St Bernardine's Catholic Church, Buckingham facts for kids
St Bernardine's is a Roman Catholic church located in Buckingham, England. It is part of a larger church area called a Parish, which includes both Buckingham and Brackley. This means it shares its parish with St Martin's Catholic Church, Brackley.
Contents
History of St Bernardine's Church
How the Church Began
St. Bernardine's Church started in 1892. A Franciscan Friar named Father Thaddeus Hermans came from Belgium. He wanted to open a special school, called a college, for young men who wished to become Franciscans. He arrived in Buckingham on a special day called the Feast of the Ascension.
Father Hermans first rented a small house on Elm Street. This is where he held the very first Mass, which is a Catholic church service. Later, he moved to 9 Chandos Road and set up his first chapel there. By the end of 1895, he had bought land on London Road and built his college.
Growth of the Community
At first, not many Catholic people lived near Buckingham. However, by the year 1900, church records show that twelve babies were baptized there. This shows the community was starting to grow. The college was named after St Bernardine, who was a very respected Franciscan. Because of this, the church area around the college became known as the parish of St Bernardine. The college's chapel was officially opened for public worship in 1912.
Changes After World War II
After World War II, the number of people in the parish grew quickly. The Friars, who are members of the Franciscan order, started opening new Mass centres in nearby towns and villages. One of these new centres was in Brackley.
In 1968, the college closed down. Its buildings were sold to Buckinghamshire County Council. However, the Friars were allowed to keep using the chapel until the parish could build its own church.
Building the New Church
Eventually, the decision was made to build the new church next to the new Friary on Chandos Road. This was the same street where the Friars had set up their very first chapel. The new church was officially blessed on October 26, 1974, by Bishop Charles Grant. It was then formally dedicated in 1982. Since 1989, the parish has been looked after by the Diocese of Northampton.
