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-Menevia |
| Province | Cardiff-Menevia |
St Francis Xavier Church is a special Roman Catholic parish church right in the middle of Hereford, a city in Herefordshire, England. It was built a long time ago in 1839. This church has a beautiful style called Neoclassical. It's so important that it was made a Grade II* listed building in 1952. This means it's a very old and important building that needs to be protected. The church is part of the Hereford Deanery, which is like a local group of churches, and it belongs to the Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia.
Contents
History of St Francis Xavier Church
Building the Church
The first stone for St Francis Xavier’s Church was put in place on September 19, 1837. Even Queen Victoria sent her own representative to this important ceremony!
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 St Francis Xavier Church cost a lot of money, over £16,000.
The church officially opened on August 7, 1839. At that time, it was still a bit risky to be openly Catholic in England. Because of this, the church was built without windows. People were worried that windows might be broken by those who didn't like Catholics in the early 1800s.
The Jesuits and the Church
The church was built where a small chapel used to be. This chapel was used by a group of priests called the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. They used it during a time in history called the Reformation. That's why the church is named after St Francis Xavier, who was a famous Jesuit missionary from the 1500s. He traveled to places like Asia to share his faith.
The Jesuits were in charge of the Catholic community in Hereford for a long time, starting from at least 1773. In 1858, another group of monks, the Benedictines, built Belmont Abbey nearby. The church was then given to them. The Benedictines looked after the church until 1954. After that, it was given to the Archdiocese of Cardiff. But in 1992, the abbey took over running the church again.
St John Kemble's Relic
The church holds a very special item: a relic of St John Kemble. A relic is usually a part of a saint's body or something they owned. In this case, it is St John Kemble's hand. He was a Catholic martyr, which means he died for his faith. He was executed near Hereford on August 22, 1679.
St John Kemble was later recognized as a saint. He was declared "blessed" in 1929 by Pope Pius XI and then made a saint in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. His special day is celebrated on August 22 each year.
Architecture of the Church
Outside the Church
The outside of St Francis Xavier Church has tall columns and a decorative band called a frieze. These parts are made of a material called stucco, which looks like stone. At the back of the church, there is a dome.
The front of the church has two large, fluted Doric columns on each side of the main entrance. "Fluted" means they have grooves running down them.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church is very fancy and decorated. The ceiling is made of plaster and has many beautiful designs. The church gets its light from a special opening called a lightwell, since it doesn't have regular windows.
Near the altar, which is the main table in the church, there are two Ionic columns. These columns are also decorative, but they have a different style than the Doric ones outside.
Parish Life
Mass Times
A "parish" is like a local community of people who go to a specific church. St Francis Xavier Church has three Sunday Masses every week. Mass is the main worship service for Catholics.
- One Mass is on Saturday evening at 6:00 PM.
- The other two are on Sunday morning at 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
- On the last Sunday of every month, there is a special service called a Traditional Latin Mass at 12:15 PM.
School Connection
The church also has a close relationship with the nearby St Francis Xavier RC Primary School. This means the church and school often work together for events and activities.
See also
