London: Historic Catholic Church receives funding to save spire

Fr Dominic at St Mary's

St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Clapham, south London is to receive a £40,000 Cornerstone repair and rescue grant from the National Churches Trust to help fund urgent repairs to the spire, 170 feet tall and a major local landmark.

St Mary’s is one of 21 of the UK’s Christian places of worship to share in a £330,000 round of funding from church building support charity, the National Churches Trust.

The church was designed in a Gothic style by William Wardell and has later additions by J E Bentley, architect of Westminster Cathedral.

From 1847 Mass was said in a house in North Street, Clapham Old Town, known as St Anne’s, owned by the Daughters of the Heart of Mary. This had to suffice until the arrival of the Redemptorist Order in Clapham, who arrived in 1848 at the invitation of (Bishop) Wiseman, and who quickly commissioned designs from William Wardell for a spectacular new Decorated Gothic Revival church. The foundation stone was laid on 2 August 1849 and the church was opened by Cardinal Wiseman on 14 May 1851. The church was consecrated on 13 October 1852, its debt having been cleared by a large donation from (Fr) Edmund Douglas, a wealthy convert who had joined the Redemptorist Congregation.

The church was opened to serve the growing numbers of Catholics living around Clapham Common in the middle of the 19th Century who came to work on the new roads and railways, as well as meet the demand by the rising middle classes to enlarge their domestic staffs.

Fr Dominic O'Toole CSsR, Parish Priest at St Mary's said: “We are extremely grateful to the National Churches Trust for supporting our spire restoration appeal with a grant of £40,000. This will help us to carry out extensive structural repairs to the 170 foot spire, replacing severely corroded iron bands, damaged and missing stones and the spire light windows.”

“ St Mary’s has been the centre of Catholic life in the Clapham Common area for over 160 years. A Grade II* listed building, it is one of the major Victorian churches of South London. What we believe is more important than our building, yet our beautiful Church helps us in our faith. It is for us a place of prayer, a place where we experience the presence of God.”

“Over the next two years, we will need to spend £ 690,000 to secure the fabric of St Mary's Church. If you would like to support this work in any way see: www.stmarys-clapham.org.uk”

Amongst other churches being offered grants are:

· St Pancras Old Church, one of the oldest churches in London and a site of Christian worship since the 4th century.

· St Anne’s Church, Chasetown, Staffordshire, in 1883 one of the first churches in the UK to have electricity.

· St Mary, St Peter and St Paul, Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, a church with a tower dating from 1270, originally built to guard the Severn river against possible incursions from Wales.

· The United Reformed Church in Ottery St Mary, Devon, one of the oldest non-conformist churches in England.

Buildings supported come from a wide range of denominations including Church of England, Church in Wales, Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic churches, as well as a United Reformed Church, Methodist chapels and a building belonging to the Celestial Church of Christ.

Huw Edwards, broadcaster and journalist and Vice-President of the National Churches Trust said: “The National Churches Trust’s £330,000 funding package will safeguard the future of 21 places of worship in England, Wales and Scotland and help strengthen community life. “

“National Churches Trust grants will help pay for urgent repairs to crumbling spires, leaking roofs and ancient drains, helping to bring some of the most beautiful and historic churches and chapels back to their full glory.”

“National Churches Trust grants will also fund a range of projects to install kitchens, toilets and improve access for the elderly and people with disabilities. This will help churches and chapels become welcoming community hubs that can better serve the needs of worshippers, community organisations and visitors. “

Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust said: “As the National Churches Trust receives no financial support from church authorities or government, our work is entirely funded through the generosity of our supporters. So if you would like to help us to keep churches, chapels and meeting houses alive, please consider joining us as a Friend or by making a donation to support our work. For more information see: www.nationalchurchestrust.org .”