Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony, Crawley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Francis and St Anthony Church |
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| Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony | |
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The church from the north–northwest in June 2013
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| 51°06′48″N 0°11′16″W / 51.1133°N 0.1878°W | |
| Location | Haslett Avenue West, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1HR |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://crawleycatholic.church/ |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 12 October 1861 |
| Founder(s) | Francis Scawen Blunt |
| Dedication | Francis of Assisi and Anthony of Padua |
| Dedicated | 1861 (original church) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II-listed |
| Designated | 25 October 2007 |
| Architect(s) | Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel (present church) |
| Groundbreaking | 1958 (present church) |
| Completed | 18 November 1959 (present church) |
| Demolished | 1955 (original church) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Crawley |
| Deanery | Crawley |
| Archdiocese | Southwark (formerly) |
| Diocese | Arundel and Brighton |
| Province | Southwark |
The Friary Church of St Francis and St Anthony is a Roman Catholic church located in Crawley, a town in West Sussex, England. It was the first permanent Catholic church in Crawley, built in 1861 next to a friary. Members of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (Capuchin friars) were invited to the area by a wealthy local family who had become Catholic.
As Crawley grew into a large "New Town" after World War II, a bigger church was needed. So, a new one was built in the late 1950s by architect Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel. The original friary closed in 1980 and was taken down, but the large brick church still stands. It is an important building, recognized by English Heritage with a Grade II listing because of its special architecture and history.
Contents
History of the Friary Church
Crawley began as a market town in the early 1200s. A church called St John the Baptist was built there about a century later. Part of the town was also in the nearby village of Ifield.
Catholicism Returns to Crawley
After the English Reformation, most people in the area were Anglican or Protestant Nonconformist. Roman Catholicism was not common. However, by the mid-1800s, attitudes towards Catholicism had changed. More people began converting from the Anglican Church to Catholicism.
A notable local family, the Blunts (sometimes spelled Blount), who owned the large Crabbet Park estate near Crawley, were among those who converted. Mary Scawen Blunt, a member of this family, became a Catholic. Her sons, Francis and Wilfrid, also converted in 1852.
Building the First Church and Friary
In 1859, some Capuchin friars from Italy came to Crawley. They stayed at a house owned by a relative of Mary Scawen Blunt. They held their church services in the house's coach-house, which was made into a small chapel.
Before she died, Mary Scawen Blunt asked her sons to build a permanent Catholic church and a friary for the Capuchins in Crawley. In 1860, her son Francis bought some land near Crawley railway station. He then arranged for the friary and a church to be designed and built. The church was named after St Francis.
The church and friary were built in the Early English Gothic style using stone and brick. The church had a small bellcote on its roof. The church and friary were officially opened on 12 October 1861.
The Church's Early Influence
This church was one of the first Roman Catholic places of worship in Sussex. In its early years, it served a very large area, including towns like Horsham and many surrounding villages. The friars became a respected part of the Crawley community. They did missionary work both locally and in other countries.
On 23 November 1895, a special group called the Guild of St Anthony of Padua was started at the church. It became its worldwide headquarters, approved by Pope Pius X. This happened after a 15th-century painting of Anthony of Padua was found in the church. This painting, along with a beautiful marble and alabaster altar, had been given to the church by Mrs. Montgomery. These items were placed in a side chapel, which became a special shrine to St Anthony. On 26 July 1946, Pope Pius XII officially renamed the church to St Francis and St Anthony.
A New Church for a Growing Town
On 9 January 1947, Crawley was chosen to become a "New Town". This meant its population would grow from about 9,500 to 50,000 by 1963. By 1960, even more people had moved to Crawley. The original friary church was not big enough for all the new worshippers, and it also had some structural problems.
So, a local architect named Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel was asked to design a new church. The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 14 June 1958. Two days later, the old church began to be taken down. The new church was built at a right angle to the old one. This allowed old tombs to be included in the new building's foundations instead of being destroyed. The new church was built by a local company, James Longley and Company.
The new building was officially opened on 18 November 1959. The Capuchin friars left Crawley in 1980 and moved to Canterbury. After they left, the church was no longer the main headquarters for the Guild of St Anthony.
The Burial Ground
The friary buildings behind the new church were taken down, but the large burial ground next to it remains. It contains a 19th-century burial vault for members of the Blunt/Blount family. There are also graves of other important people. Francis Blunt's tomb is inside a private chapel (the Blunt Chapel) behind the altar. His brother Wilfrid Blunt carved a stone effigy (a statue) of Francis in friar's robes, which lies on top of the tomb. The burial ground also has three war graves from World War I and World War II.
Church Renovations
The inside of the church was changed and rebuilt in 1988 to make it more open. Another big renovation happened between October 2008 and March 2009, during which the church was closed. This work, which cost £750,000, won an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects. Besides structural improvements and better access for disabled people, a mural of Pope Benedict XVI's coat of arms was added.
Architecture of the Church
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Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel was an architect known for his "imaginative and inventive" designs. He liked to use brick, and the Friary Church is easily recognized as one of his buildings. It is a large but low building made of dark greyish brick with detailed red-brick patterns. The roof is covered with pantiles. The main entrance has a round arch and sits below five tall, narrow windows with fancy designs.
Inside, the long main area (called the nave) has a concrete ceiling painted with a hexagonal pattern. On either side of the nave are aisles with simple arches. A small tower sits above the central area where the nave crosses. This tower was originally supported by an arch, which was removed in 1988 to open up the space. A hidden steel structure was put in to support it instead.
The shrine to St Anthony of Padua, which came from the old church, is now in the south aisle. The church has many wooden features, including screens, galleries, and pews. However, the original altar and altar rails designed by Goodhart-Rendel were removed during the 1988 renovation. Part of the painted ceiling was also changed. A new altar was brought from another church in Woking, Surrey.
The Church Today
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The Friary Church was given a Grade II listing by English Heritage on 25 October 2007. This means it is considered a "nationally important" building with "special interest." It is one of the most important buildings in Crawley. English Heritage sees it as architecturally important because it is a great example of Goodhart-Rendel's work. It is also historically important because it played a key role in Crawley's growth as a New Town after World War II.
Catholic Churches in Crawley
The Friary Church is the main church for the Crawley parish and manages the five other Roman Catholic churches in the town. As Crawley grew from the 1950s to the 1980s, more churches were needed for the new neighborhoods.
- The first new church was Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Langley Green, opened in 1959.
- Three years later, St Bernadette's Church was built in Tilgate.
- In 1965, St Edward the Confessor's Church was built in Pound Hill. This church, designed by Alexander Lane, uses reinforced concrete, light brick, and large glass areas.
- The growth of the Gossops Green neighborhood led to St Theodore of Canterbury's Church being built in 1971. This church has a stone carving of the saint on the outside.
- In 1982, the Church of Christ the Lord in Broadfield became a place for Roman Catholic worship. It was originally an Anglican church but now serves multiple faiths.
Services and Schools
The Friary Church holds four Sunday Masses: one on Saturday evening, two on Sunday morning, and one on Sunday evening. There are also two Masses on Holy Days of Obligation and a daily Mass. Confession is available weekly.
Two schools are connected to the church:
- St Francis of Assisi Primary School, which opened in 1950.
- St Wilfrid's Catholic School, a secondary school that opened in 1952.
See also
- List of places of worship in Crawley
- Listed buildings in Crawley
Images for kids
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St Edward the Confessor's Church in Pound Hill
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St Theodore of Canterbury Church in Gossops Green
