Our Lady and St Peter's Church, East Grinstead facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Our Lady and St Peter's Church
51°07′43″N 0°00′53″W / 51.128658°N 0.014745°W / 51.128658; -0.014745
OS grid reference	TQ3900138455
Location	East Grinstead, West Sussex
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	EastGrinsteadCatholicParish.com
History
Status	Active
Founded	1879
Founder(s)	Sir Edward Blount
Dedication	Blessed Virgin Mary Saint Peter
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	2 July 2015
Architect(s)	Frederick Walters
Style	Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking	15 June 1897
Completed	2 October 1898
Administration
Deanery	Crawley
Diocese	Arundel and Brighton
Province	Southwark

Our Lady and St Peter's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in East Grinstead, a town in West Sussex, England. It's a special kind of church called a Parish church, which means it serves the local community. The church was built a long time ago, between 1897 and 1898. A famous architect named Frederick Walters designed it. You can find it on London Road, not far from the East Grinstead railway station. The building has a unique style called Romanesque Revival, which looks a bit like old Roman buildings. It's also a Grade II listed building, meaning it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.

History of Our Lady and St Peter's Church

Starting the Catholic Mission in East Grinstead

In 1879, a Catholic mission began in East Grinstead. A mission is like a special project to spread the Christian faith. This mission came from the nearby town of Crawley. It was named after two saints, St Edward and St Louis.

The mission was started by Sir Edward Blount and his wife, Lady Gertrude Blount. Sir Edward was a very important person. He was from Shropshire and his father, also named Edward Blount, was a member of the House of Commons, which is part of the UK government. Sir Edward Blount had founded a bank in 1831. After he was knighted (given a special title by the King or Queen), he moved to Sussex. The Catholic mission was first held in the chapel at Imberhorne Manor, which was the Blounts' home.

Building the Church

The first step in building the church was taken on June 15, 1897, when the foundation stone was laid. This is a special ceremony where the first stone of a new building is put in place. The church was designed by Frederick Walters, the same architect who designed many other churches.

Sadly, Lady Blount passed away while the church was still being built. The church was officially opened on October 2, 1898. The next year, in 1899, beautiful stained glass windows were added to a chapel inside the church. These windows were made by a company called Hardman & Co. and were given by the Blount family. They were dedicated to St Gertrude and St Edward. Most of the other decorations and fittings inside the church were also designed by Frederick Walters. The church was officially consecrated in 1899, which means it was formally set aside for religious use.

The Parish Community

Our Lady and St Peter's Church is the main church for its parish. A parish is a specific area that a church serves. This parish also includes another church called St Bernard's Church. St Bernard's is located on Vicarage Road in Lingfield, Surrey, and it was built in 1956.

There used to be another church in this parish called Our Lady of the Forest Church in Forest Row. That church was built in the 1950s, but it closed in 2009. An interesting fact about Our Lady of the Forest Church is that US President John F. Kennedy visited it in 1963 during his only official trip to the UK.

Our Lady and St Peter's Church holds two Sunday Masses. One is on Saturday evening at 6:15 PM, and the other is on Sunday morning at 10:30 AM. St Bernard's Church in Lingfield has one Sunday Mass at 9:00 AM. Our Lady and St Peter's Church also has Masses during the week at 9:30 AM.

See also

• List of places of worship in Mid Sussex
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton

Images for kids

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  St Bernard's Church in Lingfield, part of the same parish.

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  Our Lady of the Forest Church in Forest Row, which closed in 2009.