St Mary on the Quay Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary on the Quay Church
Front entrance
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
OS grid reference	ST5859973055
Location	Bristol
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous denomination	Catholic Apostolic Church
Website	St Mary site
History
Former name(s)	Irvingite chapel
Status	Active
Dedication	Blessed Virgin Mary
Dedicated	1843
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Architect(s)	R. S. Pope
Style	Neoclassical
Groundbreaking	1839
Completed	1840
Administration
Deanery	St Edmund of Abingdon
Diocese	Clifton
Province	Birmingham

St Mary on the Quay is a Roman Catholic church in Bristol, England. It is located on Colston Avenue, right in the middle of the city. This church is special because it is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Bristol. It was the first one built after the Reformation, a time when the Church in England changed a lot.

Today, the church is looked after by the Divine Word Missionaries. It is also a Grade II* listed building, which means it is a very important historic building that needs to be protected.

History of the Church
Church Records
Church Services
Gallery
See also

History of the Church

How the Church Started

Before St Mary on the Quay was built, Catholics in Bristol had a private chapel. This chapel was on St James Back, which is now called Silver Street. Records for this chapel go back to 1777.

As more Catholic people moved to Bristol, they needed a bigger place to worship. In 1786, a new site was bought for a chapel on Trenchard Street. This new chapel was called St Joseph Chapel. Building work started in March 1788. The St Joseph Chapel opened on June 27, 1790, and the churchgoers moved there. The old chapel on St James Back was then sold.

Building St Mary on the Quay

The building we now know as St Mary on the Quay Church was not first built for Catholics. It was planned for a different group called the Catholic Apostolic Church. This group was also known as 'Irvingites'.

The church was designed by Richard Shackleton Pope. Construction began in 1839 and finished in 1840. It was built in a Neoclassical style, which means it looks like ancient Greek and Roman buildings.

However, the Irvingite group could not afford to keep the church. At the same time, the St Joseph Chapel was becoming too small for its growing number of church members. Also, the Irvingite chapel was very close to St Joseph Chapel. So, in 1843, the Catholics bought the building. They renamed it St Mary on the Quay Church.

Life at the Church Over Time

The first priest at St Mary on the Quay was a Franciscan named Father Patrick O'Farrell. He worked there until 1857. After him, the church was looked after by the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.

The old St Joseph Chapel continued to be used for worship until 1871. After that, it was turned into a school and a hall for St Mary on the Quay Church.

When the church was first built, the Bristol Floating Harbour was right in front of it. There were even special rings on the church wall where boats could be tied! But in 1893, the harbour area was covered over. Now, a road called Colston Avenue runs in front of the church, and the boat rings are gone.

In 1978, the old St Joseph Chapel, which was then the parish hall, was sold. It was going to be used for housing. In May 1981, most of it was taken down, with only the front wall remaining.

The Jesuits continued to care for the church until 1996. Then, the church was placed under the care of the Diocese of Clifton. In 2004, the Bishop of Clifton, Declan Lang, invited the Divine Word Missionaries to serve the parish. They are still there today.

Church Records

Important old records for St Mary on the Quay church are kept at Bristol Archives. These records include lists of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths. They also have records of sick calls and information about the Heavens Orphanage, schools, and other groups connected to the church. You can find more details about these records online.

Church Services

The church holds four Sunday Masses each week. The first one is on Saturday evening at 6:15 PM. On Sunday, there are Masses at 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM in the morning, and another at 5:15 PM in the evening.

Gallery

View across Colston Avenue
Statue on wall
Interior

St Mary on the Quay facts for kids

Contents