St Catherine's Church, Littlehampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Catherine's Church |
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| St Catherine of Alexandria Church | |
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| 50°48′22″N 0°32′23″W / 50.8060°N 0.5396°W | |
| OS grid reference | TQ0299901734 |
| Location | Littlehampton, West Sussex |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | StCatherinesChurchLittlehampton.org |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Founder(s) | Augusta Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of Norfolk |
| Dedication | Catherine of Alexandria |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 21 August 1975 |
| Architect(s) | Matthew Ellison Hadfield |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1862 |
| Completed | 1904 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Worthing |
| Diocese | Arundel and Brighton |
| Province | Southwark |
St Catherine's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England. It was started in 1862 and built over many years. The church was designed by an architect named Matthew Ellison Hadfield. You can find it on Beach Road, right in the middle of the town. It's built in a style called Gothic Revival, which means it looks like old churches from the Middle Ages. Because of its special design and history, it's listed as a Grade II historic building.
Contents
The Story of St Catherine's Church
How the Church Started
In 1862, a kind and wealthy lady named Augusta Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of Norfolk decided to pay for a new church in Littlehampton. She also helped build another church called St John the Evangelist Church. For St Catherine's, she hired Matthew Ellison Hadfield to design a group of buildings. These were meant to include a church, a house for the priest (called a presbytery), and a school.
However, the plans changed a bit. In the end, only the presbytery and the church were built. The first church building was quite simple. It had a main hall called a nave and a special area near the altar called a sanctuary.
Building More of the Church
Later, from 1883 to 1884, more parts were added to the church. These additions were also designed by Hadfield. An extra section, called an aisle, was built. This made the church bigger and allowed more people to fit inside. A gallery was also added, which is like a balcony inside the church.
Making the Church Even Bigger
In 1904, the church was made even larger. This time, the architectural work was done by a firm called Pugin & Pugin. The building was extended towards the east, making the sanctuary area bigger.
A new chapel, named St Joseph's Chapel, was added to the north side of the church. It even had its own separate entrance. Two confessionals were also built, which are small rooms where people can talk to a priest. A new altar and a pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) were installed. The altar was crafted by Messrs R. L. Boulton & Sons from Cheltenham. Beautiful stained glass windows were also put in. These windows were made by Cox & Barnard from Hove.
St Catherine's Parish Community
A parish is like a local church community. St Catherine's Church is the main church for its parish. This parish also includes another church called St Joseph's Church, which is located in Rustington. St Joseph's Church was built between 1949 and 1950. It was designed by an architect named John D. Hicks.
St Catherine's Church holds three Sunday Masses (church services). There is one on Saturday evening at 6:30 pm. On Sunday, there is a Mass at 9:00 am (which is in Portuguese) and another at 11:00 am. St Joseph's Church in Rustington has one Sunday Mass at 9:00 am.
More to Explore
- List of places of worship in Arun
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
