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St Dunstan's Church
St Dunstan's Church, Shaftesbury Road, Maybury, Woking (June 2015) (3).jpg
The church from the southwest
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OS grid reference TQ0147858775
Location Shaftesbury Road, Woking, Surrey
Country United Kingdom
Denomination Roman Catholic
Website St-Dunstans.org
History
Status Active
Dedication Dunstan
Dedicated 22 October 2008
Architecture
Functional status Parish church
Completed 8 August 2008
Administration
Deanery Woking
Diocese Arundel and Brighton
Province Southwark

St Dunstan's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Woking, Surrey. It serves as the main Catholic church for the town. The church you see today was finished in 2008. It was officially opened by the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor that same year.

The church is located on its own land between Shaftesbury and Pembroke Roads. It is less than a mile from the center of Woking. St Dunstan's is the only Catholic church in Woking. It is also the main church for the Woking area within the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.

A Look Back: The Story of St Dunstan's

The First Church (1899)

After 1850, the Catholic Church in England became more organized again. However, there was no Catholic church in Woking for people to attend. Catholics living in Woking had to travel to nearby places like Send or Sutton Green to go to church.

In 1899, a priest named Father W. D. Allanson built the very first St Dunstan's Church. It was a simple iron building located on Percy Street in Woking. This church was named after Saint Dunstan.

Building a Bigger Church (1923)

Roman Catholic church, Kingfield, Woking - geograph.org.uk - 41045
Our Lady Mother of God Church in Kingfield. It was built in 1962 and later closed when the new St Dunstan's was built.

In 1923, Father Plummer became the new parish priest. He wanted to build a larger church for the growing community. He planned for a church in the Gothic Revival style, which looks like old medieval churches.

On April 26, 1925, Bishop William Brown laid the foundation stone for the new church. This new church was built on Heathside Crescent. Joseph Goldie designed the building. It was finished on December 8, 1925. Father Plummer passed away in 1954 and was buried on the church grounds.

Growing the Catholic Community

As Woking grew, so did the number of Catholics. More churches were needed in the surrounding areas.

  • St Hugh's Church in Knaphill opened in 1907.
  • Our Lady Help of Christians Church in West Byfleet opened in 1954.
  • Our Lady Mother of God Church in the Kingfield area of Woking opened in 1962.

After World War II, many Italian people came to Woking for work. From 1973, special church services in Italian were held every Sunday for this community.

The parish also focused on education.

  • The first parish school opened in 1953.
  • St Dunstan's School opened in 1958.
  • St Francis School opened in 1973.

In 1993, these schools joined together to form St Dunstan's Primary School.

The New Church on Shaftesbury Road (2008)

When St Francis School closed, its land on Shaftesbury Road was kept. In 2003, a decision was made to build a brand new church on this site. This new church would replace both the Our Lady Mother of God church and the old St Dunstan's on Heathside Crescent.

Construction started in 2006. In March 2006, Our Lady Mother of God Church closed down. On July 13, 2006, Bishop Kieran Conry moved Father Plummer's remains. They were moved to St Edward the Confessor Church in Sutton Green. This was part of preparing for the new church.

The new building was completed on August 8, 2008. The first church service was held the very next day. The new St Dunstan's Church was officially opened on October 22, 2008. Bishop Kieran Conry and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor led the special ceremony.

What Happens at the Parish Today?

St Dunstan's Church works closely with St Dunstan's Primary School.

The church holds five Sunday services each week:

  • Saturday evening at 6:00 PM (for Sunday)
  • Sunday morning at 9:00 AM
  • Sunday morning at 10:30 AM
  • Sunday at 12:00 PM (an Italian service)
  • Sunday evening at 5:30 PM

Weekday services are also held every morning from Monday to Saturday at 10:00 AM.

See also

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