The Church Interior and Windows
Much of St Mark’s Church, Bromley was destroyed in 1941 and had to be rebuilt after the Second World War. The building is consequently a combination of Victorian and more modern styles, with a high, parabolic arched ceiling in the nave which give a great sense of light and space but with an intimacy in the chancel and choir at the east end. The acoustics of the building are unusually excellent for a parish church and delight organists and choristers alike. We have a finely decorated chancel and some beautiful stained glass windows.
A main feature of the east end is the finely-restored reredos (the decorated screen behind the altar), carved in wood with six figures associated with the Diocese and the Church. These are (from left to right); St Justus, the first Bishop of Rochester who began the building of Rochester Cathedral in 604 AD, holding a sword for justice and wearing a stone round his neck for penitence; St Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, sent to evangelise England in 597 AD, holding a staff in the form of a double cross; St Mark, Patron Saint of the Church, writing his Gospel; St Peter, one of the Patron Saints of our mother church, Bromley Parish Church, holding the keys of the Kingdom of God; St Gregory the Great, the Pope who sent St Augustine to England, wearing the papal tiara with a staff in the form of a triple cross; and St Mildred of Kent, founder of the Abbey at Minster-in-Thanet in c.694 AD, shown a model of the nunnery with a dove on her shoulder signifying the Holy Spirit.
The Reredos at St Mark's
(from left to right) St Justus, St Augustine, St Mark, St Peter, St Gregory the Great and St Mildred of Kent
Either side of the reredos are two diamond-shaped coats of arms. The one on the left commemorates the laying of the foundation stone by HRH Princess Marina, aunt of Queen Elizabeth II. The one on the right is a composite of the bishop of Rochester (CC for Right Revd Christopher Chevasse), Sir Thomas Dewey (TD) and the Revd Harry Edwards (HE). Deo Gratias – Thanks be to God - with the date of the re-dedication 18 July 1953 is below the letters CC. In the north-east wall is the cornerstone, laid by Princess Marina in 1952. Walled up in a cavity behind it are deposited the Order of Service, a set of coins from the 1951 Festival of Britain and a selection of local and national newspapers from the time.
The Coats of Arms and Foundation Stone
Nearby in the north aisle is the Font, which replaced an earlier one which did not survive the bombing of the church. The Lectern, in memory of Richard Ayling, depicts St Mark’s winged lion and was carved by John Crawford of Ashford after the war.
The East Window depicts the Hand of God with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Beneath is Christ in Majesty with St Mark on the left and St Peter on the right. The Lady Chapel Window was made at the Whitefriars Glass Works - their symbol is in the bottom right hand corner. The central light depicts the Archangel Gabriel’s message to Mary that she is to bear the Christ Child, with the Holy Spirit symbolised as a dove above her. To the right is depicted Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth. To the left, Mary is being taught to read by her mother, St Anne.
The East Window and Lady Chapel Window
The West Window above the Gallery was installed in 1956 and celebrates the work of three bishops and their missionary church in Africa, the Pacific and in India. The window on the left shows Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, who was the first native-born African bishop in 1864. The centre window depicts Bishop John Coleridge Patteson, who was a missionary and bishop in the South Seas. He was murdered in the Solomon Islands in 1871. The right hand window shows Bishop Vednayagam Samuel Azariah, was the first Indian bishop (of Dornakal, Southern India) in 1912. The words ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’ is a quotation from St Mark’s Gospel - Chapter 16, verse 15.
The West Window