Church of the Holy Ghost, Midsomer Norton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of the Holy Ghost |
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Church of the Holy Ghost, Midsomer Norton
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 Church of the Holy Ghost
Location in Somerset
Church of the Holy Ghost
Location in England
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| 51°17′10″N 2°29′02″W / 51.286111°N 2.483889°W | |
| Location | Midsomer Norton, Somerset |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | Holy Ghost |
| Consecrated | 17 May 1913 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Blessed Richard Whiting |
| Metropolis | Archdiocese of Birmingham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Clifton |
| Province | Ecclesiastical province of Birmingham |
The Church of the Holy Ghost in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England, is a special Roman Catholic church. What makes it unique is that it's built inside a very old tithe barn. A tithe barn was a place where farmers used to store a part of their crops or goods, which they gave to the church.
This church is looked after by monks from Downside Abbey. It's also a "Grade II* listed building", which means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected.
Contents
A Barn with a Long History
This church building started its life as a tithe barn. It was built and owned by a group of monks called the Augustinian Canons from Merton Priory in Surrey.
It's one of the oldest buildings in Midsomer Norton. Experts believe it was built way back in the 15th century. Imagine, that's over 500 years ago!
From Monks to the King
During the time of King Henry VIII, many monasteries were closed down. This event was called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The barn, along with all the other property of Merton Priory, was given to the King.
Later, it became part of the property owned by Christ Church, Oxford, a famous college. By 1886, the barn was no longer needed for storing crops. It was sold to a private owner in an auction.
Becoming a Church
In 1906, Downside Abbey bought the old barn. They wanted to turn it into a church. Before this, the barn had been used for many different things. It was a place for dogs (kennels), a stable for horses, and even a chicken house! Because of all these uses, the building was in very bad shape.
Abbot Edmund Ford, who was in charge of Downside Abbey, hired a famous architect named Giles Gilbert Scott. Scott's job was to plan how to fix up the barn and change it into a church. He did a lot of work, including fixing the amazing wooden roof and other timber parts.
Scott also made some big changes to the building's structure. He added new doorways and a beautiful new window in the south wall. This window was designed in the Gothic style, which was popular for churches. The design for the window's stone patterns was copied from another old building nearby.
The barn was officially made into a church on May 17, 1913.
Inside the Church
The Church of the Holy Ghost has some very interesting old items inside.
Special Furnishings
- Tabernacle: This is a special cabinet where the Eucharist is kept. The one in this church is made of wood with detailed carvings and lots of gold. It's very old, from 1794. It used to be in a chapel in London that belonged to the Bavarian Embassy.
- Stations of the Cross: These are a series of pictures or carvings that show events from the last day of Jesus' life. The ones in this church are from Flanders (a region in Europe) and are early examples of painted Stations of the Cross, dating from the late 1700s.
Other items, like the wooden panels behind the main altar, came from Downside Abbey and School. These panels are in the Jacobean style and now have the words "Deus Caritas Est" on them, which means "God is Love" in Latin. Even the pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, used to be a desk in the school's study room!
Church Schedule
Here are the times for services at the Church of the Holy Ghost:
- Sunday Mass:
- 11:00 am
- Holy Days:
- 9:30 am
- Weekdays:
- Tuesday, Friday, Saturday: 9:30 am
- Wednesday: 6:15 pm
- Confessions:
- Saturday: 10:00 am to 10:45 am
- Devotions:
- Exposition (a time for prayer): Wednesday 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Weddings at the Church
The Church of the Holy Ghost has also been the location for weddings. In June 2010, a famous wedding took place there. Republic of Ireland international and Fulham footballer Damien Duff married his girlfriend Elaine at the church.
