St Ethelbert's Church, Ramsgate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Ethelbert's Church |
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| The Catholic Church of Ss Ethelbert & Gertrude | |
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 St Ethelbert's Church
Location in Kent
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| 51°20′23″N 1°25′29″E / 51.3396°N 1.4248°E | |
| Location | Ramsgate, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://www.saintethelberts.com/ |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic architecture |
| Years built | 1901 - 1902 |
| Groundbreaking | June 1901 |
| Completed | 17 August 1902 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 80 feet (24 m) |
| Width | 30 feet (9.1 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ramsgate and Minster |
| Deanery | Thanet |
| Archdiocese | Southwark |
St Ethelbert's Church is a Roman Catholic church located on Hereson Road in Ramsgate, Kent, England. It is dedicated to two saints, Ethelbert and Gertrude. The church was designed by Peter Paul Pugin and built by a local company, W. W. Martin and Sons. Today, it serves as the main Catholic parish church for the area.
Contents
History of St Ethelbert's Church
Building the Church
St Ethelbert's Church was built thanks to the generous financial support of Frances Elizabeth Ellis (1846-1930). She used her family inheritance to help establish many important places. These included churches, hospitals, hospices, orphanages, and nursing homes.
The first stone of the church, called the cornerstone, was placed in June 1901. The building work was finished just over a year later, on August 17, 1902. Joseph Power, who was a monk from the Benedictine Order (OSB), became the church's first priest.
Changes to the Presbytery
In 1980, the church's presbytery, which is the house where the priest lives, saw a sad event. The priest, Edward Hull, OSB, and his housekeeper, Ethel Maude Lelean, passed away there. Father Hull had been a chaplain in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He was also a former headmaster of the Abbey School. After this event, the old presbytery building was taken down. A new one was built in its place by Robin Carter, who was an architect and also a member of the church.
Parish Mergers and New Roles
In the late 2000s, several Catholic parishes in the southwest part of Thanet joined together. In February 2009, this new combined area was named the Parish of Ramsgate and Minster. St Ethelbert's Church became the main church for this larger parish.
In 2010, the Benedictine Monks from St Augustine’s Abbey decided to move from their monastery in Ramsgate. The church that had been used by the Abbey was then given a special new role. In March 2012, it became the Shrine of St Augustine. This shrine is very important because it was founded and designed by Augustus Pugin.
Fr Marcus Holden was the first Rector of the Shrine of St Augustine. He also served as the Parish Priest from 2010 to 2018. The current Rector of the shrine and Parish Priest is Fr Christopher Basden.
See also
