St Francis Xavier Church, Hereford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Francis Xavier Church |
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Front entrance
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| OS grid reference | SO5093939880 |
| Location | Hereford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | SFXHereford.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founder(s) | Society of Jesus |
| Dedication | St Francis Xavier |
| Relics held | St John Kemble |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Architect(s) | Charles Day |
| Style | Neoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | 19 September 1837 |
| Completed | 7 August 1839 |
| Construction cost | £16,000 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Hereford |
| Archdiocese | Cardiff |
| Province | Cardiff |
St Francis Xavier Church is a Roman Catholic church located in the heart of Hereford, Herefordshire. A Roman Catholic church is a place of worship for followers of the Catholic faith, led by the Pope. This church is also a Parish church, which means it serves a specific local community.
The church was built in 1839 and has a special design style called Neoclassical. This style is inspired by ancient Greek and Roman buildings. Because of its important history and design, the church was given a special status as a Grade II* listed building on June 10, 1952. This means it's a very important historic building that needs to be protected. The church is part of the Hereford Deanery and the Archdiocese of Cardiff, which are parts of the Catholic Church's organization.
Contents
How the Church Began: Its History
Building the Church
The first stone for St Francis Xavier Church was laid on September 19, 1837. Even Queen Victoria sent her own representative to this important event! The church was designed by an architect named Charles Day from Worcester. He also designed another church for the Jesuits in Bury St Edmunds.
Building the church was quite expensive, costing over £16,000. It officially opened on August 7, 1839. At that time, Catholics in England faced some challenges. Because of this, the church was built without windows. People worried that windows might be broken during the early 1800s.
Jesuits and Benedictines
The church was built on the same spot where a chapel used to be. This older chapel was used by a group called the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, during a time called the Reformation. This is why the church is named after St Francis Xavier. He was an important Jesuit missionary from the 1500s who traveled to places like Asia to spread the Christian faith.
The Jesuits were in charge of the Catholic mission in Hereford for a long time, from at least 1773 until 1858. In 1858, another group of monks called the Benedictines built Belmont Abbey nearby. The St Francis Xavier Church was then given to the Benedictines. They looked after it until 1954, when it was given to the Archdiocese of Cardiff. However, in 1992, the abbey took charge of the church again.
A Special Relic: St John Kemble
The church holds a very special item: a relic of St John Kemble. A relic is a sacred object, and in this case, it's a part of his body. St John Kemble was a Catholic martyr, meaning he died for his faith. He was executed in a nearby place called Widemarsh Common on August 22, 1679.
He was later recognized as a saint. In 1929, Pope Pius XI declared him "blessed," and on October 25, 1970, Pope Paul VI officially made him a saint. His special day, or feast day, is celebrated every year on August 22.
Church Design: Architecture
The outside of St Francis Xavier Church has columns and a decorative band called a frieze. These parts are made of a material called stucco, which looks like stone. There is also a dome at the back of the church.
At the front entrance, you'll see two fluted Doric columns on each side. Fluted means they have vertical grooves carved into them. Inside, the church is very decorative, especially the ceiling, which is made of plaster with many designs. The church gets its light from a lightwell, which is a special opening that lets natural light in. Near the altar, where religious services are held, there are two Ionic columns. These columns have a different style, with scroll-like shapes at the top.
Church Services: Parish Life
The church holds three Sunday Masses every week. Mass is the main worship service in the Catholic Church. One Mass is on Saturday evening at 6:00 PM. On Sunday morning, there are two more Masses, one at 8:00 AM and another at 10:00 AM.
Once a month, on the last Sunday, there is a special service called a Traditional Latin Mass at 12:15 PM. This Mass uses an older form of the service, spoken in Latin. The church also has a connection with the nearby St Francis Xavier RC Primary School.
See also
