St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church, Malmesbury
| St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
 St Aldhelm's Church from Cross Hayes | |
  St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church  St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church | |
| 51°34′59″N 2°05′46″W / 51.583°N 2.096°W | |
| OS grid reference | ST 93413 87131 |
| Location | Malmesbury, Wiltshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Founder(s) |
|
| Dedication | St Aldhelm |
| Administration | |
| Episcopal conference | Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales |
| Province | Ecclesiastical province of Birmingham |
| Metropolis | Archdiocese of Birmingham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Clifton |
| Deanery | St Aldhelm[1] |
| Parish | Malmesbury |
| Clergy | |
| Dean | Fr Michael McAndrew |
| Priest(s) | Fr Tomas Kulandaisamy MSFS[2] |
| Deacon(s) | Steve Boughton[2] |
| St Aldhelm's Presbytery | |
|---|---|
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | St Aldhelm's Presbytery[3] |
| Designated | 30 June 1976 |
| Reference no. | 1269513 |
St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England is a Roman Catholic Church built in 1875. The church is dedicated to St Aldhelm who lived in Malmesbury and was the abbot at nearby Malmesbury Abbey. The attached presbytery is a Grade II listed building.[3]
Buildings
[edit]St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church is built in uncoursed stone with ashlar dressings, in 14th-century gothic style. It is set back from Cross Hayes, the town's former marketplace (now a car park),[4] to which it presents its west façade where a large two-light trefoil-headed window is flanked by two plain lancets.[5]
Immediately south of the courtyard is the presbytery. The Grade II listed building incorporates a single-storey 19th-century former stable to Cross Hayes House, built in squared limestone, with a later rear extension in limestone rubble.[3]
In 2022, a stained-glass window dedicated to Blessed Carlo Acutis was installed in the church, with the aim of connecting with younger parishioners.[6] The church has seen an increase in visitors since Acutis's canonisation was announced in May 2024.[7]
In 2023, planning permission was requested to demolish the outbuildings located to the north of the church's courtyard and replace them with a new parish hall.[8] The planned building is intended to replace the existing club room, modernising the facilities and providing more space for the growing church community. Full planning permission was received from Wiltshire Council in April 2024, with building to begin within three years of this decision.[9]
History
[edit]The church was founded in 1875 by French priest Francois Larive MSFS, who was the first Missionary of St Francis de Sales to work in England.[10] The idea of founding a church in Malmesbury was given to him by Captain Charles Goddard Dewell of the 91st Argyllshire Regiment of Foot, who was born and raised in Malmesbury. The two met in 1858 while Captain Dewell was posted to the village of Kamptee in India.[11] Dewell had recently been baptised into the Roman Catholic Church after being converted to Catholicism following falling ill while serving in Italy.[12] He wanted to start a church in his home town, so after much discussion with Father Larive, the two decided to set up a church in Malmesbury.
In 1861, Father Larive and Dewell came to Malmesbury, and they decided on a site for the church: Cross Hayes House, which was owned by Dewell.[11] There were delays with the transfer of the lease of the house, so it did not become available until 1867. It was in that year that Captain Dewell became a lay brother in the Society of Jesus[11] and opened a school, despite fierce local opposition, including from the local member of parliament. A temporary church was set up on newly purchased adjoining land in 1869, and used until the present church was opened on 1 July 1875.[5] Father Larive dedicated the church to St Aldhelm, who was the patron saint of the town and was the founder and first abbot at the nearby Malmesbury Abbey from 675 to 705.[13]
The site of the old church became St. Joseph's Primary School, run by and named after the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy with whom Father Larive had previously worked. The school remained there until 1933 when it moved to its current site on Holloway Hill.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Parishes". Clifton Diocese. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Saint Aldhelms Malmesbury". www.saintaldhelms.com.
- ^ a b c Historic England. "St Aldhems Presbytery (1269513)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Malmesbury". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Malmesbury - St Aldhelm". Taking Stock. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Stained glass window dedicated to Blessed Carlo Acutis creating a stir in English parish". Catholic Herald. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ Pepinster, Catherine (24 May 2024). "The video game-loving teen who was made a saint – and immortalised in a Wiltshire church window". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Foster, Camilla (13 February 2024). "Plans for new parish hall at St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Moriarty, Jessica (18 April 2024). "New parish hall for 'thriving' church in Malmesbury". BBC News. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "English Province". Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, UK. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ a b c "Captain Charles Goddard Dewell". btsarnia. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "Image: St. Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church, Malmesbury". Wiltshire Community History. Wiltshire Council. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "St Aldhelm". Athelstan Museum. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ "St Joseph's Catholic Primary School". Retrieved 9 July 2020.
