Church of Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury |
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| Shrine and Parish Church of Our Lady, Glastonbury | |
The front of the church from Magdalene Street
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 Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury
Location in Somerset
Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury
Location in England
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| 51°08′42″N 2°43′04″W / 51.1450°N 2.7178°W | |
| Location | Glastonbury, Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 1939 |
| Completed | 1940 |
| Construction cost | £11,000 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Blessed Richard Whiting |
| Metropolis | Archdiocese of Birmingham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Clifton |
| Province | Ecclesiastical province of Birmingham |
The Church of Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury is a special Roman Catholic church located in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. It was finished in 1940. This church is also home to the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Glastonbury, a holy place for many visitors.
Church History
This church stands on Magdalene Street. It faces the old Abbot's Kitchen across the road, which is part of Glastonbury Abbey. Before this church was built, an older Catholic church stood on the same spot. That first church was actually an old stable that had been changed into a church. It was taken down in 1938.
Behind the church, there used to be a school called St Louis Convent. This school was open from 1925 until 1984. The new church cost £11,000 to build. It was made using special stones from Bath and Corsham. At the front of the church, you can see statues carved into the stone. There is a statue of the Madonna and Child (Mary and baby Jesus). To the left is Saint Dunstan, and to the right is Richard Whiting. He was the last abbot of Glastonbury Abbey. Father Michael Fitzpatrick worked hard to collect the money needed for the church. He got a lot of help from people in the local area.
Holy Relics
The church was officially blessed on July 2, 1941, by Bishop Lee of Clifton. After this special event, holy items called relics were placed inside the altar and in special containers called reliquaries. These relics came from several important saints:
- Oliver Plunkett – He is known as the patron saint of peace in Ireland.
- Thomas Becket – He is the patron saint of Roman Catholic priests who work in the world.
- Pope Innocent I – He was the leader of the Catholic Church for 16 years.
- Benedict of Nursia – He is the patron saint of students and people who are dying.
- Victoria of Albitina – She is the patron saint of Anticoli, a town in Italy.
- Saint Barbara – She is the patron saint of soldiers who use artillery and also miners.
- Pope Clement I – He is the patron saint of stone cutters and sailors.
Inside the Church
Behind the main altar, there is a beautiful statue of Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury. This statue was created in 1955. On either side of the statue, there are large tapestries. These were woven by the Edinburgh Tapestry Company. The tapestries show three people from Glastonbury who were martyred. They are Abbot Richard Whiting, his treasurer John Thorne, and their friend Roger James. They were executed at Glastonbury Tor during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The tapestries also show other saints. These include Saints Dunstan, Patrick, Brigid, Joseph of Arimathea, and David. You can also see the monk Richard Bere. He was executed because he refused to accept King Henry VIII as the head of the Church.
Above the tapestry, there is a stained glass window. It shows the Crucifixion, which is Jesus on the cross. Mary Magdalene is shown at Jesus's feet. On the left side of the window is the Virgin Mary, Jesus's mother. On the right side is Saint John, who was one of Jesus's close followers.
Past Priests of the Church
Many priests have served at Our Lady St Mary of Glastonbury over the years. Here is a list of the priests and the years they served:
- Fr Francis Burdett, 1926–1928
- Fr Patrick O'Beirne, 1929–1938
- Fr Michael Fitzpatrick, 1938–1944
- Fr William Ryan, 1944–1948
- Fr Joseph Sheehan, 1948–1952
- Fr James O'Brien, 1952–1962
- Fr Sean McNamara, 1962–1967
- Fr John O'Connor, 1968–1982
- Fr Nicholas Tranter, 1982–1984
- Fr Paul Sankey, 1984–1998
- Fr Kevin Knox-Lecky, 1999–2012
- Fr James Finan, 2012–2017
- Fr Bede Rowe, 2017–2019
- The Community of Our Lady of Glastonbury, 2019–2021
- Fr Dominic Findlay-Wilson, 2021–present
