Our Lady of Lourdes, Wanstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Lourdes, Wanstead |
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| The Parish Church of Our Lady Of Lourdes, Wanstead | |
Our Lady of Lourdes Church viewed from the front
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| Location | 51 Cambridge Park, Wanstead, London E11 2PR |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1919 (parish); 1928 (church building) |
| Dedication | Our Lady of Lourdes |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Wanstead |
| Deanery | Redbridge |
| Diocese | Brentwood |
Our Lady of Lourdes church is a Catholic church in Wanstead, London. It serves people in Wanstead and parts of Leytonstone. This church is part of the Diocese of Brentwood.
The Church's Story
The church's story began in 1910. A small place for Catholic services, called a 'mass centre,' opened in Wanstead. In 1918, this centre moved to St. Joseph's school hall.
Wanstead became its own church area, called a 'parish,' in 1919. The church building itself opened in 1928. It was fully finished between 1934 and 1939.
The first parish priest, Canon Basil Booker, started on August 4, 1919. Later, Canon James Hemming became the second priest in 1952. In 1970, Mgr Christopher Creede took over as the new parish priest.
Mgr Creede retired in 2000 after 30 years. Fr Patrick Sammon then became the fourth parish priest. One of his first big projects was building the Pastoral Centre next to the church. This building has five meeting rooms and a large hall for church events.
On February 11, 2022, Bishop Alan Williams blessed two new statues. These statues of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Bernadette are in a special grotto by the church. Canon Sammon passed away on September 16, 2022, after serving for over 22 years.
What the Church Looks Like Inside and Out
The church was built in a style called Neo-Gothic. This means it looks like older Gothic churches. The outside is made of red brick with cream-colored stone edges.
Inside, the church has a main area called a nave. It also has two side areas, or aisles, on each side. At the back, above the entrance, there is a balcony for the choir. A new organ has been built there. The inside walls are painted white, except for the stone parts.
Behind the altar, where services are held, there is a detailed stone altarpiece. This is a decorated screen or panel. Two stained glass windows are in a side chapel on the left. These were added during a big project to fix up the church. As part of this work, the tabernacle (a special place for the Eucharist) was moved. A new stone altar was also put in.
The church has a large crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it) above the new altar. In 2019, new hand-painted Stations of the Cross were added around the church. These are pictures or carvings showing events from Jesus's last day.
Images for kids
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Exterior seen from Cambridge Park
