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. It is located in The Grove, on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, England. Today, the building is owned by a private person or group.
Contents
History of the Church
In the 1800s, many new workers came to Portland. They were building a new prison and the large walls (called breakwaters) for Portland Harbour. Because of these new people, there was a need for a Catholic church.
Building the Church
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 became the first priest in charge.
The priest who served the longest was Walter Keily. He worked at the church from 1881 to 1930. In total, eighteen different priests served the church from when it opened until it closed.
Church Services and Community Role
From the late 1800s into the 1900s, the church held two main services on Sundays. Sailors had a service at 9:00 AM. Another service followed at 10:30 AM for military members and other people living nearby.
Right from the start, the church was very important to the community. It also served the different army groups (Regiments) and the Royal Navy stationed there. The community continued to support and use the church until the end of the 1900s. This included people from Portland's three prisons: HM Prison The Verne, HM Prison Weare, and the Young Offender's Institution.
Changes and Closure
The future of the church was not clear for some time. In 2008, Christopher Budd, who was the Bishop of Plymouth, made a decision. He said that the churches of Our Lady & St Andrew in Portland, St Augustine in Weymouth, and St Joseph in Weymouth would join together. They formed a new parish called Our Lady Star of the Sea. The Church of Our Lady and St Andrew was then sold around 2011.
