Sacred Heart Church, Bournemouth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sacred Heart Church
Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart Church, Bournemouth
Location in Dorset
50°43′16″N 1°52′43″W / 50.7211°N 1.8787°W / 50.7211; -1.8787
OS grid reference	SZ 0865791278
Location	Bournemouth, Dorset
Country	England, United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	http://www.bournemouthoratory.org.uk
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	20 October 1983
Architect(s)	Henry Clutton
Style	English Gothic
Completed	1874
Administration
Diocese	Portsmouth

The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, also known as Sacred Heart Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Bournemouth, England. You can find it on Albert Road, very close to the town centre. This church was the very first Roman Catholic church built in Bournemouth. It is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth. The building is special because English Heritage has given it a Grade II listed building status. This means it's an important historical building.

The church stands right next to the Bournemouth Daily Echo building. It is also across the street from the Norfolk Royale Hotel.

History of Sacred Heart Church

How Bournemouth Grew

In the early 1800s, Bournemouth was a brand new town. Before it became a popular place for holidays and enjoying the sea air, Bournemouth was just a tiny village. It was located at the mouth of the River Bourne. With its beautiful coastline and miles of sandy beaches, many hotels and guest-houses soon appeared. These places were built to welcome the growing number of visitors. The town grew even faster when a better railway system was built. This brought many more people to this popular coastal spot. At first, Catholic church services were held in different places. But as more wealthy visitors arrived, better church facilities were needed.

Early Church Services in Bournemouth

Before the church was built, different groups used the Assembly Rooms behind the Belle Vue Hotel. These rooms were used for Catholic services, other church services, and even as a synagogue. The first recorded Catholic Mass happened in 1861–62. A lady named Mrs. Washington Hibbert set up a private chapel at the hotel. A priest named Fr. Thomas Mochler SJ came from Lymington to lead the Mass.

From 1863 to 1865, Lady Catherine Petre helped pay for the chapel. Later, other wealthy people also set up private chapels in their homes. During this time, most people attending Mass were rich visitors staying for the winter. At first, there was only one permanent Catholic resident, Sergeant Maurice O’Connell. He was a drill sergeant for the local volunteers. But Catholics from a wide area came to the services. When the wealthy visitors left, local Catholics would travel by horse bus to a church in Poole.

The Jesuits Arrive

In October 1869, two Jesuit priests, Fr. James Brownbill and Fr. James Eccles, arrived from Farm Street, London. They opened a public wooden chapel on Richmond Hill. In 1870, a small wooden church was opened on the land where the Sacred Heart Church stands today. Lady Herbert of Lea and Mr. O’Connell helped buy this land.

Fr. Brownbill was the first parish priest until he retired in 1870. Fr. Maurice Mann took over from him. He was alone after Fr. Eccles passed away in 1871. The bishop allowed Fr. Mann to hold two Sunday Masses during winter.

In the summer of 1873, the main part of the new, permanent church building opened. It was designed by Henry Clutton. Later, the side sections and the tower were added. The church was officially opened on February 5, 1875. Bishop James Dannell blessed the building. The church was built with yellow and white bricks. In 1875, a large bell weighing over 1,000 pounds was put in place. It was made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

Mrs. Brymer gave the main altar and beautiful stained glass windows. These windows show the four evangelists. Baroness von Hugel gave the brass rails around the altar. A young boy named Rafael Merry del Val attended the church as a schoolboy. He later became a very important Cardinal and Secretary of State to Pope Pius X. He took his first communion at Sacred Heart Church in 1872.

Growing the Church Building

After a new diocese (church area) was created in Portsmouth in 1882, work began to make the church bigger. This work started in 1888 and picked up speed in April 1896. Fr. Cooney SJ was the parish priest, and A.J.Pilkington was the architect. The finished church was blessed at a special midnight Mass on December 31, 1900. This also celebrated the start of the new century.

During this expansion, a new main area (nave), a higher section with windows (clerestory), and a confessional were built. The house next door was also extended. The new parts of the church matched the original design, which was based on early French Gothic style. The outside was made of Swanage stone. The plans also included a central tower, but it didn't reach its full planned height.

Interesting Visitors and Events

In April 1888, Empress Elizabeth of Austria, also known as "Sisi," visited Bournemouth for 10 days. Her daughter, the Archduchess Marie Valerie, attended Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart. The Empress stayed at her hotel because she had a cold.

Lady Georgiana Fullerton, a granddaughter of a duke, attended Sacred Heart Church for many years. There is a plaque in the church to remember her. She helped poor Catholics from London who had tuberculosis. She also supported education. In 1871, a convent and a girls' boarding school opened. Later, St. Joseph’s School opened, which eventually became St. Walburga’s.

Other famous people connected to the church include:

• Baroness Pauline von Hügel, who founded Corpus Christi School.
• Father William Anderton, who was secretary to Cardinal Henry Manning.
• Paul Verlaine, a French poet who visited the church with his students.
• Aubrey Beardsley, a famous artist, was received into the Catholic Church at his home by a priest from Sacred Heart.

In 1898, Lady Cromer, the wife of a British diplomat, had her funeral service at Sacred Heart Church. Bournemouth was chosen because she had happy memories of visiting the town.

In 1901, Adeline Sergeant, a novelist, moved nearby and attended Sacred Heart Church. On July 10, 1910, Archbishop Francis Bourne attended a Mass at Sacred Heart. This marked 100 years since Bournemouth became a town.

On December 27, 1917, Joseph Jongen, a Belgian composer, played the organ at Sacred Heart. He was staying in Bournemouth as a refugee during a war.

In 1943, Bournemouth experienced a bad bombing raid during the Second World War. The church suffered damage from the blasts, causing cracks in its structure.

The famous author J. R. R. Tolkien and his wife Edith often took holidays in Bournemouth. They attended Sunday Masses at Sacred Heart. In 1968, they bought a house nearby. In 2005, on the 50th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings, their daughter Priscilla attended Mass at Sacred Heart and read one of her father's poems.

In 1962, a special Mass was held at Sacred Heart to celebrate 100 years since the first Mass in Bournemouth. Later, in 1969, the Jesuits handed over the church to other priests from the Portsmouth diocese. In the mid-1970s, the church's altar area was changed.

In 1982–83, the stone of the church was cleaned. Also, a set of six new bells was added to the existing large bell. This is quite rare for Catholic churches.

Sacred Heart was the first Catholic church in Bournemouth. Now, there are nine Catholic churches in the area. Most of them started because of the Jesuit work at Sacred Heart.

Church Design and Features

The church was designed by Henry Clutton between 1872 and 1874. It was then made much larger by A. J. Pilkington from 1896 to 1898. As mentioned, English Heritage has given it a grade II listed building status. This means it's recognized as an important historical building.