St George's Church, Worcester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St George's Church |
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| 52°11′41″N 2°13′10″W / 52.1947°N 2.2195°W | |
| OS grid reference | SO8509155182 |
| Location | Worcester |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | CatholicWorcester.org |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1829 |
| Founder(s) | Society of Jesus |
| Dedication | Saint George |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Designated | 22 May 1954 |
| Architect(s) | Henry Rowe |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Worcester |
| Archdiocese | Birmingham |
| Province | Birmingham |
St George's Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Worcester. It was built in 1829 and was looked after by a group called the Society of Jesus until 1990. After that, it became part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The church is built in the Baroque style. It is a special building, listed as Grade II*, meaning it's very important. A famous composer, Edward Elgar, was the organist here starting in 1885.
Church History
Before the current church, there was an older one built on the same spot in 1729. We don't know much about that first building. The Jesuits, who are a religious order, divided England into areas called 'residences' for their work. St George's Church was named after the 'residence' that covered the areas of Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
The church officially opened on July 16, 1829. Bishop Thomas Walsh, a church leader from the Midland District, led the opening ceremony. The church was designed by an architect named Henry Rowe.
Later, in 1880, the church was made bigger. Its front, called the facade, was made taller seven years later. These changes were designed by S. J. Nicoll. He also designed the inside of another Jesuit church, the Church of Saint Francis Xavier, Liverpool, in Liverpool.
Behind the main altar, there is a large copy of a famous painting called Transfiguration by the artist Raphael. This original painting is important to Worcester because it was ordered in 1517 by Cardinal Giulio de' Medici. Cardinal Medici later became the Bishop of Worcester from 1520 to 1522. He was then chosen to be Pope Clement VII in 1523. The copy of the painting was given to St George's Church in 1837 by the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury.
The Church Organ
The church organ was put in place in 1885. This was the same year that the famous English composer Edward Elgar became the church's organist. He took over from his father when he was 27 years old. Elgar had been helping as an assistant organist since he was 15. He played the organ at St George's Church for four more years.
The organ was rebuilt in 1970 by a company called Nicholson & Co. They made sure to mark the parts of the organ that were from the old one with an 'E'. This 'E' shows which parts Elgar himself used when he played the organ.
Parish Life
St George's Church holds two Sunday Masses: one at 10:00 AM and another at 11:30 AM. There is also a Polish Mass at 2:00 PM on Sundays. During the week, Masses are usually held at 10:00 AM, from Monday to Saturday. If you need to go to Confession, it is available on Saturday mornings from 10:45 AM to 11:45 AM.
The church also has a close connection with the nearby St George's Catholic Primary School. The school is very proud of this link. On its website, the school mentions, "We are proud of our links to St George's Catholic Church, Worcester, where Elgar was an organist for many years."
See also
- Society of Jesus
- Worcester
- Archdiocese of Birmingham
