The service of baptism is the outward sign of a new relationship with God. In church-speak it is a ‘sacrament’ – which is a way of saying that it is an outward and external sign of an inward and spiritual event and transformation. In baptism we both signal entry into the committed and active life of the Church and experience the grace and love of God. Baptism is something we do: it is something done on our behalf by priests: and it is – above all – something done by God. Those who bring people to be baptised come not as spectators but as participants in an action that is done on behalf of the whole Church.
Baptisms usually take place on a Sunday morning at the 11 o’clock High Mass – but may, for pastoral reasons, take place on other days and at other times.
From the very beginning of its life, in 1843, St Paul’s has been one of the society churches of London, and generations of brides & bridegrooms have seen it as the only place to be married. It is an intensely prayerful place, in which the sense of God’s presence and blessing is palpable.
We enjoy the services of some of the finest church musicians in London and will work hard with you to make sure that the service reflects you and your own relationship; there is no such thing as an ‘off-the-shelf’ service at St Paul’s.
St Paul’s Knightsbridge has an unequalled reputation as a place for holding Memorial Services and Services of Thanksgiving – and has great resources to support you through a time of loss and as the place to hold a funeral service.
No two services are the same, and part of the privilege of organising a funeral or memorial service with a family is tailoring the possibilities to ensure that the service accurately presents and celebrates the life of the departed.
The church seats up to 850 people, but is constructed in such a way that much smaller than capacity congregations don’t feel drowned or lost. A congregation of 80-100 in the centre of the nave feels comfortably full, and smaller congregations of up to 45 can be accommodated in the intimate Chancel (the area close to the High Altar, beyond the screen).
