Read our online newsletter!	Centenary appeal How you can help If you would like to make a donation to our Centenary Appeal Fund we would be most grateful! There are a number of ways you can make your gift. Tax effective giving in Belgium Donors in Belgium, both private individuals and companies, may pay their gifts through the Koning Boudewijn Stichting. This is a way of gaining possible tax relief on your donation(s). We have a project account with the KBS and this means that if your gift is €30 or more you will receive a tax certificate from them that should be submitted with your annual tax returns. The amount of tax relief you receive depends not only on the size of your gift but also on your own taxation rate. If you are unsure about using this method please consult your tax adviser for more details. All payments that you make in this way are passed on at intervals to the St Boniface Centenary Appeal. Payments by this method should be made to: Name: Koning Boudewijn Stichting Account number: 000-0000004-04 Message: L82128-Kerkfabriek St Boniface You must quote this message otherwise your gift will be returned! Through our own Belgian Centenary Appeal Bank account You may choose to give directly into our bank account: Name: Friends of Saint Boniface vzw Account number: 001–5310832–61 Message: St Boniface Centenary Appeal Donations by UK tax payers If you pay UK income tax you can donate by covenant or Gift Aid. Please ask the Appeal Office for further information and the appropriate Gift Aid forms. UK Bank details: Name: The Diocese in Europe (St Boniface Centenary Appeal) Bank: Barclays Bank plc (sort code 20-06-05) Account number: 40317039 Why do we need your help? The present Church of St Boniface in the Grétrystraat was built in the first decade of the twentieth century. However, the history of the chaplaincy goes back much further. English merchants settled in the city as early as the 12th century, and by 1530, the first chaplain, John Nicholson, was appointed. This makes the chaplaincy one of the oldest in Europe. William Tyndale published his English translation of the Bible in Antwerp in 1526 and was later martyred for his beliefs. In 1821, the first permanent Anglican Church was established in the medieval chapel of Ss Crispin and Crispinian, in the Huidervettersstraat in the city centre, but by the end of the century, the building was proving too small for the growing congregations. In 1890, the parish, which comprises the Province of Antwerp, was officially recognized by Decree of King Leopold II, and plans for a new church in the developing area to the south-east of the city were approved. The British and Americans gave generously to the building appeal. Its grand Victorian gothic revival architecture, the stained glass and many memorials are a reminder of the wealth and influence of the English speaking community in Antwerp in those days. The building is dedicated to St Boniface, the 8th century missionary bishop from Crediton in Devon, who did much to evangelise the Netherlands and present-day Germany. Martyred at Dokkum in the Netherlands, his shrine is in Fulda Cathedral. St Boniface is the patron saint of both countries. Today, despite suffering shell damage in the Great War, the church is recognized as a fine example of its period. Almost all the original features survive, and its dignified interior is the setting for regular worship and community gatherings. Notable features include: Several commemorative stained glass windows. Amongst these are: The present East window which was presented by Mr Evan-Thomas during the 1920s to replace the original one destroyed by enemy action. The fine West window which commemorates the dead of the British Empire and Commonwealth from the First World War and was funded largely by a generous donation from Gellatly Hankey, one of the notable pre-war shipping companies. One of the lancet windows commemorates the visit to Antwerp in 1906 by Scott of the Antarctic. The most recent window was placed in 2007, thanks to a donation by F Vas Nunes, to a fine design by the Mesdagh Studios of Gent. An impressive sequence of glass mosaics under the East window, crafted in Mechelen, depicting worshipping angels which was dedicated in 1925. The sequence is probably the finest example of this art form anywhere in Belgium. A stone statue of St Boniface, donated by the then British Consul in Antwerp, Sir Cyril Hertslet, in 1910. This has been the inspiration for at least one other sculpture and a stained glass window commemorating St Boniface in Truro Cathedral. Today, the church is home to a vibrant, welcoming congregation, which includes not only Anglicans, but members of the American Episcopalian Church, Orthodox, Armenian, Protestant, Roman Catholic and other denominations from over 20 nationalities. Restoration needs Today, there are four principal areas in which St Boniface Church is in urgent need of support: Replacement of much of the existing roof, which is beyond economical repair. Replacement of the guttering and downpipes. Restoration of the windows at the West end of the church, which are suffering as the result of weathering and corrosion. The large West window commemorating the British Empire and Commonwealth’s First World War dead is currently shored up to prevent its collapse. Building a new entrance with wheelchair ramp to allow access to wheelchair users, people with disabilities and parents with prams and buggies as well as easier, secure access from the church to the hall. An application for a subsidy for the complete restoration of the buildings is in progress. But this depends on our raising our share. Our congregation has given generously, but we need your help too if we are to achieve our target and hand on our wonderful and historic church to the next generation. Here at St Boniface we have always had a good relationship with the wider community and now we need help from all our friends in Antwerp and the surrounding area, as well as in the United Kingdom and further afield, to ensure that our Church remains both a vibrant centre of Anglican worship in Antwerp and a heritage building to be enjoyed by the many different communities in the cosmopolitan city of Antwerp. Some of the problems! The 100 year old slates are paper thin and the securing pins have corroded away. The result is a very leaky roof! This allows water to pour down the walls causing salts to crystallize. The West Window is now shored up to prevent it collapsing. Expansion and contraction of the window rods over the years has caused the masonry to break out. Enquiries and contributions These may be sent to: Lay Canon Ann Turner Campaign Secretary Centenary Appeal Office St Boniface Church Grétrystraat 39 BE-2018 Antwerp Tel. No: +32 (0)3 239 33 39 E-mail: appeal@boniface.be	Diocese in Europe