Church of Our Lady and St Andrew, Portland facts for kids
The Church of Our Lady and St Andrew was once a Roman Catholic church. You can find it in a place called The Grove, which is on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. Today, this church building is owned by a private person or company.
Contents
The Church's Story: A Look Back
Why Was the Church Built?
In the 1800s, many new workers came to Portland. They were building a new prison and also huge walls called breakwaters for Portland Harbour. Because so many Catholic workers arrived, there was a clear need for a Catholic church.
Who Designed and Built It?
A famous English architect named Joseph Hansom designed the church. It was built in 1868 by George Poole on Grove Road. The church was named after Our Lady and St Andrew. George Poole also became the first priest in charge.
Priests Who Served the Church
The church had many priests over the years. George Poole was the first, and he had two assistant priests helping him from 1868 to 1873. The priest who stayed the longest was Walter Keily. He served the church for almost 50 years, from 1881 to 1930! In total, eighteen different priests worked at the church before it closed.
How the Church Helped the Community
From the late 1800s into the 1900s, the church held two services every Sunday. Sailors had their service at 9 AM. Then, soldiers and local people had theirs at 10:30 AM.
Right from the start, the church was very important. It helped the local community and also the soldiers and sailors stationed nearby. People used and supported the church until the late 1900s. This included people from Portland's three prisons: HM Prison The Verne, HM Prison Weare, and the Young Offender's Institution.
What Happened to the Church?
The future of the church was not clear for a while. Then, in 2008, Bishop Christopher Budd made a big decision. He decided to combine three local parishes into one new parish. These were Our Lady & St Andrew, St Augustine in Weymouth, and St Joseph in Weymouth. The new parish was called Our Lady Star of the Sea.
After this change, the Church of Our Lady and St Andrew was sold. This happened around 2011.
