Our Lady of Dolours, Chelsea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Dolours, Chelsea |
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| Our Lady of Dolours, Chelsea | |
| 51°29′05″N 0°11′05″W / 51.4848°N 0.1846°W | |
| Location | 264 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London SW10 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Religious order | Servite Order |
| Website | http://servitechurch.org/pages/home.htm |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Our Lady of Seven Dolours |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Founder(s) | Father Philip Bosio OSM, Farher Agostino Morini OSM |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Dolours |
| Consecrated | 1875 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish Church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 1984 |
| Architect(s) | J. A. Hansom |
| Architectural type | ecclesiastical |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1873 |
| Completed | 1874 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Westminster |
Our Lady of Dolours, also known as the Servite Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Chelsea, central London. It is run by a group called the Servite Order. The church building was designed by J. A. Hansom in 1873. It is built in the Gothic Revival style, which means it looks like old medieval churches.
This church is listed as Grade II listed with Historic England. This means it's an important historical building. You can find it at 264 Fulham Road, right next to St Mary's Priory. It's also very close to the South Lodge entrance of Brompton Cemetery. There is a Catholic primary school right next to the church and priory.
Contents
History of the Servite Church
The idea for this church came from two Italian priests, Father Philip Bosio and Father Augustine Morini. They were part of the Servite Order and came from Florence, Italy, to London in 1864. They were missionaries, meaning they traveled to spread their faith. They helped fill a need for Catholic priests in England. This was after a long time (nearly 250 years) when public Catholic services were not allowed.
From 1852 to 1869, St Mary's Church, Moorfields was the main Catholic church in London. It was built by people who wanted to practice their faith openly again.
Building the Church
Construction on the Fulham Road site began in 1874. Father Philip Bosio led the project, and Joseph Hansom was the architect. Hansom also designed the church's tower and the front of the priory building in 1879–80.
The church was first named Our Lady of the Seven Dolours. Later, its name was shortened to Our Lady of Dolours. This name means the same as Our Lady of Sorrows. Cardinal Manning officially opened the church on September 19, 1875. From the very beginning, many people came to services at the Servite Church. It was very popular in the areas of Brompton, Fulham, and Chelsea.
Special Features of the Church
The entrance passage, designed by Hansom in 1894, is very special. It's unique among churches in England. Other interesting parts of the church include bronze statues of the Redeemer and St. Peter by Mayer (from 1872). There is also a painting called The Holy Face (from 1895) and a sculpture called Pietà by J. M. Swynnerton (from 1896).
The church used to have a beautiful Gothic Reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar). Sadly, this was removed during renovations in the 1970s. The church's organ was built in 1968 by Henry Jones, Grant, Degens, and Bradbeer.
A Special Baptism
The church serves people who live nearby and also Catholics from all over the world. On May 18, 1991, a family from Italy had their first baby baptized here. They returned to Italy later that year. This baby, Carlo Acutis, sadly passed away from Leukemia when he was 15. He was later honored in Assisi Cathedral on October 10, 2020.
See also
- Mary Remnant
