St Edmund's Church, Bury St Edmunds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Edmund's Church |
|
|---|---|
| St Edmund King and Martyr Church Bury St Edmunds |
|
Church entrance
|
|
 St Edmund's Church
Location in Suffolk
|
|
| 52°14′27″N 0°42′47″E / 52.2407°N 0.7131°E | |
| OS grid reference | TL853637 |
| Location | Bury St Edmunds |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | StEdmundKM.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | Society of Jesus |
| Dedication | Edmund the Martyr |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Designated | 7 August 1952 |
| Architect(s) | Charles Day |
| Style | Classical Revival |
| Completed | 1837 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Edmund's Church |
| Deanery | Bury St Edmunds |
| Diocese | East Anglia |
| Province | Westminster |
St Edmund's Church is a Catholic church in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. It's a special place of worship for the local community. The church was started by a group called the Jesuits in 1763. The building you see today was built in 1837 on the same spot. You can find it on Westgate Street, right in the middle of town. This church is a very important historical building, listed as Grade II*.
Contents
History of St Edmund's Church
How the Church Started
In 1762, a Jesuit priest named Father Gage came to Bury St Edmunds. He wanted to create a place for local Catholics to worship. That year, they began building a small chapel. It was dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
The chapel was finished in 1763. The church building that stands today is on the exact same spot. This makes it the oldest place where Catholics have worshipped in the Diocese of East Anglia since the Reformation.
Building the New Church
By 1837, the small chapel was no longer big enough. More and more people were coming to worship there. So, the Jesuits asked an architect named Charles Day to design a new church.
Charles Day had also designed St Francis Xavier Church, Hereford in Hereford. The new church in Bury St Edmunds was dedicated to St Edmund the Martyr. The town of Bury St Edmunds is named after him. Both churches, St Francis Xavier and St Edmund's, were built in the same Greek style and in the same years.
Inside the Church
Many parts of the main entrance inside the church came from a nearby place called Rushbrooke Hall. This happened in 1959. For example, the beautiful marble around the entrance used to be a fireplace there.
On the west side of the church, there is a special area called the Blessed Sacrament chapel. This chapel was first set aside for worship in 1791. It wasn't used for a while, but it was opened again in 1971. Also, on the north side of the church, there are three blocked-up archways. These arches hold the gravestones of Jesuit priests. These priests served the church in the early 1800s.
Parish Life
The church has three Sunday Masses for people to attend. Two are in the morning, at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. There is also an evening Mass at 6:00 PM. The church also holds Masses on different weekdays.
St Edmund's Church works closely with the nearby St Edmund's Catholic Primary School. This school first opened its doors in 1882. Students from the school often join in with Mass on special Holy Days at the church.
See also
- Society of Jesus
- Diocese of East Anglia
