St Agatha's, Landport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Agatha's Church |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic Church |
| Rite | Anglican Use |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Parish Church |
| Leadership | Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Ordinary: The Revd Msgr Keith Newton Rector: The Revd Msgr Robert Mercer |
| Location | |
| Location | Landport, Portsmouth, England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Joseph Henry Ball |
| Architectural style | Italianate Romanesque |
| General contractor | W. R. Light and Son of Southsea |
| Groundbreaking | 1838 |
| Completed | 1894 |
| Construction cost | £3,250 |
| Website | |
| sagathasbasilica.com | |
St Agatha's Church is a special church located in the Landport area of Portsmouth, England. It's now part of the Roman Catholic Church, specifically through a group called the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. You can find it on Marketway, right next to the Cascades Shopping Centre.
This beautiful building was constructed between 1893 and 1895. It was first built for the Church of England. Today, it's recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historic place.
Contents
History of St Agatha's Church
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Building the Church
Before the main church was built, there was a small mission church on this spot. It was in an area where many people were very poor and needed help. The idea for a new, bigger church came from Father Robert William Radclyffe Dolling. He was an Irish priest who worked hard to help the people in the community.
Father Dolling also collected money from people in Old Portsmouth to build the new church. Construction started in 1893. The church officially opened on October 27, 1895. There was a special ceremony that started at the old mission church and ended with a procession to the new building. However, the way the ceremony was done caused some disagreement with the Bishop of Winchester.
Early Years and Changes
After Father Dolling, Father Tremenheere continued to decorate the inside of the church. This work went on until 1914. During this time, beautiful murals were finished, and a wooden pulpit was added.
Father C. W. Coles then took over as the church leader. He served the parish through two big world wars until 1954. The last service was held that year. Later, in 1964, a small chapel in the church, called the ladychapel, was taken down. This was done to make space for widening the road nearby.
New Beginnings
For the next 40 years, the church building was used as a storage place for the navy. But it was mostly kept in good condition. Later, a church group called the Traditional Anglican Communion took it over. They used it for worship that was very similar to what Father Dolling had started.
St Agatha's Today
Today, St Agatha's Church is also used for concerts. People have described it as a magnificent building with a very rich and beautiful inside. Some even call it the "Cathedral of the car parks" because of its grand appearance in Portsmouth's shopping area.
A retired bishop named Robert Mercer used to worship at St Agatha's. He and other church leaders later joined the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. Because of this, St Agatha's began to be used as a place of worship for this group.
Many of the beautiful items inside the church came from other churches that were no longer in use. For example, the main altar originally came from Trinity Church in Trinity Church Square. It then moved to St Matthews in New Kent Road before finding its home at St Agatha's.
The church holds one Sunday Mass at 11:00 am. It also has weekday Masses at 11:00 am on Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
See also
