St Theodore's Roman Catholic Church, Hampton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Theodore's Roman Catholic Church, Hampton |
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| 51°24′57″N 0°22′8″W / 51.41583°N 0.36889°W | |
| Location | 110 Station Rd, Hampton TW12 2AS |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Austin Winkley |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hampton-on-Thames |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster |
| Division | Upper Thames Deanery |
St Theodore's Roman Catholic Church is a special building in Hampton, London. It's a Roman Catholic church where people go to worship. You can find it on Station Road in the area called Richmond upon Thames.
Contents
History of the Church
Early Beginnings (1897-1923)
The story of St Theodore's Church began in 1897. A man named Michael Farmer built a house in Avenue Road. This house had a special room that could be used as a small Catholic chapel.
Michael's son, Edmund, became a priest in 1894. A very important church leader, Cardinal Vaughan, gave Edmund permission. He could hold Mass (a special church service) in that room. Anyone who wanted to attend was welcome. By 1918, more and more Catholic people lived in Hampton. The chapel room was made bigger to fit everyone.
A New Location (1923-1986)
In 1923, the church leaders bought a small house called Walnut Tree Cottage. This cottage was on Station Road. Father Harold Burton was the first priest to live there. He set up a small chapel inside the cottage for daily Mass. However, the Sunday Mass, which was bigger, still happened in Avenue Road.
In 1927, a new building was put up on the Station Road site. It was made of wood and asbestos and sat on concrete. People thought this building was only temporary. But it ended up being the main church for almost 60 years!
The Modern Church (1986-Present)
A brand new church was finally finished in November 1986. This church was named after Saint Theodore of Canterbury. It was officially opened and blessed on March 22, 1987. The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Basil Hume, led the special ceremony.
Church Design and Art
The church building was designed by an architect named Austin Winkley. He created the overall look of the church.
Inside, you can see beautiful stained glass windows. These were made by an artist called Patrick Reyntiens. There are also wood sculptures, which were created by David John.
Visiting the Church
Mass Times
Mass is the main worship service in the Catholic Church. At St Theodore's, Mass is held at different times:
- On Saturday evenings
- On Sunday mornings
- On Sunday evenings (except during August)
Weekday Masses are also held:
- On Monday mornings
- On Thursday mornings
- On Friday mornings
- On Wednesday evenings
