Our Lady of Gillingham Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Gillingham Church |
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Corner of Ingram Road and Railway Street
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| 51°23′16″N 0°33′29″E / 51.387745°N 0.558041°E | |
| OS grid reference | TQ 78085 68516 |
| Location | Gillingham, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Dedication | Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1896 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Chatham |
| Archdiocese | Southwark |
| Province | Southwark |
The Our Lady of Gillingham Church is a Roman Catholic church in Gillingham, Kent, England. It is a special kind of church called a Parish church. It was started in 1888 and built in 1896. You can find it in the middle of Gillingham, at the corner of Ingram Road and Railway Street. It's built in a style called Gothic Revival, which looks a bit like old castles or cathedrals.
Contents
History of the Church
How the Church Started
Before this church was built, Catholic people in Gillingham had to travel to St Michael's Church in Chatham. This was quite a journey! In 1888, a new plan began to create a Catholic community in Gillingham. A priest named Father Thomas McMahon came to the town to help. A local family, the Arathoons, also supported this new effort.
In 1890, work began on a small building. This building was special because it was both a school and a church. The Fauld family helped pay for it. It opened its doors in 1893 and was later known as McMahon Hall.
Building the Main Church
The main church building you see today opened on May 12, 1896. A very important church leader, the Archbishop of Southwark, Francis Bourne, officially opened it. He later became an even higher-ranking leader, a cardinal, in 1911. We don't know who the architect was for the church. The beautiful main altar and the decoration behind it, called a reredos, were made by a skilled craftsperson from Belgium. A person named Louis Brennan gave these as a gift to the church.
Changes Over Time
The church has grown and changed over the years. In 1902, the church building was made bigger. Later, in 1934, a new school building was constructed. This building is now known as Scott Hall.
Even newer school buildings were built in 1972 on Greenfield Road. This meant that only the younger students' school stayed at the old church site. In October 1988, more school buildings were added at the new site. This allowed the junior school to move there too. With no school left at the old site, some of the older buildings were taken down. A car park was then created in their place.
In 1990, the church was made bigger again. This time, a new entrance area called a narthex was added. Between 1999 and 2003, the two halls, McMahon Hall and Scott Hall, were updated and made new again.
Church Services
The church holds three Sunday Masses each week. These are on Saturday evening at 6:30 pm, and on Sunday mornings at 9:30 am and 11:30 am. There are also daily masses at 10 am. On special Holy Days, there are two masses.
See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark
