|
St. Silas Anglican ChurchSt. Silas Church is located in the beautiful, pristine parish of St. James in the district of Waterhall, which is quite close to the renowned Westmoreland on the west coast of the island of Barbados. The cornerstone for this very simple, rural church was laid in October in the year 1847. This little church was finally completed and consecrated on December 27th, 1849. This ceremony was probably conducted by Bishop Thomas Parry since by this time Bishop William Hart Coleridge had retired and returned to England.
This church is one of the plainer chapels similar in design to the St. Patrick's Chapel built under the stewardship of Bishop William Hart Coleridge in his building programme in Barbados that saw the construction of ten Anglican Chapels of Ease and Chapel Schools.
The St. Silas chapel featured the typical architectural characteristics; the buttresses, the triple lancet windows and the small belfry positioned at western end of the chapel. Even the chapel's entrance was understated and positioned slightly off centred in the south wall. The chancel itself is also an obvious later addition, with its higher pitched roof standing out against the original roofline.
Just fifty years after the cornerstone was laid, the Barbados branch of the Church Army was established on the island with the first battalion being started at the St. Silas Chapel in St. James. This evangelical organization was however not officially recognized until the bishop at the time, Bishop David William Bentley, established it as a legitimate church organization in 1931.
Today the Church Army, the evangelical arm of the Anglican Church, as it exists in Barbados is one of the thriving church based organizations on the island. His Lordship the Bishop of Barbados, the Rt. Rev. Dr. John Holder is the current patron of this organization with the Rev. Michael Maxwell serving as its chaplain.
St. Silas Church in Barbados is indeed a quaint little chapel which certainly represents the quintessential Barbadian rural church with its devout congregation responsible for its enduring existence.
Services
Contact Information
00-10
|
