St Mary of the Angels, Bayswater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary of the Angels |
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| 51°30′57″N 0°11′51″W / 51.51574°N 0.1974°W | |
| Location | Moorhouse Road, Bayswater, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | humilitas.org |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | John Francis Bentley |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster |
St Mary of the Angels is a Roman Catholic church located on Moorhouse Road in Bayswater, London, England. It is part of the City of Westminster. The church serves a parish that covers parts of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Building a New Church
The idea for a new Catholic church in Bayswater began in 1849. Many workers building Paddington Station were Irish Catholics. Cardinal Wiseman, an important church leader, saw that these workers needed a place to worship. He asked Henry Manning, another church leader, to help make this happen.
Construction of the church started in 1851. The first designs were made by Thomas Meyer. He also built St Joseph's Church in Warwickshire around the same time. Work on St Mary's was stopped for a while because there wasn't enough money.
The church was finally finished in 1857. Henry Clutton, a relative of Henry Manning, completed the building. John Francis Bentley later added more parts to the church. The church was first named after St Helen to honor Helen Hargrave, who was a big supporter.
Art and Design Inside
The church has beautiful stained glass windows. One window in the north aisle shows St Vincent de Paul, the Madonna, and St John the Evangelist. This window was made by James Powell & Sons. It was based on a drawing by John Hungerford Pollen and serves as a memorial to him.
Another window shows the Coronation of the Virgin. This one was created by Hardman & Co.. These windows add a lot of color and light to the church.
In 1970, the church was recognized as a Grade II* site by English Heritage. This means it is a very important historical building that needs to be protected.
The Oblates of St Charles
The Congregation of Oblates of St Charles was a group of priests founded by Cardinal Wiseman. He wanted a new kind of religious group that could better help people in his area. He saw how well the priests of the Oratory, led by Faber and Newman, were doing.
Henry Manning was chosen to start this new group. He based their rules on those used by the Oblates of Milan, a group founded by Charles Borromeo. Manning called his priests "Oblates of St Charles." Their rules were approved by the Pope in 1857 and again in 1877.
Cardinal Wiseman placed the Oblates, with Henry Manning as their leader, at St Mary of the Angels church in Bayswater in 1877. The Oblates quickly started new churches and religious centers in the London area. They helped many people and set up several parishes.
Manning led the Oblate community at Bayswater from 1857 to 1868. He believed the Oblates' job was to help and inspire other local priests. In 1882, the Oblates opened another church, Our Lady of the Holy Souls, in Kensal New Town.
A famous writer named Ronald Knox once gave a sermon about Charles Borromeo at St Mary's. The Oblates continued their work at St Mary's until the mid-1970s.
