Northampton Cathedral | |
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Cathedral Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury, Northampton | |
The east end of the cathedral, built 1948-55 | |
52°14′53″N0°53′55″W / 52.248°N 0.8985°W | |
OS grid reference | SP7529061672 |
Location | Northampton, Northamptonshire |
Country | England |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Website | www.northamptoncathedral.org |
History | |
Former name(s) | Chapel of St Felix |
Status | Active |
Dedication | Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury |
Consecrated | 1864 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Cathedral |
Heritage designation | Grade II |
Designated | 22 January 1976 |
Architect(s) | Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin |
Architectural type | Gothic Revival |
Groundbreaking | 1840 |
Administration | |
Province | Westminster |
Diocese | Northampton |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | David Oakley |
Dean | Simon Penhalagan |
Laity | |
Director of music | Teresa Brown |
Organist(s) | Christopher Weaver |
The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Northampton, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Northampton and mother church of the Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and part of Berkshire (formerly in Buckinghamshire) north of the River Thames. The cathedral is situated in the north of the town, along the Barrack Road. [1]
In 1823, Bishop John Milner, Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, sent a Fr William Foley to Northampton to establish a permanent Roman Catholic presence in the town. His first base was a small house, used by a Catholic priest during the previous two years, which had one room as a chapel. Fr Foley bought a piece of land on the site of the original St Andrew's Priory, Northampton, whence Thomas Becket had gone into exile. [2] It was there that Foley decided to have a purpose-built chapel constructed; the chapel, dedicated to Saint Andrew, was opened on 25 October 1825.
The origins of the current building date back to 1840 when the first Bishop of Northampton, William Wareing, commissioned Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin to design a collegiate chapel of St Felix. The chapel of St Andrew was too small for the larger congregation. The new chapel was built in 1844. [3] The number of worshippers soon outgrew the size of the building and Pugin's son Edward Welby Pugin was chosen by Bishop Wareing's successor, Francis Amherst to design an extension in order to make the building into a cathedral. This extension came in the form of the current nave which was opened in 1864, dedicated to Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury. [4] Dating from the 1860s, the stained glass windows were made by John Hardman of Birmingham. Richly coloured, they depict St Peter and other local saints, such as St Edward the Confessor and St Thomas Becket. [5]
The cathedral was left in this form until 1948 when it was decided by Bishop Leo Parker that the west end of the cathedral should be extended. [3] This meant that part of St Andrew's chapel had to be demolished in order for the development to go ahead. The part of the chapel that survived, including the original altar, is now in the sacristy and chapter room of the cathedral. [6] The building work was finally completed, seven years later in 1955. Albert Herbert was the architect and he oversaw the original west end being replaced by a straight west end as well as the transepts and a crossing tower being built. Bishop Leo Parker died in 1975 and he was buried in Blessed Sacrament Chapel. [3]
In 1998, the sanctuary was re-ordered. A new window, designed by Joseph Nuttgens (a student of Karl Parsons and who has a work installed in Windsor Castle), was put into the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the original choir stalls from the main altar were moved into the chapter room and the cathedra (or bishop's throne) was replaced with one carved by Stephen Foster; designed to accompany the triptych of the Holy Spirit behind it. [6]
The cathedral has two organs. One is a historical tracker-action pipe organ, the other is a digital instrument. The tracker-action organ was built in 1976 by Hendrik ten Bruggencate and was inspired by the Swiss firm Metzler Orgelbau.
The other, a digital custom-made Viscount organ was installed in May 2008. The console is in the west gallery.
The cathedral also has a regular choir, that sings in the 11:00 Sunday Mass and other major Cathedral liturgies. [7]
The cathedral also operates as a parish church and hosts various voluntary parish organisations. In particular the local Society of Saint Vincent de Paul meet there to organise serving the poor and disadvantaged of the local area. [8]
Sir George Gilbert Scott, largely known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started his career as a leading designer of workhouses. Over 800 buildings were designed or altered by him.
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival style of architecture. His work culminated in designing the interior of the Palace of Westminster in Westminster, London, and its renowned clock tower, the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the bell known as Big Ben. Pugin designed many churches in England, and some in Ireland and Australia. He was the son of Auguste Pugin, and the father of Edward Welby Pugin, Cuthbert Welby Pugin, and Peter Paul Pugin, who continued his architectural and interior design firm as Pugin & Pugin.
The Cathedral Church of St. Barnabas is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the city of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Nottingham and seat of the Bishop of Nottingham. The cathedral is a grade-II* listed building.
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The Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of Saint Chad is a Catholic cathedral in Birmingham, England. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and is dedicated to Saint Chad of Mercia.
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Edward Welby Pugin was an English architect, the eldest son of architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton and part of the Pugin & Pugin family of church architects. His father was an architect and designer of Neo-Gothic architecture, and after his death in 1852 Edward took up his practice. At the time of his own early death in 1875, Pugin had designed and completed more than one hundred Catholic churches.
Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings. After the doors closed at Lightwoods Park Justin Hardman, a descendant of John Hardman kept the heart of the studio alive and with the help of chief designer, Artist Edgar JB Phillips they continue to design and manufacture exquisite traditional Hardman stained glass around the world.
The Diocese of Northampton is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic church in England and Wales and suffragan of Westminster. Its see is in Northampton. The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury is the mother church of the Diocese.
Benjamin Ferrey FSA FRIBA was an English architect who worked mostly in the Gothic Revival.
Bishop William Wareing was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton.
Belmont Abbey, in Herefordshire, England, is a Catholic Benedictine monastery that forms part of the English Benedictine Congregation. It stands on a small hill overlooking the city of Hereford to the east, with views across to the Black Mountains in Wales to the west. The 19th century Abbey also serves as a parish church.
St Giles' Church is a Roman Catholic church in the town of Cheadle, Staffordshire, England. The Grade I listed Gothic Revival church was designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and built between 1841 and 1846 for the Earl of Shrewsbury. It is in Decorated style, and is highly decorated on the outside and the inside, and has a tall steeple. The interior is painted throughout, and is floored with patterned tiles. Almost all the furniture and fittings were designed by Pugin, including the piscina, sedilia, a recess for an Easter Sepulchre, the reredos, font, font cover, pulpit, and screen. The spire is 200 feet (61 m) high and the church by far the tallest building in the town.
The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, also known as St Mary's Cathedral or Wrexham Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Wrexham, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Wrexham, and mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrexham.
Thomas Earp (1828–1893) was a British sculptor and architectural carver who was active in the late 19th century. His best known work is his 1863 reproduction of the Eleanor Cross which stands at Charing Cross in London. He specialised in sculpture for Gothic Revival churches and worked closely with the architect George Edmund Street in the 1860s and 1870s.
English Martyrs Church or its full name The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and the English Martyrs is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Preston, Lancashire. It was designed by Edward Welby Pugin and is a shrine church of the Diocese of Lancaster within the Parish of St John XXIII, Preston. It is near to Preston city centre and stands on the corner of the A6, between Aqueduct Street and St George's Road.
St Stephen's Chapel, also known as the Pugin Chapel, and formerly known as Old St Stephen's Church, is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic former church, now chapel, located at 249 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Augustus Pugin and built from 1848 to 1850 by Alexander Goold and Andrew Petrie.
St Peter's Church is a Catholic church in Woolwich, South East London. It is situated between Woolwich New Road and Brookhill Road, the main entrance being on Woolwich New Road. The church was designed by Augustus Pugin in 1841–42 in the style of the Gothic Revival and is one of only three Pugin churches in London. Pugin's design remained unfinished as the projected tower and spire were never built. The parish of St Peter the Apostle serves the Catholic community of central Woolwich and surrounding areas, and is part of the Archdiocese of Southwark which is in the Province of Southwark.
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