St Dunstan's Church, Woking facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Dunstan's Church |
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The church from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | TQ 01478 58775 |
| Location | Shaftesbury Road, Woking, Surrey |
| Country | England |
| 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 parish church located in Woking, Surrey. It serves as a central place of worship for the Catholic community in the town. The church has a history of being rebuilt and expanded over the years. The first church was built in 1899. It was replaced by a larger building in 1923. The current church building was completed in 2008. It was officially dedicated by important church leaders that same year. The church is situated on Shaftesbury Road, not far from Woking's town centre. It is the only Catholic church in Woking.
Contents
History of St Dunstan's Church
The story of St Dunstan's Church shows how the Catholic community in Woking grew. For many years, there was no Catholic church in Woking itself. People had to travel to nearby towns like Send or Sutton Green to attend Mass.
The First Church on Percy Street
In 1899, a priest named Fr. W. D. Allanson helped build the very first Catholic church in Woking. It was a simple iron church. This church was dedicated to St Dunstan, a famous saint. It was located on Percy Street. This was an important step for the local Catholic community.
Building a Bigger Church on Heathside Crescent
As the community grew, a bigger church was needed. In 1923, a new priest, Fr. Plummer, took over. He wanted to build a new church in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like old medieval churches. Plans were made, and the foundation stone was laid on April 26, 1925. This new church was built on Heathside Crescent. It was designed by an architect named Joseph Goldie. The construction was finished on December 8, 1925. Fr. Plummer, who had worked hard for the church, passed away in 1954. He was buried on the church grounds.
Over the years, even more Catholic churches were built in the areas around Woking. This happened because the number of people attending church kept growing. For example, 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 the Second World War, many people from Italy came to work in Woking. Special Masses in Italian were started in 1973 for this community. The church also helped open schools for children. The first parish school opened in 1953. St Dunstan's School opened in 1958. St Francis School opened in 1973. Later, in 1993, these schools combined to form St Dunstan's Primary School.
The Current Church on Shaftesbury Road
The site of St Francis School on Shaftesbury Road was kept by the church. In 2003, a decision was made to build a brand new, larger church there. This new church would replace both the Our Lady Mother of God church and the old St Dunstan's church on Heathside Crescent.
Construction work for the new church began in 2006. In March 2006, Our Lady Mother of God Church closed its doors. This was in preparation for the new building. On July 13, 2006, the remains of Fr. Plummer were moved to St Edward the Confessor Church in Sutton Green. This was part of the plans for the new church site.
The new St Dunstan's Church building was completed on August 8, 2008. The very first Mass was celebrated there the next day. The church was officially dedicated on October 22, 2008. This special event was led by Bishop Kieran Conry and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.
Parish Life and Activities
St Dunstan's Church has a strong connection with St. Dunstan's Primary School. They often work together.
The church holds several Sunday Masses each week. These include a Saturday evening Mass, two Sunday morning Masses, and a Sunday evening Mass. There is also a special Mass in Italian at noon on Sundays. Weekday Masses are held from Monday to Saturday mornings.
See also
- Woking
- Diocese of Arundel and Brighton
- St Peter's Church, Old Woking
