at that time training for the priesthood and made a valuable contribution to the parish while Patrick was settling in.
Jenny Phillips redrew it with longer wings and finer detail, so that it could be scanned into the computer for use in publicising the 130th Anniversary celebrations of the parish, which took place during 2002.
During 2004, Immo Hüneke incorporated the logo into the St. Francis Extension logo to support the fundraising appeal, and for the 2007 centenary of the St. Michael's building it was incorporated into a Centenary logo.
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