The Annunciation

Introduction

The Church of the Annunciation in Edgware was solemnly opened in October 1929. The foundation stone was laid on May 10th 1928 and the first mass was celebrated in June 1928 in a temporary chapel.

History

In September 1928 Father Armitage was appointed Parish Priest and in October work was started on the presbytery. On December 15th 1928 the church was completed and solemnly blessed by Fr Goggin, the area Dean, and used for the first time the next day. In 1937 new sacristies were built joining the church to the hall. During the second world war the streets close to the church were badly bombed causing structural damage, and the church was closed in June 1947 and reopened in October 1951.

The St Vincent de Paul sisters gave the life size statue of the Sacred Heart which is in the Church. In 1943 Fr Smyth arrived in Burnt Oak as a curate and built up an excellent youth club.

Architecture and furnishings

In 1952 work started on the grounds: a wire fence was replaced by a brick wall and pipes and woodwork were repainted. The cross on the church tower was gilded and floodlit, completed in time for Queen Elizabeth's Coronation.

Parish life

The parish has prayer groups for prayers and discussions. Altar servers who serve regularly for over a year can become members of the Guild of Saint Stephen, with medals and cords marking progress. The church has choirs that are multi-cultural and encourage the congregation to take part in the Mass.

The parish has an excellent social committee who put together themed evenings. The parish works in partnership with and opens up its facilities to a variety of community groups.

During the church's closure, Mass was celebrated in the Annunciation School. The parish had good football and netball teams and entered local sports and athletic competitions. The parish grounds were dug out to provide underground shelters for the children of the Annunciation during wartime.

Visiting

The parish grounds are home to the Church, the Presbytery and a 2-storey Parish Centre, with information on facilities and hire bookings available. The church is a couple of minutes' walk from Burnt Oak tube station, with directions via Gervase Road and Thirleby Road.