St Joseph's Church, Aldershot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Joseph's Church |
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East side of church
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| 51°14′54″N 0°46′08″W / 51.2484°N 0.7689°W | |
| OS grid reference | SU8601850634 |
| Location | Aldershot, Hampshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Aldershot-Catholics.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 29 July 1869 |
| Founder(s) | Fr Thomas Purcell |
| Dedication | Saint Joseph |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Designated | 9 June 1982 |
| Architect(s) | George Drysdale |
| Style | Romanesque revival |
| Groundbreaking | 19 March 1912 |
| Completed | 30 January 1913 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Aldershot |
| Deanery | North Hampshire |
| Diocese | Portsmouth |
| Province | Southwark |
St Joseph's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Aldershot, Hampshire. It was built in 1913 and sits on Queens Road. From its spot, you can look down over the town centre. It's found between the Municipal Gardens and Princes Hall. This church is a special building, listed as Grade II, meaning it's historically important. A famous building expert, Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, once said it was "One of the most impressive churches of its date, brilliantly planned on a triangular site."
Contents
History of St Joseph's Church
How the Church Started
In 1869, a priest named Father Thomas Purcell was sent to Aldershot. His job was to serve the local Catholic community. He rented a building to use as both a chapel and a school. This first chapel opened on July 29, 1869. Before Father Purcell left, he bought the land where the church stands today for £400. This happened in 1871.
Later in 1871, a new priest, Father Louis Hall, arrived. He bought another piece of land right next to the church plot. This land was for St Joseph's Primary School. On May 24, 1883, a temporary church made of iron was opened. This iron church replaced the rented chapel as the main place of worship.
The house next to the church, called the presbytery, was built in 1874 for Father Hall. It's a locally listed building, meaning it's important to the area's history. It's a two-story building made of red brick with a slate roof.
Building the Church
In 1902, Father Francis O'Farrell came to Aldershot. He started raising money to build a permanent church. After 10 years, enough money was collected. Building work began, and the foundation stone was laid on March 12, 1912. The Bishop of Portsmouth, William Cotter, placed the stone.
George Drysdale designed the church. The old iron church was taken apart and moved to Belle Vue Road. It became St Mary's Church there. St Joseph's Church officially opened on January 30, 1913.
The architect, George Drysdale, had to design a large church on a tricky triangular piece of land. He also had to make sure it fit the budget. The church is built from red brick and tile. Stone was only used for the floor and doorways. Inside, there's a special entrance area called a narthex at the west end. There are also two altars there, one in the Lady chapel and one in the Chapel of Holy Souls.
The church gets narrower as you walk towards the main altar at the eastern end. The main altar area, called the sanctuary, is higher than the rest of the church. The altar itself is made of a greenish-grey marble. There are five black marble columns in a semi-circle. Above these columns are open arches.
Local artist Robert Senior painted the pictures on the walls of the main part of the church, called the nave. These paintings show scenes like the resurrection and the Wedding at Cana. Since 2017, the church has added several relics, large statues, and old religious paintings from the 1700s.
Growth of the Parish
In 1961, All Hallows Catholic School, a secondary school, was built nearby. People from St Joseph's Church helped fund it with their donations. That same year, a new Catholic church, St Saviour Church, opened in Aldershot. This was to help with the growing number of churchgoers. However, St Saviour Church was sold in the 1980s.
From 1962 to 1963, a permanent building was built for St Mary's Church on Belle Vue Road. This replaced its old temporary iron structure. In 1974, St Mary's became its own parish church.
In 1973, St Joseph's Primary School, which was next to the church, was taken down. It moved to a different part of Aldershot. A new parish hall was built in its place. On June 22, 1982, St Joseph's Church was officially consecrated, meaning it was set apart for sacred use.
Church Services
St Joseph's Church holds one Sunday Mass at 10:30 am. There is also Mass at 9:30 am every morning from Monday to Thursday. St Joseph's Church shares a parish with St Mary's Church on Belle Vue Road. At St Mary's Church, there is a Saturday evening Mass at 5:30 pm.
Inside the Church
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The altar in St Joseph's Church
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A view looking towards the main altar area, called the sanctuary.
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The nave, which is the main part of the church where people sit, photographed from the altar.
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The Chapel of the Holy Souls inside the church.
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The Lady chapel, a special chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, in the church.
See also
