Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, Maiden Lane, is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church in

Maiden Lane, Covent Garden Maiden Lane is a street in Covent Garden, London, that runs from Bedford Street in the west to Southampton Street in the east. The painter J. M. W. Turner was born in the street in 1775. History The street is based on an ancient track that ran ...

, in the

Westminster City Council Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Cons ...

area of London, England. The church building, in

Early English Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed ar ...

style, is grade II listed and was designed by

F. H. Pownall Frederick Hyde Pownall (22 August 1831 – 1907) was a British architect. He was County Surveyor for Middlesex for about 45 years, and designed both Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. Life He was the son of John George Henry Pownall (1 ...

; it was “specifically devoted to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.”

History

The site was leased to the parish by the

Duke of Bedford Duke of Bedford (named after Bedford, England) is a title that has been created six times (for five distinct people) in the Peerage of England. The first and second creations came in 1414 and 1433 respectively, in favour of Henry IV's third so ...

with the condition that the church should cost no less than £6,000; it actually cost £8,000. The foundation stone was laid in 1873, with the internal floor level three feet below pavement level to avoid the building being too tall. It was opened in 1874 by

Cardinal Henry Manning Henry Edward Manning (15 July 1808 – 14 January 1892) was an English prelate of the Catholic church, and the second Archbishop of Westminster from 1865 until his death in 1892. He was ordained in the Church of England as a young man, but conv ...

, at that time the Archbishop of Westminster, and dedicated to Corpus Christi "as an act of reparation for the indignities offered to the Blessed Sacrament in this country in the sixteenth century and since". It was not consecrated until 1956 when the debt was finally cleared. One of the early parish priests was Fr Francis Stanfield who wrote two famous hymns: 'Sweet Sacrament Divine' and 'O Sacred Heart'. The church features in

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

’s novel "

The End of the Affair ''The End of the Affair'' is a 1951 novel by British author Graham Greene, as well as the title of two feature films (released in 1955 and 1999) that were adapted from the novel. Set in London during and just after the Second World War, the n ...

Interior

The main altar and reredos is by

Thomas Earp Thomas Earp may refer to: * Thomas Earp (politician) * Thomas Earp (sculptor) Thomas Earp (1828–1893) was a British sculptor and architectural carver who was active in the late 19th century. His best known work is his 1863 reproduction of t ...

, who may also have carved the altar in the Sacred Heart chapel. The statue of the Sacred Heart is a replacement in the recent restoration (2018). The stained glass windows may be by

Clayton and Bell Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient British workshops of stained-glass windows during the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (1827–1913) and Alfred Bell (1832� ...

while the blocked window in the south aisle is by Mayer. The Lady Chapel, designed after the Holy House in Loreto, contains a statue of

Our Lady of Walsingham Our Lady of Walsingham is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus venerated by Catholics, Western Rite Orthodoxy, Western Rite Orthodox Christians, and some Anglicans associated with the Marian apparitions to Richeldis de Faverches, a pious English peo ...

which was installed and blessed by

Bishop Alan Hopes Alan Stephen Hopes (born 17 March 1944) is a British Roman Catholic prelate, and former Anglican priest. From 2013 - 2022 he served as the Bishop of East Anglia and is currently the Apostolic Administrator of the same diocese until the installat ...

of East Anglia in September 2015. The statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was carved specially for the chapel by studio Stuflesser in Italy. The stained glass in the Shrine Chapel shows the Coronation of the Virgin. Near the sanctuary steps is a bronze statue of St Tarcisius, the Roman boy martyr, by

Karin Jonzen Karin Margareta Jonzen, née Löwenadler, (22 December 1914 – 29 January 1998) was a British figure sculptor whose works, in bronze, terracotta and stone, were commissioned by a number of public bodies in Britain and abroad. Biography Karin L� ...

. There is a statue of St Genesius, a Roman martyr and patron saint of actors; the church has a long association with actors and is the spiritual home of the Catholic Stage Guild. It is also home to the

Latin Mass Society The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales is a Catholic society dedicated to making the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, also known as the Tridentine Mass, more widely available in England and Wales. The group organised a petition for th ...

Restoration

The church has undergone extensive renovation costing £1.5 million to remove the 1970s paint. It was re-opened by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, in 2018, who dedicated the new Diocesan Shrine to the Blessed Sacrament. The new Stations of the Cross were sculpted by

Arthur Fleischmann Arthur Fleischmann (1896, Bratislava2 March 1990, Tenerife) was a Slovak-born, London-based sculptor, who pioneered the use of perspex in sculpture. He spent time in Bali, and in Australia, where he was at the centre of the Merioola Group, before s ...

and donated in his memory by his widow. A new Sodaility in honour of the Blessed Sacrament has been set up at this church.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Covent Garden, Corpus Christi 1874 establishments in England Gothic Revival church buildings in London Maiden Lane Grade II* listed churches in the City of Westminster Roman Catholic churches in the City of Westminster Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster Grade II* listed Roman Catholic churches in England Roman Catholic churches completed in 1874 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom