St Ignatius Church, Stamford Hill Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Ignatius Church
Roman Catholic Church of St. Ignatius, Stamford Hill
Front of St. Ignatius Church
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OS grid reference	TQ3359588197
Location	Stamford Hill, London
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	www.stignatius.co.uk
History
Status	Active
Founded	1894 (1894)
Dedication	St. Ignatius of Loyola
Architecture
Functional status	Parish Church
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	10 May 1974
Architect(s)	Fr. Benedict Williamson
Style	Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking	1894
Completed	1911
Administration
Deanery	Haringey
Archdiocese	Westminster
Province	Westminster

St Ignatius Church in Stamford Hill, London, is a large Roman Catholic church. It is a special "Grade II listed" building, which means it's important and protected. The church is run by a group of priests called the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits), who started it in 1894. You can find it where Stamford Hill and St. Ann's Road meet, close to Tottenham High Road.

History of St Ignatius Church
Community Life at St Ignatius
Church Choirs
Gallery
See also

History of St Ignatius Church

How the Church Started

In 1892, a very important church leader named Cardinal Herbert Vaughan asked the Jesuits to build a new church. He also wanted them to open a primary school and a secondary school for boys. He made this request after almost 300 people in the Stamford Hill area asked for a local church.

The first church service was held in a large house called Morecambe Lodge. This house was later taken down. The next year, another house nearby, Burleigh House, was bought. Jesuits, including priests, lived there until a new house for them opened in 1928.

Building the Church

At first, a small chapel was made from the stables and coach house of Morecambe Lodge. But soon, so many people came that a proper church was needed. The Jesuits decided to name the church after their founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola.

The church was built in two main parts because of money. The first part, which included the main worship area, opened in 1903. The outside of the church was finished in 1911.

The architect, Benedict Williamson, later became a Catholic priest himself. He designed many other churches in England. Inside St Ignatius Church, you can see amazing mosaic glass pictures. These pictures show the birth of Christ and the Sacred Heart in bright colors. There are also beautiful Stations of the Cross. These artworks are in a style called opus sectile, which was popular during the Arts and Crafts movement when the church was built.

The inside of the church was fully completed in 1925. There is a special chapel called the St Joseph chapel at the back. It honors the men from the church who died in the First World War. Their names are written on the front of the altar there. The main altar and the communion rails are still in the church today.

The Church's School

The secondary school that Cardinal Vaughan wanted was opened on September 10, 1894. It was right next to the church and was called St Ignatius' College. By the 1960s, the school needed more space for its growing number of students. So, in 1968, it moved to Enfield.

A primary school, also named after St Ignatius, stayed behind. The Jesuits no longer run this primary school directly. It is now managed by the local council and gets money from the Archdiocese of Westminster. However, as a Catholic school, it still has a close connection with the church.

Community Life at St Ignatius

The church is very active in helping its local community. Many volunteer groups use the church and its buildings. For example:

They help people who are homeless. They give out hot food to 40 to 60 people every day.
Many groups meet there, like the Legion of Mary, Knights of St. John, AA, and Al Anon.
They support the Tottenham Refugee Alliance, which helps refugees.
The St Ignatius Housing Association is also supported. This group helps house people who are homeless and in need, many of whom come to the church for help.
Groups focused on Ignatian spirituality, like the Christian Life Community, also meet there.

Church Choirs

St Ignatius Church has a diverse community with people from many different backgrounds. Because of this, the church has seven different choirs! This shows how varied the people who attend are. The church's design makes the singing sound great. It also has a large 3-manual Compton organ. The choirs include: