Side chapels
St Alfege with St Peter Chapel (North chapel)
The side chapel for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and 8am Holy Communion on Thursdays has been moved back to the its original position in Sir Albert Richardson's reordering of the church after WWII on the north side. The sacrament and oils for the sick have been moved back to the aumbry in the north chapel. This brings the old altar table and the beautiful stencils on the panelling back into use.
The gold stencils on the panelling represent Mary and John on either side of the Cross. Mary is symbolised by the monogram for Sancta Maria (Saint Mary) and by her crown as Queen of Heaven, St John the Evangelist by his emblem, the eagle, and the cross by ‘The Tree of Life.’ Together they form a traditional 'rood' as found in many medieval churches. The stencils were painted in tempera (pigment mixed with egg yolk) by Augustus Lunn in 1956.
The altar cloth was prepared by our children’s church to mark the Millennium of St Alfege in 2012.
The chapel is dedicated to our Patron Saint, Alfege, and to Saint Peter to reflect a church whose parish was absorbed into the parish of St Alfege.
The Coventry Cross of Nails is also located in this chapel. These crosses are made of medieval nails from the old Coventry cathedral destroyed by German aircraft in 1940. Crosses were later given to churches in Germany destroyed in the war, as well as to churches in the UK. Fact of the Week:
A Cross of Nails
The original Cross of Nails was formed with three medieval nails from St Michael’s Cathedral in Coventry when it was destroyed by bombing in 1940. The cross was erected on the remains of the altar in front of the words ‘Father Forgive’ inscribed on the wall of the Chancel. The cross became a symbol for forgiveness and reconciliation and embodied the cathedral’s ministry of hope and friendship with Germany in the years after 1945. The cathedral gave crosses made from nails from the ruined cathedral to churches in Germany which had been destroyed by bombing (notably Kiel, Berlin and Dresden). It then gave them to other churches (such as St Alfege Church) and organisations who were committed to working for peace, justice and reconciliation in many areas of life and these organisations came together in the Community of the Cross of Nails. The Coventry Cross of Nails is recognised around the world as a symbol of peace and reconciliation.
The altar cloth here was designed and prepared by children’s church to mark the Millennium of the St Alfege in 2012.
This chapel provides a space for anyone to spend some time in prayer or in quiet reflection. You are welcome to light a candle.
Chapel of our Lady with St Paul (South chapel)
This name reflects the other church, St Paul's whose parish was absorbed into St Alfege. A beautiful painting of Madonna and child by Patrizia Fineschi, an artist living in Siena, hangs in this chapel.