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New Liturgical Robes for St Matthew-in-the-City

 New Liturgical Robes. On Sunday 27 February 2022 we dedicated a new set of robes - chasubles, stoles and banners - designed by Miranda Brown. This was the culmination of a four year project. Watch the video to hear our design story. 
Miranda Brown Rev Helen Jacobi

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New Liturgical Robes for St Matthew-in-the-City

Transcript
The robes are unique designed for some Matthews building and Ethos ancient modern and grounded and aotearoa. We're really quite a traditional Church in the way that we do. Our liturgy. We think of ourselves as very connected to the community and modern that sense in our views and our connections with the world, but the way we do, our worship is actually very traditional and and that's a real Anglican thing. Being rooted in context and culture, the collection of robes that Had were some that had been made for us. Some that had been given some that had been inherited from retired clergy and they weren't really a unified set. We thought it would be really wonderful to try and see if we could have something traditionally beautiful but that then also spoke to our more modern engagement with the world and do that all at once. I'm an artist and designer and my work is all about connecting people to Nature. And in this particular project, with some Matthews, it was all about creating a connection. Into this ecology and to the ministry of the church, the origins of the project started when Helen Jacoby the vicar of st. Matthews approached me. And she was very aware as the clergy were that there was a dated set of Investments and the themes were scattered. When she asked me my heart, let our being a creator of sacred symbols and also the fact that it was going to be a CO creative project and about the sense of the place and Matthews in the city. And I Labeling, a wider conversation, and exploration so the design process did start for years ago. And that was that when that seed was planted and then it was a matter of exploring what was possible and meeting with Helen and K. Then we were able to see. Okay. We'll sit out a workshop to engage the community, which we did I sat, and I Dro. So I came back to all of that knowledge that was drawn from looking at the church. The conversations the workshop was fascinating watching her A walk around the building and take note of the details and she was just absorbing the, the imagery, then to see what came back. We were astonished, then I will with my graphic designer Carol Green, who's a master and bingo. We had a green light on print, the images are printed onto paper, they're transferred very high heat onto the stick style. It is a synthetic fabric and so it will last through time it is light fast and will launder really well how she had, Really listened through her creative process up, came the symbols and that was amazing to watch. She's taken pieces of the building and pieces of aotearoa Heritage and woven them into the symbols along with traditional Church symbols the symbol creation and that reflection of the church has come through. Also in the Carrier Dome from the workshop, you know, people were really wanting that that the spirit the feathers and a bird to be represented and so The vote went out and it was the quetta, do something that really struck my heart was, they can door sculpture, it really embraced the architecture and the Ark archers. And then these came through into the symbol of the Chalice, the symbol that she calls the Chalice the arms. Reaching up also speak to me of the archers of the Church of Maori how to Kiki weaving. We've got the trilogy. So, this, the chalices, when you have them in the three, the father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, Then 1995 Nelson Mandela came to Saint Matthews to thank the people of aotearoa for the work, in the anti-apartheid movement and we have an iconic photo of him in our pulpit and there is a banner underneath it. And the banner got lost somewhere along the way. No one could remember whose it was or where it came from. And so, from the photo we had Miranda and her team design a replica of it. So, we now have our Mandela Banner back again. She's woven all of those things together. Amazingly The parish's reaction was that people were thrilled. Lots of people just walking in and gasping. They had seen the designs sketched but they hadn't seen them in the fish. And I can see also already from the comments on line of people who are at home but watching online, they were also very excited. So when they come back to church and person, they'll be able to enjoy them. Today has been really uplifting and my happiness, is everyone's happiness, you know? It is a, it is a big moment, it's a real investment and it is an honoring of all the parts. Needed to create a really healthy vibrant Ministries. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate the work of artists. We have artists and our building from the very ancient stained glass windows. And now with the robes will also it's a reminder that we celebrate the work of artists and the offering in our midst. Every time we worship My Hope for what these Investments, these robes. And Banners and stoles will bring the church is a connection to to this place. It's a reflection. One of them is a reflection of st. Matthews, their Christian faith and the Ecology of of this beautiful country that we live in.