Coming to Faith
by Lisa Williamson
I’ve lived in Brighton all my life, although I was born in Lewisham. Aged 38, I gave birth to my first daughter, Madeleine, at Sussex County Hospital on 19 October 2000. I was living by Seven Dials, a place I knew well as I had previously lived there as a child and went to the local school.
My younger sister Joanne was a Christian and she and her husband, Christian, agreed to be our daughter’s godparents. I chose St Peter’s because, although I was not a regular church attender (we did go to Sunday School), I had an emotional connection with the church. It was a place I was grateful to see, even though I had not been inside.
My sister Joanne had cancer in her early twenties and just after I had given birth to Madeleine, her cancer had come back. It was important to me to have her and her husband as godparents. The then vicar Father Michael agreed for us to have the service after the main service. It was a lovely day, and afterwards we went to my parents’ house near Preston Park.
I gave birth to my second daughter, Raphaela, 18 months later, on 18 June 2002. By this time, my sister was very ill and sadly died two months later. Raphaela (pronounced ra-fayler) was baptised in St Philip’s church in Hove where we had just moved. In a year, I had had a baby, lost my sister, and moved house still grieving for her.
In 2004 I joined the diocese of Chichester as a communications officer. From this time my faith journey really took hold. I am so grateful to be able to look back on that special day of the baptism and know that God was with us, to know that he has always been by my side through all the difficult times and good. I don’t know how I would have managed without His guiding, unconditional love. Jesus, counsellor, redeemer and saviour.
I am grateful too, that my sister’s husband is still in our lives and that he has a lovely family now who we see often. Joanne is never forgotten. God is good.
Other key areas
Jean Wheeler: Everyday Life
Jean Wheeler and the Wheeler family started coming to St Peter's in the 1950s. Here she tells us how she navigated family life and being part of the church.
St Peter’s is a Landmark
Born in Brighton in 1945 at the bottom of what was then Carlton Hill to the east of the church, Marie Elvin describes what life was like in the seaside city in the aftermath of the Second World War, and her lifelong connection to St Peter's Church.
Best Friends
For many, St Peter's has been a place to discover not only faith, but also friendship. One congregation member tells her story.
Bonfire Nights on The Level
Sitting right at the centre of Brighton, a short walk from the Palace Pier and the Pavilion, London Road and the station, and right on the edge of The Level, St Peter’s has formed the backdrop for thousands of memories. Brighton native Sue Clement tells us her childhood recollections of bonfire night.
The Donnes: A Typical Brighton Family
The Donne family arrived in Brighton at the turn of the nineteenth century just as the Brighton building boom got underway. It included the construction of a new church, St Peter's, which began in 1824. Living in York Place, the family had a front row seat from which to watch.
‘This project is kindly funded by Historic England as part of the Everyday Heritage - Working Class Histories. We are grateful to them for this funding.’