Church Decorated With Hundreds of Paper Angels

Hundreds of shimmering paper angels have been suspended from the ceiling of a Jersey church after a community-wide craft project brought people of all ages together.

St Brelade’s Church is now home to an estimated 700 to 800 angels, all handmade from paper plates and glitter, which have been hung above the pews using fine fishing wire. The display will remain in place until 6 January.

The Reverend Sarah McClelland said the scale of the response had exceeded expectations and reflected the strong sense of community within the parish.

“It’s been wonderful to see just how many people wanted to take part,” she said. “It’s a powerful reminder of what a supportive and creative community we have, both as a parish and as an island.”

The idea originated with a local resident, after which templates were shared widely to encourage participation. Schools, retirement homes, parishioners and youth groups, including the Guides and Brownies, all contributed to the display.

Ms McClelland said she hoped the angels would offer visitors a sense of welcome and reassurance.

“Angels are messengers of God, and our hope is that when people come into the church they feel a message of love, hope and joy,” she said. “We want it to feel like a really warm welcome.”

Alongside the main display, the church has also created a small “angel tree” decorated with miniature figures. “Anything with a bit of sparkle makes me particularly happy,” Ms McClelland added.