Northampton Cathedral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northampton Cathedral |
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| Cathedral Church of Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury, Northampton | |
The east end of the cathedral, built 1948-55
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| OS grid reference | SP7529061672 |
| Location | Northampton, Northamptonshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.northamptoncathedral.org |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Chapel of St Felix |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury |
| Consecrated | 1864 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Cathedral |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 22 January 1976 |
| Architect(s) | Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin |
| Groundbreaking | 1840 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Northampton |
| Province | Westminster |
The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Northampton, England. It's the main church for the Bishop of Northampton and the most important church for the Diocese of Northampton. This area covers Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and part of Berkshire. The cathedral is located in the northern part of Northampton, on Barrack Road.
Contents
History
How it Started
In 1823, a bishop named Bishop John Milner wanted to create a lasting Roman Catholic presence in Northampton. He sent a priest, Father William Foley, to start this. Father Foley first used a small house with one room set up as a chapel. He then bought land where the old St Andrew's Priory, Northampton used to be. This was a special place because Thomas Becket had gone into exile from there. Father Foley decided to build a new chapel on this land. This chapel, named after Saint Andrew, opened on October 25, 1825.
Building the Cathedral
The building you see today began in 1840. The first Bishop of Northampton, William Wareing, asked a famous architect named Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin to design a new chapel. This new chapel was called the chapel of St Felix. The old St Andrew's chapel had become too small for the growing number of churchgoers. The new chapel was finished in 1844.
However, even this new building soon became too small. So, Pugin's son, Edward Welby Pugin, was chosen to design an extension. This extension would turn the chapel into a full cathedral. The new part, called the nave (the main part of the church where people sit), opened in 1864. It was dedicated to Our Lady Immaculate and St Thomas of Canterbury. The beautiful, colourful stained glass windows were made in the 1860s by John Hardman of Birmingham. They show St Peter and other local saints, like St Edward the Confessor and St Thomas Becket.
Later Extensions
The cathedral stayed in this form until 1948. At that time, Bishop Leo Parker decided to extend the west end of the cathedral. This meant part of the original St Andrew's chapel had to be taken down. The part that remained, including the first altar, is now in the sacristy and chapter room of the cathedral. The sacristy is a room where priests prepare for services, and the chapter room is a meeting room.
The building work was finished seven years later, in 1955. Albert Herbert was the architect for this project. He oversaw the changes, which included replacing the old west end with a straight one. He also added the transepts (the parts that stick out on the sides, making the church look like a cross) and a crossing tower. Bishop Leo Parker passed away in 1975 and was buried in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.
Modern Changes
In 1998, the sanctuary was updated. The sanctuary is the area around the main altar. A new window, designed by Joseph Nuttgens, was placed in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The original choir stalls (where the choir sits) were moved from the main altar to the chapter room. The cathedra (the bishop's special chair or throne) was replaced with a new one carved by Stephen Foster. This new chair was designed to go with the triptych (a three-part artwork) of the Holy Spirit behind it.
Music
The cathedral has two organs for music. One is a historical pipe organ, which means it uses pipes to make sound. It was built in 1976. The other is a modern digital organ, which was installed in May 2008. The main part of this digital organ is in the west gallery.
The cathedral also has a regular choir. They sing during the 11:00 Sunday Mass and other important church services.
Parish Life
The cathedral also works as a local parish church. This means it serves the people living in the area around it. It hosts different volunteer groups from the parish. For example, the local Society of Saint Vincent de Paul meets there. This group helps organize ways to serve people in need in the local community.
See also
- Diocese of Northampton
- Northampton
- List of churches in Northampton
Images for kids
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West side extension of the cathedral
