Cyrenians Cymru Community Centre

History of the Build

Below are pictures from the early stages of the refurbishment and also some of the events preceding the restoration including the last service in the old St Matthews and some pictures from further back in the history of this Swansea Landmark site.

St Matthews Church - Ready for Use - 29th January 2006

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The Service of Rededication

The Rededication service

The First service

Stained Glass Windows at St Matthews

Created by members of Dragon Arts & Learning

These two small windows, situated at the rear of the Centre were especially created and designed by members of our Dragon Arts & Learning under workshops held by stain glass artist Jaroslav Mykisa.

Created by members of Dragon Arts & Learning

November 2005

The Interior nearly ready

Kitchen Facilities

Above the restored stained glass windows above the sanctuary.

St. Matthew's Church has now been transformed into a bright and cheerful place of worship. The Cross of St. John etched into the glass of the dividing wall is in recognition of the Knights Hospitallers, of the order of St. John.

Above is the new dividing wall facing west .

October 2005

Work in progress in the church

Looking to the rear of the building

Showing south wall with the serving hatch to kitchen and upper office.

South wall with kitchen serving hatch and upper office.

View from rear of building towards the front

March 2005

An early picture of the interior as it looked when originally built.

Post war pic of interior as it was before work commenced.

Small digger excavating the foundation trench ready for the dividing wall.

Excavating the foundation trench for the dividing wall.

Tombstones to the side of the church facing Ty Nant Tax Office

Tombstones behind the Church

Work on the exterior of the church

Interior of church where once the steps to the choir had been.

The Last Service at St Matthew's Church

On Sunday, 28th March 2004, in the presence of Councilor Lawrence Bailey, Lord Mayor of Swansea, and dignitaries, and presided over by the Right Rev. Anthony Pierce, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, the final service was held at St. Matthews Church on the High Street , Swansea, before work on the building commenced. For 1000 years, the sight has been a place of refuge for the poor, the dispossessed and needy, so, it is with much joy that we will see the continuity of this work into the 21st Century.

L-R Conrad Watkins, Director of Cyrenians, Revd. Anthony Pierce, Bishop of Brecon & Swansea, Revd. Canon Alun Evans .

L-R Conrad Watkins, Cyrenians' Director, Rev. Anthony Pierce, Bishop of Brecon & Swansea, Rev. Canon Alun Evans .

Councilor Lawrence Bailey, Lord Mayor of Swansea and console, as well as other dignitaries who attended the last service at St. Matthew's Church.

Councilor Lawrence Bailey, Lord Mayor of Swansea and console, and other dignitaries attended this service at St. Matthew's.

Address given by Conrad Watkins

Director of Cyrenians Cymru

Thank you for inviting me to speak this evening. I am deeply honoured to be standing here on behalf of the Cyrenians, a charity that has worked for some 30 years in Swansea to provide support to homeless and disadvantaged people in the community.

Thirty years is but a blink of the eye, when one considers the long and illustrious history of the site on which St. Matthews stands. I am conscious of the history all around us, and how a church, though several times rebuilt, has stood here since the 12th century - and maybe earlier. Many people here this evening will know more of the church's history through the centuries than I, but I'm aware that the original chapel dedicated to St. John the Baptist was founded by the Knights Hospitallers - or the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, as their full title was. And as their name implies, the work of the 'brothers infirmarian at the chapel centred on providing care to the sick, to those afflicted by poverty and disease, and of course offering sanctuary to many in desperate straits.

Drawing of St John's Church in the 18th Century, on the site where St. Matthews now stands.

In those days, the chapel would have stood outside the town walls and must have appeared as a beacon, sometimes as a last hope, to those on the margins; the broken and dispossessed, the sick and needy. Perhaps it may not be stretching a point to think that here, on this site, was on of the earliest forms of organised health care in this part of Wales.

It is particularly appropriate therefore that the centre that will be housed to the rear of St. Matthews, when it re-opened, will have health support at its core. It will help people who, for whatever reason find it difficult to use mainstream services. It will provide support and training for those setting out to live independently; perhaps for the first time. It will offer a venue for local groups and associations to use and will, I hope, become a thriving centre at the heart of the community.

Canon Evans, when inviting me to speak, asked me to say a few words about the 'vision' the Cyrenians has for our future involvement in St. Matthews. I have thought long and hard about this and it hasn't been easy - because charities by their nature, cannot afford to look too far ahead. And in an ideal world, of course, charities like the Cyrenians would have no need to exist. So we tend to operate according to the precept 'Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof'.

Dignitaries at the service

The Last Blessing

But I do think we can look ahead with a measure of confidence and say that this will make a real difference - and will play a part not only in alleviating suffering, but helping to build lives as well. I recently came across something written by Simone Weil, the extraordinary French philosopher and theologian who herself suffered chronic ill health throughout her short life, and died in her thirties of starvation and tuberculosis.

She wrote "Equality is expressed in institutions and manners, of the principle that an equal degree of attention is due to the needs of all human beings". It is that principle, I think, that guides charities like ours.

She also wrote - "Nothing can have as its destination anything other than its origin". I don't claim to even begin to under-stand the full meaning and import of these those words, but I feel sure that the clues to the future destination of St. Matthew's, and the path to that destination, lie very much in its origin. I would like to close by offering our profound gratitude for the kindness and support given to the Cyrenians over the years by the parishioners of St. Matthew's, and of St Mary's. What we are now embarking upon will be a incalculable benefit to the community, and will cement our friendship for many years to come.

Conrad Watkins - Director of Cyrenians Cymru