Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Lowestoft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady Star of the Sea Church |
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Exterior
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| 52°28′38″N 1°45′05″E / 52.4771°N 1.7513°E | |
| OS grid reference | TM 548 931 |
| Location | Lowestoft |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | OurLadyLowestoft.com |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | Diocese of Northampton |
| Dedication | St Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 21 June 1993 |
| Architect(s) | George Baines and F.W. Richards |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | August 1900 |
| Completed | 5 June 1902 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Great Yarmouth |
| Diocese | East Anglia |
| Province | Westminster |
Our Lady Star of the Sea Church is a special Roman Catholic church located in Lowestoft, Suffolk. You can find it on Gordon Road, right in the middle of town. This church was started by the Diocese of Northampton in 1881. Today, it is looked after by the Diocese of East Anglia. The building has a beautiful Arts and Crafts style. It was designed by architects George Baines and F.W. Richards. This church is so important that it's a Grade II listed building. It's also the most easterly Catholic church in all of the British Isles!
Contents
History of the Church
How the Church Started
For many years, starting in 1867, Catholic people in Lowestoft went to church thanks to a group called the Jesuits. They came from St Mary's Church, Great Yarmouth. The small Catholic community first met in rented rooms in three different buildings.
In 1881, they finally got a permanent chapel in a net loft. This was when the local church area, called a parish, officially began. Father Geoffrey Brennan was the first leader. However, more and more people joined, and the chapel became too small. A new priest, Father Alexander Scott, then started raising money. The goal was to buy a bigger place for the growing church community.
Building the Church
The building of the church began in August 1900. This is when the first stone, called the foundation stone, was put in place. The architects who designed the church were George Baines and F. W. Richards. They were from the local area. They created the church in the Arts and Crafts style.
George Baines was born in 1852. He started his work in Great Yarmouth. He designed many churches, mostly for Baptists, but also for other Christian groups. F. W. Richards had his office in Lowestoft. He also designed another church in Oulton Broad, Suffolk. The Our Lady Star of the Sea Church officially opened on June 5, 1902. Its first Mass, a Catholic church service, was held that day.
Changes Over Time
On March 13, 1976, the Diocese of Northampton was divided into two parts. One part continued as the Northampton diocese. The other became the new Diocese of East Anglia. Lowestoft remained the most easterly Catholic parish in the country.
In 2017, the church received £25,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This money helped to fix the outside of the church building.
The Parish Community
St Nicholas' Church in Pakefield is part of the same church area, or parish, as Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. It is also a Grade II listed building, meaning it's historically important. From 1955, there was a smaller church, called a chapel of ease, for Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. It was in a building that used to be a billiards hall.
However, in 1995, the church bought an old church building. It used to be a Congregationalist church called South Cliff Congregational Church. This former church was also designed by George Baines and F. W. Richards. It was built in the Arts and Crafts style. The foundation stone for this church was laid on May 8, 1902. This was just a month before Our Lady Star of the Sea Church opened. A wealthy person named Sir Jeremiah Colman paid for its construction.
After 1961, the church was renamed Pakefield United Reformed Church. It closed down sometime after that. In 1995, the Catholic community in Lowestoft bought the church from the United Reformed Church. On August 11, 1995, a special ceremony took place. During this event, a Gospel book was passed from the United Reformed Church to the Catholic community. This showed their shared faith.
Our Lady Star of the Sea Church has two Sunday Masses. One is on Saturday at 5:00 PM. The other is on Sunday at 10:30 AM. St Nicholas' Church has its Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM.
More to Explore
- Society of Jesus
- Diocese of East Anglia
