St Edmund's Church, Bury St Edmunds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Edmund's Church |
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| St Edmund King and Martyr Church Bury St Edmunds |
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Church entrance
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 St Edmund's Church
Location in Suffolk
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| 52°14′27″N 0°42′47″E / 52.2407°N 0.7131°E | |
| OS grid reference | TL 853 637 |
| Location | Bury St Edmunds |
| Country | England |
| 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 Roman Catholic church located in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It serves as a local parish church for the community. This church was originally started by a group called the Jesuits in 1763. The beautiful building you see today was built on the same spot in 1837. You can find it on Westgate Street, right in the middle of the town. It is managed by the Diocese of East Anglia and is considered a very important historical building, known as a Grade II* listed building.
Contents
History of St Edmund's Church
How the Church Started
In 1762, a Jesuit priest named Father Gage came to Bury St Edmunds. His goal was to create a place of worship for the local Catholic people. Work began that year on a small chapel. This chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It was finished in 1763, just one year later. The current St Edmund's Church stands on the exact same site. This makes it the oldest place for Catholic worship in the Diocese of East Anglia since the Reformation.
Building the Current Church
By 1837, the small chapel was no longer big enough. More and more people were coming to worship there. Because of this, the Jesuits asked an architect named Charles Day to design a new, larger church. Charles Day had also designed another church, St Francis Xavier Church, in Hereford. The new church in Bury St Edmunds was dedicated to St Edmund the Martyr. The town of Bury St Edmunds is actually named after this saint! Both St Francis Xavier in Hereford and St Edmund's Church were built in the same years and share a similar ancient Greek style.
Inside the Church
Many interesting features inside the main entrance of St Edmund's Church came from a nearby grand house called Rushbrooke Hall. These items were moved to the church in 1959. For example, the beautiful marble frame around the entrance used to be part of a fireplace at the hall.
On the west side of the church, there is a special area called the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. This chapel was first made sacred in 1791. However, it was not used for a long time. It was made sacred again in 1971 and has been in use since then. Also, on the north side of the church, you can see three blocked-up archways. These arches contain the gravestones of Jesuit priests. These priests served the parish in the early 1800s.
Church Activities and Community
St Edmund's Church holds three Sunday Masses each week. Two are in the morning, at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. There is also an evening Mass at 6:00 PM. In addition to Sunday services, there are Masses held on various weekdays.
The church has a strong connection with the nearby St Edmund's Catholic Primary School. This school first opened its doors in 1882. Students from the school often join the church for Mass on special Holy Days throughout the year.
See also
- Society of Jesus
- Diocese of East Anglia
