St George's Cathedral, Southwark

Last updated

St George's Cathedral, Southwark
Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George
St George's Cathedral (2022) - London, UK.jpg
Open street map central london.svg
Red pog.svg
St George's Cathedral, Southwark
Shown within Central London
51°29′52″N0°06′28″W / 51.4978°N 0.1079°W / 51.4978; -0.1079
Location Southwark, Greater London
CountryEngland
Denomination Roman Catholic
Tradition Latin Rite
Website www.stgeorgescathedral.org.uk
History
Status Cathedral
Consecrated 1894
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s) Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin
Style Gothic Revival
Administration
Province Southwark
Archdiocese Southwark
Clergy
Archbishop Most Rev. John Wilson
Dean Canon Michael Branch
Laity
Director of music Jonathan Schranz
Organist(s) Alex Wilson
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated2 March 1950
Reference no.1385643 [1]

The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George, usually known as St George's Cathedral, Southwark, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark, south London, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Southwark.

Contents

The cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Province of Southwark which covers the Archdiocese of Southwark (all of London south of the River Thames including Kent and north Surrey) and the dioceses of Arundel and Brighton, Portsmouth, and Plymouth. It is the metropolitan cathedral of the Archbishop of Southwark. The building was erected in 1848 and reopened after extensive war damage in 1958. It is architecturally listed in the initial category of Grade II. [1]

The cathedral is opposite the Imperial War Museum on Lambeth Road in London (on the corner with St George's Road). On Westminster Bridge Road, close by to the north, is its eponymous Primary School and the headquarters of CAFOD.

History

Catholic priest Father Dixon walks through the cathedral in 1942, after extensive damage was caused by incendiary bombing A Church Rises From the Ashes- Bomb Damage To St George's Cathedral, Southwark, 1942 D7216.jpg
Catholic priest Father Dixon walks through the cathedral in 1942, after extensive damage was caused by incendiary bombing

St George's was built in 1848, when it was opened by Bishop (later Cardinal) Wiseman. Previously, the local Catholic community had used a small chapel on London Road, also dedicated to St George, but the arrival of Irish immigrants in the area necessitated the construction of a larger house of worship. [2] In 1852, following the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy, it became one of the first four Catholic churches in England and Wales (and the first in London) raised to cathedral status since the English Reformation. [3] It was designed by Augustus Pugin, famous for his work with Charles Barry on the design of the rebuilt Houses of Parliament, in decorated Gothic, from yellow stock brick with Portland stone dressings. Pugin was the first person to be married in the church on 10 August 1848, to his third wife Jane.

St George's was restored and redecorated by the Scottish ecclesiastical architect Frederick Walters between 1888 and 1905. [1]

In October 1920 St George's was the site of the funeral Mass of Irish nationalist Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, who died on hunger strike in Brixton Prison. John Lavery painted a well-known painting of the funeral, which is in the collection of the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. [4] [5]

The cathedral was badly bombed during the Second World War, following which the adjacent Amigo Hall served as the pro-cathedral. Within the external structure of Pugin's building, Romilly Craze designed a rebuilt 20th century Gothic revival cathedral, which was opened in 1958. [6] The surviving elements of the bombed cathedral were the two chantries and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, which had been designed by Pugin's son Edward in 1856.

Pugin's original design include taller towers and a spire. Neither when built nor when rebuilt was there sufficient funding, and these elements remain unrealised.

Since the reconstruction it has resumed its role as a focal point in the local community and has played host to many notable visitors, including the Dalai Lama (1998) and Pope John Paul II (1982), the latter being depicted in one of the cathedral's stained-glass windows by Goddard & Gibbs.

Features

Before the wartime damage, there were two organs, one by Willis [7] and one by Bishop & Son. [8] Both were destroyed. They were replaced by a 72 stop John Compton organ in 1958. [9] The Compton organ has since been modified by both Ellis Scothon and by Whitwell Green.

Easter 2011 saw the partial restoration of the Compton organ and the installation in the chancel of the George Pace Choir Stalls, a gift from the Anglican St Alban's Cathedral. The cathedral has strong links with both the Paderborn Cathedral, North Rhine-Westphalia, which suffered bombing by the British in the Second World War, and Southwark Cathedral, the local Anglican cathedral.

The stained glass in the bombed cathedral was by the prolific stained glass artist William Wailes. In the rebuilt cathedral, the window above the West Door shows the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven. The East Window depicts the Crucifixion and Saints of England and Wales. Both East and West windows are by Harry Clarke of Dublin; the stone tracery in the East Window is Pugin's. [10]

A more recent feature is the installation of a cross by the Salvadoran artist Fernando Llort in 2013, as a national shrine to the murdered Archbishop of San Salvador Óscar Romero. [11] [12]

Choirs and music

The cathedral choirs have constantly performed at various events since 1848, and their performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio and TV, such as Christmas Midnight Mass in 2015 on BBC1. [13]

Today

The cathedral is a working church for the community. For example, the Latin American community is served with a Spanish Mass every Sunday at 1 pm, celebrated entirely in the Spanish language. Every Mass is attended by people of different ethnicities and ages, ranging from African to Asian to European[ citation needed ]. The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales have made several visits to the cathedral to celebrate both Low Mass and Solemn High Mass in the usus antiquior (older use) that Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (2007) authorised as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite (the 1962 version of the Tridentine Mass).

The cathedral is located on a historic site next to Wellington Mills housing estate and close to the Imperial War Museum, and a few minutes' walk from London's South Bank and the Thames, Westminster Bridge, the London Eye, and landmarks such as St Thomas' Hospital and Waterloo station. Each summer it is used by London South Bank University for its graduation ceremonies. It is also frequently used for the convocations of the Academy of Saint Cecilia. The acoustics attract many orchestras and choirs to perform concerts in the nave, and the Whitehall Orchestra and Trinity College of Music are frequent visitors.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandaff Cathedral</span> Anglican cathedral in Cardiff, Wales

Llandaff Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral and parish church in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and three Welsh saints: Dubricius, Teilo and Oudoceus. It is one of two cathedrals in Cardiff, the other being the Roman Catholic Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral in the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwark Cathedral</span> Church in London, England

Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies near the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Southwark. It has been a place of Christian worship for more than 1,000 years, but the church was only raised to cathedral status with the creation of the diocese of Southwark in 1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne</span> Cathedral in Victoria, Australia

The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of Saint Patrick is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, and seat of its archbishop, currently Peter Comensoli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, currently Anthony Fisher OP. It is dedicated to the "Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians", Patroness of Australia and holds the title and dignity of a minor basilica, bestowed upon it by Pope Pius XI on 4 August 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham</span> Church in West Midlands, England

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.

N.P Mander Limited later Mander Organs Limited was an English pipe organ maker and refurbisher based in London. Although well known for many years in the organ building industry, they achieved wider notability in 2004 with the refurbishment of the Royal Albert Hall's Father Willis Grand Organ. That company filed for insolvency in 2020 with their trading name and intellectual rights being bought out by the Canterbury firm F. H Browne and Sons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salford Cathedral</span> Catholic cathedral in Salford, Greater Manchester, England

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, usually known as Salford Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral on Chapel Street in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Salford and mother church of the Diocese of Salford, and is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane</span> Heritage-listed cathedral in Brisbane, Queensland

The Cathedral of St Stephen is the heritage-listed cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and seat of its archbishop in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. St Stephen's was only meant to serve as a temporary seat for the archbishop, and plans for a replacement were made with the Holy Name Cathedral, however the cathedral was never built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northampton Cathedral</span> Church in Northamptonshire, England

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 north of the River Thames. The cathedral is situated in the north of the town, along the Barrack Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Bede's Church, Widnes</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Bede's Church is in Appleton Village, Widnes, Cheshire, England. It is an active Roman Catholic parish church in the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Laurence's Church, Northfield</span> Church in Birmingham, England

St. Laurence's Church, Northfield is a parish church in the Church of England in Northfield, Birmingham. The church is in a conservation area near nail maker's cottages, the Great Stone Inn, the old school and the Village Pound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Werburgh's Church, Chester</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Werburgh's Church is in Grosvenor Park Road, Chester, Cheshire, England. It is an active Roman Catholic parish church in the diocese of Shrewsbury. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building. It should not be confused with the Benedictine Abbey of St Werburgh established in 1093 by Hugh d'Avranches, 1st Earl of Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mark's Church, Swindon</span> Church in Wiltshire, England

St Mark's Church in central Swindon, Wiltshire, England is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Swindon, the archdeaconry of Malmesbury, and the diocese of Bristol. Its benefice is united with those of St Aldhelm, Swindon, St Luke, Swindon, and St Saviour, Swindon, to form the benefice of Swindon New Town. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Streatham</span> Church

St Peter's Church is an Anglican church in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade II* listed building and occupies a prominent position in Leigham Court Road, Streatham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John the Evangelist's Church, Kirkham</span> Church in Lancashire, England

St John the Evangelist's Church is in Ribby Road, Kirkham, Lancashire, England. It is an active Roman Catholic parish church in the diocese of Lancaster. The church was designed by A. W. N. Pugin, and is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Joseph's Church, Birkdale</span> Church in Merseyside, England

St Joseph's Church is in York Road, Birkdale, Southport, Sefton, Merseyside, England, and is an active Roman Catholic church in the diocese of Liverpool. It was designed by E. W. Pugin, and built in 1865–67 with an aisle added in 1875. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Augustine's Church, Ramsgate</span> Church in Kent, United Kingdom

St Augustine's Church or the Shrine of St Augustine of Canterbury is a Roman Catholic church in Ramsgate, Kent. It was the personal church of Augustus Pugin, the renowned nineteenth-century architect, designer, and reformer. The church is an example of Pugin's design ideas, and forms a central part of Pugin's collection of buildings in Ramsgate. Having built his home, Pugin began work on St Augustine's in 1846 and worked on it until his death in 1852. His sons completed many of the designs. This is the site where Pugin is buried, in a vault beneath the chantry chapel he designed, alongside several members of his family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Canterbury</span> Church in Kent, United Kingdom

St Thomas of Canterbury Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Canterbury, Kent, England. It was built from 1874 to 1875 in the Gothic Revival style. It is situated on the corner of Burgate and Canterbury Lane, west of Lower Bridge Street, opposite the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral in the centre of the city. It is the only Roman Catholic church in Canterbury, built on the site of a medieval church ; the old St Mary Magdalen’s Tower was retained. The church contains relics of Thomas Becket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Woolwich</span> Church in London, UK

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Agnes, Kennington Park</span>

St Agnes, Kennington Park, is an Anglo-Catholic church in south London in the Diocese of Southwark, though it is under the episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Fulham. The church is situated in the Borough of Southwark placed behind Kennington Park and near the Oval Cricket Ground. The nearest tube stations are Kennington and Oval.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England. "Roman Catholic Cathedral of St George (1385643)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  2. ↑ Boast, Mary (1985). The Story of Bankside. London Borough of Southwark. p. 28. ISBN   0905849078.
  3. ↑ Decree of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, 21 April 1852. The other churches raised to cathedrals by this decree were St Chad's, Birmingham, St Barnabas, Nottingham and St John's, Salford: Decreta Quatuor Conciliorum Provincialium Westmonasteriensium, (2nd Edn, London: Burns & Oates), p.56; translation in: Robert Guy OSB, The Synods in English (Stratford-on-Avon: St Gregory Press, 1886) p.101.
  4. ↑ O'Farrell, Fergus. "Brixton remembers one of Ireland's most famous hunger strikers". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Crawford Art Gallery catalogue". de1.zetcom-group.de/MpWeb-mpCrawfordArtGallery. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "St George's Cathedral: Building". www.stgeorgescathedral.org.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "National Pipe Organ Register Entry N16101". www.npor.org.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "National Pipe Organ Register Entry N16100". www.npor.org.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  9. ↑ "National Pipe Organ Register Entry N12637". www.npor.org.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "St George's Cathedral: Building". www.stgeorgescathedral.org.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "Salvadoran Cross with Romero relic for St George's Cathedral, Southwark". 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "The Shrine of St Oscar Romero in London". 18 January 2020. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ↑ Midnight Mass from St. George's Cathedral, Southwark
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.