St Dunstan's Church, Woking

Last updated

St Dunstan's Church
St Dunstan's Church, Shaftesbury Road, Maybury, Woking (June 2015) (3).jpg
The church from the southwest
Surrey UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
St Dunstan's Church
Location in Surrey
Coordinates: 51°19′09″N0°32′43″W / 51.3192°N 0.5453°W / 51.3192; -0.5453
OS grid reference TQ0147858775
LocationShaftesbury Road, Woking, Surrey
CountryUnited Kingdom
Denomination Roman Catholic
Website St-Dunstans.org
History
StatusActive
Dedication Dunstan
Dedicated22 October 2008
Architecture
Functional status Parish church
Completed8 August 2008
Administration
Province Southwark
Diocese Arundel and Brighton
Deanery Woking [1]

St Dunstan's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Woking, Surrey. At first it was built in 1899, replaced by a larger church in 1923 and its final form was built in 2008. The church was dedicated that year by the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. It is set back in its own plot from Shaftesbury and Pembroke Roads within a mile of the town's centre. It is the only Catholic church in the town and is the centre of the deanery of Woking in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. [1]

Contents

History

Percy Street

In 1850, there was the Restoration of the English Catholic hierarchy. However, there was no place of worship for Catholics in Woking. Instead, Catholics travelled to Send or to St Edward the Confessor Church in Sutton Green to celebrate Mass. [2]

In 1899, a Fr W. D. Allanson built an iron church in Percy street, Woking, dedicated to St Dunstan. [3]

Heathside Crescent

Our Lady Mother of God Church, Kingfield, built in 1962 and demolished when the new St Dunstan's was built. Roman Catholic church, Kingfield, Woking - geograph.org.uk - 41045.jpg
Our Lady Mother of God Church, Kingfield, built in 1962 and demolished when the new St Dunstan's was built.

In 1923, a Fr. Plummer replaced a Fr. John Peall as parish priest and wanted a new church to be built in the Gothic Revival style. Plans were soon drawn up and on 26 April 1925, Bishop William Brown, Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark and Titular Bishop of Pella of laid the foundation stone at the new site on Heathside Crescent. The church was designed by Joseph Goldie. It was completed on 8 December that year. In 1954, Fr Plummer died and was buried in the grounds of the church. [2]

The church congregation grew during the 20th-century so that other Catholic churches had to be established in the surrounding area. St Hugh's Church in Knaphill was opened in 1907, Our Lady Help of Christians Church in West Byfleet in 1954 and Our Lady Mother of God Church in the Kingfield area of Woking in 1962. [2]

After the Second World War, many Italian immigrants came to work in Woking. In 1973, Masses in Italian were held on Sunday for the community. In 1953, the first parish school was opened, then in 1958 St Dunstan's School was opened and then St Francis School in 1973. In 1993, they were combined to form St Dunstan's Primary School. [2]

Shaftesbury Road

When St Francis School was closed, its site on Shaftesbury Road was not sold, but retained. In 2003, the decision was made to develop the site to build a new church that would replace the Our Lady Mother of God church and St Dunstan's on Heathside Crescent. [2]

In 2006, construction work began. In March 2006, Our Lady Mother of God Church was closed in anticipation of the new church being built. On 13 July 2006, as part of the redevelopment of parish facilities, Bishop Kieran Conry moved the remains of Fr Plummer to St Edward the Confessor Church in Sutton Green. [2]

On 8 August 2008, the building was completed and the first Mass was celebrated the next day. The new church was dedicated on 22 October 2008 by the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, Kieran Conry and Cardinal Cormac Murphy – O'Connor. [2]

Parish

The church has a close relationship with St. Dunstan's Primary School.

The church has five Sunday Masses every week, 6:00pm on Saturday evening (for Sunday), 9:00am, 10:30am Sunday morning, an Italian Mass at 12 noon and a Sunday evening Mass at 5:30pm. There are weekday Masses from Monday to Saturday at 10:00am [4]

In September 2013, John Lillis, a former choirmaster and organist at the church, was jailed for six years after being found guilty of attempted buggery and two counts of indecent assault against boys under the age of 16. In November 2013 his sentence was increased to eight years. Lillis had previously pleaded guilty to four other counts of indecent assault committed between 1973 and 1982. He had been a music teacher at St. Dunstan's School during those years. [5] [6] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton</span> Catholic diocese in England

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton is a Latin Church Roman Catholic diocese in southern England covering the counties of Sussex and Surrey. The diocese was erected on 28 May 1965 by Pope Paul VI, having previously been a part of the larger Diocese of Southwark, which was elevated to an archdiocese with a new ecclesiastical province on the same date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kieran Conry</span>

Kieran Thomas Conry is a Roman Catholic bishop. He was the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton from 2001 until his resignation in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Longley</span> Catholic archbishop

Bernard Longley is an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was named the Archbishop of Birmingham on 1 October 2009, and installed on 8 December 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Thomas More, Seaford</span> Church in East Sussex , United Kingdom

The Church of St Thomas More is the Roman Catholic parish church in Seaford, East Sussex, England. It has a congregation of around 200 people, and the current Pastor is Deacon Stephen Sharpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Sacred Heart, Hove</span> Church in England

The Church of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic church in Hove, part of the English city of Brighton and Hove. It is the oldest of Hove's three Roman Catholic churches, and one of eleven in the city area. It has been designated a Grade II Listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Joan of Arc's Church, Farnham</span> Church in Surrey, United Kingdom

St Joan of Arc Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Farnham, Surrey. It was founded in 1890 and built in its present location in 1929. It was decided that the Farnham church should be dedicated to St Joan of Arc because Farnham Castle was a residence of Cardinal Henry Beaufort who was present at her trial. It is a Romanesque Revival church and a Grade II listed building. It is situated between Tilford Road and Waverley Lane, south of Farnham Railway Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Our Lady and St Peter, Leatherhead</span> Church in Surrey, United Kingdom

The Church of Our Lady and St Peter is a Roman Catholic church in Leatherhead, Surrey. It was founded as a local chapel during the First World War and later became a Parish church. It is situated between Copthorne Road and Garlands Road on the junction with St John's Avenue in Leatherhead. It is the only Catholic church in Leatherhead and is served by the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Tarcisius Church, Camberley</span> Church in Camberley, United Kingdom

St Tarcisius Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Camberley, Surrey. It was built between 1923 and 1924 and was designed by Frederick Walters. It is situated on the London Road, to the north of the town, next to The Atrium Shopping Centre. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Edmund Church, Godalming</span> Church in Surrey , United Kingdom

St Edmund's Church is the Roman Catholic parish church of Godalming, a town in the English county of Surrey. It was built in 1906 to the design of Frederick Walters and is a Grade II listed building. The church stands on a "dramatic hillside site" on the corner of Croft Road just off Flambard Way close to the centre of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Teresa of Avila Church, Chiddingfold</span> Church in Surrey, United Kingdom

St Teresa of Avila Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Chiddingfold, Surrey. It is situated on the corner of Petworth Road and Woodside Road in the centre of the village, next to the cricket green of Chiddingfold Cricket Club. It was built in 1959 and designed by Henry Bingham Towner. Although it is not a listed building, English Heritage stated, "The church makes an important contribution to the townscape of Chiddingfold," and that it of all the churches designed by Bingham Towner they stated, "we judge St Theresa of Avila to be the best of the churches we have seen."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Englefield Green</span> Church in Surrey, United Kingdom

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic church in Englefield Green, Surrey. It is situated on St Cuthbert's Close and faces Harvest Road in the older side of the village close to Egham Hill. It was built from 1930 to 1931 and designed by Joseph Goldie. Although the church is not a listed building, English Heritage, in two separate reports, stated "this is a thumping great church" and "many churches were being built in the Romanesque style in the 1930s ... but Goldie's church is better composed and more competently detailed than most."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Richard of Chichester Church, Chichester</span> Church in West Sussex, United Kingdom

St Richard of Chichester Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Chichester, West Sussex, England. The church was built in 1958 and contains the largest scheme of stained glass by Gabriel Loire in the United Kingdom. The church is situated on Market Avenue on the corner of Cawley Road, next to St Richard's Catholic Primary School. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Ransom Church, Eastbourne</span> Church in East Sussex, United Kingdom

Our Lady of Ransom Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Eastbourne, East Sussex. It was founded as a mission in 1869, built from 1900 to 1903, and had extensions completed in 1926. It is situated on the corner of Meads Road and Grange Road, opposite Eastbourne Town F.C. in the centre of the town. It was designed by Frederick Walters and is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary Star of the Sea Church, Hastings</span> Church in East Sussex, United Kingdom

St Mary Star of the Sea Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Hastings, East Sussex, England. It was built from 1882 to 1883 and designed by Basil Champneys. It is situated on the High Street, backing onto The Bourne in the Old Town. It was founded by the Pallottines and is a Grade II listed building. English Heritage describes the church as a "well crafted building of high quality."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary Magdalene's Church, Bexhill-on-Sea</span> Church in East Sussex, United Kingdom

St Mary Magdalene's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. It was founded in 1893 and built in 1907 in the Gothic Revival style. Dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene, it is situated on the corner of Sea Road and Magdalen Road opposite Station Road and Bexhill railway station in the centre of the town. It was designed by Arthur Young and is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Bognor Regis</span> Church in West Sussex, England

Our Lady of Sorrows Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England. It was built from 1881 to 1882 and designed by Joseph Stanislaus Hansom. It is situated on the corner of the High Street and Clarence Road, backing on to Albert Road, in the centre of the town. It was founded by the Servite Order and is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John the Evangelist Church, Heron's Ghyll</span> Church in East Sussex, United Kingdom

St John's Church or St John the Evangelist Church is a Roman Catholic Parish Church in the Heron's Ghyll settlement of Buxted, East Sussex, England. It was built from 1896 to 1897 and designed by Frederick Walters. It is situated on the A26 road in the centre of Heron's Ghyll. It is a Gothic Revival church and is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Preston Park</span> Church in East Sussex, England

St Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in the Preston Village area of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. It was built from 1910 to 1912 in the Arts and Crafts style of Gothic Revival architecture. It is situated on the Surrenden Road on the corner with Preston Drove opposite Preston Park. It was designed by Percy Aiden Lamb, a student of Edward Goldie, and is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Wilfrid's Church, Hailsham</span> Church in East Sussex, England

St Wilfrid's Church is a Roman Catholic church serving the town of Hailsham in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The present building was completed in 2015 and is the third church to serve the town; it stands between its predecessors, a small hall opened in 1922 and a larger church of 1955, on a site which had belonged to a Catholic family since the 19th century. The Hailsham area was historically supportive of Protestant Nonconformist beliefs and had few Catholics, and for many years worshippers had to attend Mass in basic premises: rooms in private houses and, from 1917, a subdivided loft in the stables of a brewery. Numbers grew rapidly after the first permanent church opened, and after six decades of being served from Our Lady of Ransom Church, Eastbourne, Hailsham became an independent parish in 1957. The town's rapid postwar growth and an increasing Catholic population prompted the construction of the larger new church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George's Church, Polegate</span> Church in East Sussex , United Kingdom

St George's Church is a Roman Catholic church of the parish of Hailsham and Polegate serving the town of Polegate in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England.

References

  1. 1 2 Deaneries from Diocese of Arundel and Brighton retrieved 16 September 2013
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "St Dunstan's Catholic Church, Woking: Parish History". St Dunstan's Catholic Church, Woking. 29 June 2015. Archived from the original on 23 August 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Woking from British History Online retrieved 16 September 2013
  4. ↑ "Home". st-dunstans.org.
  5. ↑ Russell, Benjamin (15 August 2013). "Church paedophile persuaded not to resign by priest finally faces just". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Former choirmaster John Lillis jailed for indecent assault". BBC News. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  7. ↑ Stanton, Jenny (13 November 2013). "Increased jail term for teacher and choirmaster who abused boys". SurreyLive. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.