St Nicholas of Tolentino is a Roman Catholic parish church located at Lawford's Gate in Easton (or St Jude's), Bristol, England. Founded in 1848 to serve a growing population of impoverished Irish refugees settling the area, it is the second-oldest purpose-built Catholic church in the city.[2][3][4]
The building, originally designed by the architect Charles Francis Hansom, underwent significant expansion during the 19th century and an internal reordering between 2007 and 2009.[3] In 2018, it became the first church in Bristol to be officially awarded Church of Sanctuary status for its work with asylum seekers and refugees.[5]
History
The mission was established in March 1848 by Bishop William Bernard Ullathorne, who purchased a site opposite Lawford's Gate Prison for £1,000.[6][7] The location was an area of "extreme poverty," heavily populated by Irish Catholic refugees fleeing the Great Famine.[3] The mission was initially entrusted to the Augustinians, with the Rev. Nicholas O’Donnell serving as the first priest. The church was named after the 13th-century Augustinian friar Nicholas of Tolentino, and the nave was opened on 21 December 1850, having been constructed at a cost of £1,600.[7][8]
In 1852, the Augustinians resigned the mission, after which it was staffed by diocesan clergy.[6] Father O'Donnell was succeeded by the Rev. W. Cullinan from St Mary on the Quay, and subsequently by the Rev. Jacob Illingworth, who administered the parish until 1856.[9]
The church saw rapid expansion in the mid-19th century to accommodate its growing congregation. By 1861, the parish schools were overcrowded, with an average attendance of 110 girls and 85 boys. The Rev. T. M. Hoskins drove a major enlargement project to provide more space for both worship and education. To manage the lack of space, one of the newly constructed aisles was temporarily screened off during the week to function as a boys' school, allowing the existing schoolrooms to be merged for the use of the girls.[10]
A further expansion followed in 1873 under Canon Septimus Coxon, which added a new chancel and presbytery.[11] By the completion of these works, the church's capacity had increased to accommodate approximately 700 worshippers.[11] In 1876, the Bishop of Clifton, William Clifford, visited the parish to preach on the importance of Catholic education, noting that the school's survival depended on its efficiency.[12]
Consecration tablet on the north wall, naming Bishop William Brownlow
Because a Catholic church cannot be consecrated while it carries debt, the consecration of St Nicholas of Tolentino did not take place until 10 September 1895, nearly 50 years after its foundation.[4][7] Both this and the opening of a Catholic Social Club on 21 April 1896 were overseen by Bishop William Brownlow.[13]
The church faced challenges in the late 20th century, including an incident in August 1978 where vandals smashed seven stained glass windows, causing approximately £400 worth of damage.[14] In the mid-1990s, the parish was one of multiple in which the Bishop of Clifton, Mervyn Alexander, banned the Neocatechumenal Way from holding separate Saturday night meetings.[15][16]
By the 21st century, the church served a highly multicultural congregation, with over 50 nationalities represented.[2] It established a reputation for social activism, particularly regarding asylum seekers and poverty relief. In 2018, St Nicholas of Tolentino became the first church in Bristol to be awarded Church of Sanctuary status by the City of Sanctuary organisation.[5] The church has historically provided sanctuary to individuals facing deportation, such as Rwandan genocide survivor Josette Ishimwe (2004–2005). Parish priest Fr. Richard McKay refused police entry to detain her, stating he was prepared to go to prison to protect her.[17][18] She would later be granted indefinite leave to remain in 2005.[19]
The parish also operates a dedicated food bank. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the church reported a "total scandal" of poverty, forcing the parish to use savings to purchase food as donations dwindled.[20] In September 2022, when a fatal fire broke out at the nearby Twinnell House tower block, the church served as a rest centre for approximately 90 evacuated residents.[21][22]
Architecture and fittings
Exterior
Tolentino Hall, located in the subdivided west-end of the church, now used as a centre for refugees
The church is built in a 13th-century Gothic Revival style that utilises Pennant stone rubble with Bath stone dressings and slate-covered roofs. The design and construction evolved in several phases throughout the 19th century, with the original architect Charles Hansom overseeing the major additions.[23][3][24]
The nave was the first section to be built, opening in 1850. The interior arches and pillars were initially left in rough block form. These were worked and moulded into their finished state during the 1861 expansion, which added the north and south aisles. This phase included the construction of a porch projecting 6 feet (1.8m) from the aisle to face the road. The works also involved the removal of the original bell gable, which was replaced by an ornamental octagonal turret situated at the south entrance.[10] The 1861 general contractor was J. P. Stephens, with carpentry by a Mr. Bennett, plastering by John Tucker, and plumbing and glazing by a Mr. Barber.[25][10]
In 1873, Hansom returned to add the chancel, Lady Chapel, sacristy, and presbytery. The chancel measured 25 by 18 feet (7.6m ×5.5m), while the Lady Chapel was approximately 15 by 14 feet (4.6m ×4.3m).[11] The Lady Chapel was fitted with a carved triangular window filled with three trefoiled circles. J. P. Stephens again served as contractor for the chancel, while the presbytery, designed specifically to accommodate direct communication with the sacristy, was built by Messrs. Wilkins.[11]
A 16-foot (4.9m) hand-carved Peace Pole, previously located at the Pierian Centre in St Pauls, was installed outside the church entrance on World Peace Day in 2012.[26]
Interior
Nave of the church, looking east-to-west
The interior features a tall open timber roof with scissor braces.[3] An early addition to the church was a bell manufactured by John Murphy of Dublin, installed in 1850. It was paid for by the Portuguese Consul General, Chevalier Antonio Mascarenhas, who wished to encourage Irish manufacture as part of the new construction.[27]
During the 1861 expansion, the nave was furnished with a stone Baptismal font carved with emblems of the Four Evangelists and the Sign of the Dove.[10] The original Lady Altar was erected by parishioner Joseph Hennessy.[9] During the 1873 works, a three-arched stone sedilia featuring carved brackets was installed on the south side of the chancel, along with a piscina recessed into the east wall. An arcade of three moulded stone arches on stone pillars was built to separate the Lady Chapel from the chancel.[11]
The church's main stained glass window on the east side was funded by members of the congregation and installed prior to the 1895 consecration; it survived the 1978 vandalism which damaged seven other windows.[7][14] To mark the church's centenary in 1995, three ceramic wall panels depicting Saint John the Baptist and Saint Nicholas were commissioned from artist Seamus Malone.[4]
West window depicting Saint Thomas and Saint Martin
A north window in the church. This example was damaged by vandalism; minor differences can be noticed in the left panes that were replaced
Between 2007 and 2009, the church underwent a major £1.5 million remodelling and subdivision of the building by O'Leary Goss Architects.[28] The project involved the installation of a new main entrance that was created at the east end (the former sanctuary), while the west end of the nave was screened off to create a two-storey church hall with a mezzanine in the former organ space.[29][3] Following this refurbishment, a full-immersion cruciform baptismal pool tiled in mosaic was installed in the nave. The modern nave contains specially commissioned wooden carvings from Malawi, created by the Missionaries of Africa. These include a large statue of Christ with children carved from a single tree-trunk, Stations of the Cross, and a sacrament house designed to resemble an African meeting hut.[2]
Sacrament house
Crucifix
Statue of Christ with children
Associated buildings
During the development of the adjacent land for the new presbytery and housing (2008–2010), watching briefs of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society recorded the remains of the former school buildings which were demolished to fund the remodelling. These included a classroom block designed by T. C. Hodges (1879–1880) and a later block by Scoles & Raymond (1910).[30][31][32]
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