St Anthony of Padua Church, Rye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Anthony of Padua's Church
The church in 2023
50°56′57″N 0°43′58″E / 50.9492°N 0.7329°E / 50.9492; 0.7329
OS grid reference	TQ9206220199
Location	Rye, East Sussex
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	Greyfriars.org
History
Former name(s)	St Walburga's Church
Status	Active
Founded	1900
Dedication	Anthony of Padua
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	22 February 2010
Architect(s)	John Bernard Mendham
Style	Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking	11 October 1927
Completed	30 June 1929
Administration
Deanery	St Leonards-on-Sea & Eastbourne
Diocese	Arundel and Brighton
Province	Southwark

St Anthony of Padua Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Rye, East Sussex, England. It's a special place of worship that was built between 1927 and 1929. Before this church, there was an older one from 1900 on the same spot. You can find it on Watchbell Street, near a famous house called Lamb House. This church is looked after by a group of friars called the Conventual Franciscans, and it's considered a historically important building, known as a Grade II listed building.

History of the Church

The First Church

The story of St Anthony of Padua Church begins with an older church. This first church was called St Walburga's Church. It was built in 1900 and immediately became a local parish, which means it served the Catholic community in the area.

In 1906, a group of Conventual Franciscans friars arrived in Rye. One of them, Father Bonaventure M. Scebberas, started working in the area. He was an important leader for the Conventual Franciscans in England.

Franciscans Take Over

In 1910, the Conventual Franciscans were asked to take care of St Walburga's Church. This was a big deal because it made the St Anthony of Padua Friary one of the first places in England where these specific Franciscans had a home since the English Reformation.

By 1926, the church had become too small. More and more people were coming to services. So, plans were made to build a bigger, new church to replace St Walburga's.

Building the New Church

The old St Walburga's Church was taken down starting on July 13, 1927. Just a few weeks later, on August 9, 1927, Father Scebberas laid the very first brick of the new church.

On October 11, 1927, an important ceremony took place. The foundation stone for the new St Anthony of Padua Church was blessed. This blessing was done by Bishop William Francis Brown, who was an Auxiliary bishop from Southwark.

The church was designed by an architect named John Bernard Mendham. He was born in St Leonards-on-Sea and had worked on other important buildings. St Anthony of Padua Church was built in a style called Romanesque Revival architecture. This style looks back to old Roman buildings. The part of the church where the altar is, called the sanctuary, was designed in a Byzantine Revival style. It was shaped like a Greek Cross.

The construction of the church was finished on June 30, 1929. The church officially opened its doors to the community on that day.

Parish Life

St Anthony of Padua Church is an active Parish church. It holds several Masses each week for its community. On Saturdays, there is an evening Mass. On Sundays, there are two Masses, one in the morning and one later in the morning. There are also weekday Masses held from Monday to Saturday mornings.

See also

• List of places of worship in Rother
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton