St Thomas Church, Jersey facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids St Thomas Church

49°11′20″N 2°06′20″W / 49.1888°N 2.1056°W / 49.1888; -2.1056
Location	St. Helier
Country	Jersey
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	catholicchurch.org.je
History
Consecrated	5 September 1893
Architecture
Architect(s)	Alfred Frangeul
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1883–1887
Specifications
Spire height	196 feet
Administration
Diocese	Portsmouth
Province	Southwark

St Thomas Church (Jèrriais: Églyise dé Saint Thonmas) is a historic Roman Catholic church located in St. Helier, Jersey. It is the largest church in the Channel Islands and first opened its doors in 1887.

A Look Back: The History of St Thomas Church
- How Catholicism Returned to Jersey
- Building a New Church
Exploring St Thomas Church: Its Design and Features
- Inside the Church: Art and Architecture
Priests Who Served St Thomas Church
- Priests for French-Speaking Catholics (1803-1961)
St Thomas Church Today
Gallery
See also

A Look Back: The History of St Thomas Church

How Catholicism Returned to Jersey

After the French Revolution, many people who followed the Catholic faith had to leave France. Some of these refugees came to Jersey. With them came bishops, priests, and other Catholic followers. They set up small Catholic chapels in St. Helier to practice their faith. This helped bring Catholicism back to the island.

Building a New Church

The first lasting Catholic church built after the English Reformation was a Protestant chapel that was changed for Catholic use in 1842. It was named after St. Thomas to honor Bishop Thomas Griffiths, who opened it. French and Belgian priests served the church until 1880. Then, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate took over.

Within two years, people started raising money for a brand new church. This new church, located in Val Plaisant, opened in 1887. French-speaking church members were so proud of this building, the biggest in the Channel Islands, that they called it La Cathédrale (The Cathedral).

The church was officially dedicated on September 5, 1893. This date marked 100 years since the Catholic Church was re-established in the Channel Islands in 1793. This happened when a special bill of tolerance was given to Mathieu de Gruchy. He was a Jerseyman who became a priest in France before the French Revolution.

From 1880 to 1999, the church was cared for by French Oblates of Mary Immaculate priests. Father Donat Michaux, O.M.I., was the person who raised the money and managed the building of the church. Because of this, he is seen as its founder. The church was updated in 1984 for new worship practices. It was beautifully restored again in 2006/2007 by Monsignor Nicholas France, the Catholic Dean in Jersey.

Exploring St Thomas Church: Its Design and Features

St. Thomas's Church is built in a style from the 1200s, known as Gothic Revival. It has a main hall (nave), side sections (aisles), and parts that stick out like arms of a cross (transepts) with small chapels. There is also a special area for the altar (chancel).

Inside the Church: Art and Architecture

At the back of the chancel, there is a special niche with a beautiful frame. Inside this niche is a sculpture showing the Sacred Heart appearing to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Above this, there is a round window with a detailed, twelve-section design.

Fresco Paintings

On either side of the round window, there are large paintings called frescos. At the top, you can see St. Michael and guardian angels, angels playing music, and angels singing. Above a decorative ledge, there are paintings of saints like St. Thomas of Aquinas, St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Louis IX, King of France, St. George, St. Joan of Arc, St. Peter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Anne, two Carmelite Saints, and two Virgins and Martyrs.

Two other paintings show a mix of symbolic and realistic designs. They represent the Good Shepherd and the Holy Redeemer. The decorative carvings around the niche, windows, and altar are very detailed with leaves and flowers.

The Nave: Main Hall of the Church

The nave (main hall) has seven arches. The chancel is separated from the chapels by a large arch and a pointed arch. The walls of the nave and chancel are supported by columns made of Crazannes stone. Each column has a carved top with different designs of leaves, flowers, and buds.

Church Size and Dimensions

The main hall (nave) is 60 feet high under the arched ceiling. The side sections (aisles) are 30 feet high. The nave is 109 feet long from the communion rail to the inner door. The chancel is 36 feet long. The width across the transepts (the arms of the cross) is 89 feet. The total length of the church from the outside is 179 feet. Inside, it is 163 feet long, including the entrance area under the steeple, which is 18 feet deep.

The main porch of the church.

The Vaults: Arched Ceilings

The entire arched roof is made of hollow bricks covered with plaster to look like stone. The ceilings of the nave, chancel, transepts, and chapels are decorated with carved arches and special carved stones called keystones.

The arched ceilings are made stronger by supports both inside and outside the church. These supports are topped with gargoyles, which are carved figures of mythical creatures.

The Steeple: A Tall Tower

The tower is built from Brittany granite. It has a rectangular base where the main entrance is located. Above this, there is an open-work spire. The entrance has a carved area above the door called a tympanum. It shows Jesus appearing to St. Thomas the Apostle after His Resurrection. This carving is signed by Louis Dupont. Above the entrance is a window with three sections and a round rose design, made of blue granite.

This window lets light into the gallery from the east side. The steeple is 111 feet tall from the ground to the spire windows. From the windows to the very top of the Cross, it is another 85 feet, making the total height 196 feet.

Clock and Bells

The part of the tower above the church roof holds the belfry, which has five bells:

treble B, 5 cwt, Eloise-Ida-Therese de l’FJ
3 F sharp, 16 cwt, Clotilde-Louise-Leonie
4 E, 20 cwt, Marie Immaculee
tenor B, 52 cwt, Anne-Marie-Andree-Ignace

The treble B and G sharp bells were made by Cornille-Havard of Villedieu. The F sharp, E, and tenor B bells were made by Paccard of Annecy.

Below the belfry is a clock that works electrically and strikes only on the hour.

Organ and Gallery

The church's organ was installed in 1959 by Henry Willis & Sons. It is a fully restored instrument with two keyboards and a pedal-board.

This large gallery is located above the entrance and extends into the main hall. It is supported by a three-arched ceiling. The arches at the back connect to the pillars near the tower wall. At the front, they connect to the last columns of the nave and two round columns in the center. These form three arches: one large and two smaller ones. On top of these arches is a sloped ledge with a decorative railing that has three panels of open-work designs.

Priests Who Served St Thomas Church

When the Catholic Church was re-established in Jersey in 1793, it was guided by two bishops: Joseph-Dominique de Cheylus from Bayeux and Augustin-René-Louis Le Mintier from Tréguier. They were helped by Rev. Mathieu de Gruchy and other priests who performed religious services in private chapels.

Priests for French-Speaking Catholics (1803-1961)

J. Philibert - 1803 director of St. Louis Oratory
F. Le Guedois - 1809 director of St. Louis Oratory
J. Morlais - 1837 director of St. Louis Oratory; 1842, Rector of St. Thomas, and Dean
J. Volkerick - 1860 Rector of St. Thomas
M. Morin - 1878 Rector of St. Thomas
V. Bourde - 1880 Rector of St. Thomas
V. Fick - 1885 Rector of St. Thomas
C. Le Vacon, O.M.I. - 1895 Rector of St. Thomas
L. Legrand, O.M.I. - 1899 Rector of St. Thomas
L. Guillient, O.M.I. - 1911 Rector of St. Thomas
A. Mao, O.M.I. - 1920 Rector of St. Thomas
T. Mare, O.M.I. - 1933 Rector of St. Thomas
P. Jon, O.M.I. - 1946 Rector of St. Thomas
H. Verkin, O.M.I. - 1955 Rector of St. Thomas
J. Simon, O.M.I. - 1961 Rector of St. Thomas

St Thomas Church Today

Today, St. Thomas's is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth and is served by local priests.

The church is a great example of how diverse Catholicism is. Its members come from many different countries and backgrounds. It is especially important to the large number of Portuguese and Polish people who have moved to the island for work. Mass is regularly held in Portuguese, Polish, and sometimes in French.

Next to the church, there is a presbytery (where priests live) and a church office, along with a church hall. On the other side of the church, another renovated building houses Catholic Pastoral Services, the Welcome Centre, and the office of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.