The Minster Church of St Michael and All Angels and St Benedict Biscop (commonly known as Sunderland Minster) is the
minster church
Minster is an honorific title given to particular churches in England and Wales, most notably York Minster in Yorkshire, Westminster Abbey in London and Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire.
The term ''minster'' is first found in royal fou ...
of
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
,
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, and the largest settlement is the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
The county is ...
, England. Formerly known as "St Michael & All Angels' Church", it served as the parish church for
Bishopwearmouth
Bishopwearmouth () is a former village and parish which now constitutes the west side of Sunderland City Centre, in the county of Tyne and Wear, England, merging with the settlement as it expanded outwards in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is ...
, but was renamed in January 1998 after Sunderland was granted
city status
City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a monarch, national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose.
Historically, ci ...
. In May 2007 the Minster ceased to be the parish church of Bishopwearmouth and the village is now a suburb of Sunderland. Sunderland Minster is part of the
Greater Churches Group.
History
A church dedicated to St Michael & All Angels has stood on this site for over a thousand years. For most of that time, it was known as 'Bishopwearmouth Parish Church'.
The parish of Bishopwearmouth, south of the
River Wear
The River Wear (, ) in Northern England rises in the Pennines and flows eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea in the City of Sunderland. At long, it is one of the region's longest rivers. The Wear wends in a steep valley t ...
was founded in around 940AD, with an original stone church being built shortly afterwards. The first evidence of a church on the site arose in a 1930s excavation when Saxon stones were found. Due to colliery subsidence, the church was virtually re-built beyond recognition in the early 20th century, but not all parts of the former church were lost.
In 1998, following the
grant of City status, the church was redesignated as 'Sunderland Minster': the second Minster church in England since the
Reformation
The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
(following
Dewsbury Minster
Dewsbury Minster, the Minster Church of All Saints is the parish church in Dewsbury, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. It dates from the 13th century and was rebuilt in 1895. It is situated on Vicarage Road and Church Street in the centre of t ...
in
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
in 1994).
In May 2007, with the adoption of
Benedict Biscop
Benedict Biscop ( – 690), also known as Biscop Baducing, was an Anglo-Saxon abbot and founder of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory (where he also founded the famous library) and was considered a saint after his death.
It has been suggested that B ...
as Sunderland's Patron Saint, the church was redesignated as an Extra Parochial Place with the addition of St Benedict Biscop in its title.
It is a Grade II* listed building.
Role of the Minster
Until May 2007 the team of ministers carried out traditional parish duties as well as serving the city by hosting services of remembrance, providing chaplaincies for the retail and industrial workforces in the city centre, as well as being used by the
University
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
chaplaincy. It continues to play host to special services and worship events for the whole city, as it did for many years as Bishopwearmouth Parish Church. In 2007 the Minster ended its parish role, and these functions were transferred to the Parish Churches of St Nicholas and St Ignatius. Since then the Minster describes itself as "A church for the whole City".
See also
*
Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland
Holy Trinity Church (sometimes Church of the Holy Trinity or Sunderland Parish Church) is an Anglicanism, Anglican church (building), church building in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear formerly the area's parish church. It wa ...
*
Bishopwearmouth Rectory
References
External links
Sunderland Minster Website
{{Authority control
Church of England church buildings in Tyne and Wear
Churches in the City of Sunderland
Grade II* listed churches in Tyne and Wear
Major Churches Network
Sunderland