St. Michael le Belfry

 

 St. Michael le Belfry gets its name by being opposite the Minster's bell towers (or possibly because it replaced an earlier church that had a belfry.)  Built during the heart of Henry VIII's break with Rome, it replaced a much earlier church, perhaps Norman.  Its master mason was also master for the Minster; this style is called Tudor Gothic, the last stage of the English Gothic evolution.  One wonders if the front was once symmetric before losing its left tower.  Its celeb parishioners include Guy Fawkes (of gunpowder plot fame) whose parents lived down the street. 

The Michael's is a parish church, York's largest, serving the needs of the local community whereas its much larger Minster neighbor serves an entire archdiocese. Our first evening in town, we poked our heads in to look and were warmly greeted by the "ushers" waiting for a service to start.  During the 1970s, it became a center for charismatic renewal and today even conducts one of its services in Mandarin. 

 


 

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Created on 15 October 2006
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