English Martyrs' Catholic Church, Goring-by-Sea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids English Martyrs Catholic Church, Goring-by-Sea |
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The church from the northeast
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| 50°48′57″N 0°25′40″W / 50.8158°N 0.4277°W | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | https://english-martyrs.co.uk/ |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | English Martyrs |
| Consecrated | 1970 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church, utilitarian |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Specifications | |
| Width | 13 metres (44 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Worthing |
| Diocese | Arundel & Brighton |
| Province | Southwark |
English Martyrs' Church is a special Roman Catholic church located in Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex, England. It's a busy parish church, which means it serves the local community.
What makes this church truly amazing is its ceiling. It has a hand-painted copy of Michelangelo's famous Sistine Chapel ceiling. This incredible artwork was created by Gary Bevans over five and a half years. People have called it "a marvel" and "astonishing."
A Copy of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
The idea for this unique ceiling came from Gary Bevans, a sign-painter. In 1987, he visited the Sistine Chapel in Rome with his family. He was there for a special event where the English Martyrs were honored.
Michelangelo painted the original frescoes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling starting in 1508. These paintings are considered some of the greatest artworks ever made. Gary Bevans noticed something interesting: English Martyrs' Church was the same width as the Sistine Chapel. It was only a little bit shorter.
Gary had already created other artworks for the church. These included paintings of two English Martyrs, St Thomas More and St John Fisher. He also painted a version of the Last Supper. This painting was unusual because it included Mary, a young child, and even a Yorkshire Terrier dog!
How the Painting Was Made
After getting support from the local priest, Gary received permission from the bishop, Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. He started working on the ceiling later in 1987. Gary finished the entire painting in 1993, after five and a half years of hard work.
He did all the painting by himself. He worked in the evenings and on weekends, in addition to his regular full-time job. The artwork is painted on a wooden, curved surface that is attached to the church roof. This surface was painted white first, and then Gary used acrylic paints to create the frescoes.
The church also has other beautiful features. There is a colorful stained glass window on the west side. It was made by Annie Goodman and put in place in 1990. You can also see Irish colored glass in the clerestory, which is the upper part of the church walls.
The Old Barn Next Door
Next to the church, there is a barn that is now used as a church hall. This barn was built in 1771 for a local farmer named George Jupp. It is now a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical structure.
In December 1937, the barn was in bad condition. It was bought along with some nearby land. It was then turned into a chapel, where priests from St Mary of the Angels church in Worthing would hold mass.
When the new parish was created in 1952, this barn was used as the main church. It served this purpose until the current church building was completed and took its place.
