Immaculate Conception Church, also known as the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, 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 ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

Clevedon Clevedon (, ) is an English seaside town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, part of the ceremonial county of Somerset. It recorded a parish population of 21,281 in the United Kingdom Census 2011, estimated at 21,442 ...

, Somerset. It was built from 1886 to 1887 and was designed by

Alexander Scoles Alexander Joseph Cory Scoles (30 November 1844 – 29 December 1920) was an architect and Roman Catholic priest.Directory of British Architects, 1834–1914: Vol. 2 (L-Z)' ed. Brodie, Antonia (London, 2001), p. 552 He designed many lancet style ...

, an architect and priest who worked in Somerset. It is located on the intersection between Marine Parade, Marine Hill and Wellington Terrace, overlooking the

Severn Estuary The Severn Estuary ( cy, Aber Hafren) is the estuary of the River Severn, flowing into the Bristol Channel between South West England and South Wales. Its high tidal range, approximately , means that it has been at the centre of discussions in t ...

. It was founded by the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachi ...

who continue to serve the parish.

History

Foundation

In 1880, a group of French

friars minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachi ...

came to Somerset. The

Bishop of Clifton The Bishop of Clifton is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton in the Province of Birmingham, England. The see is in the suburb of Clifton in the city of Bristol where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of S ...

William Clifford and the

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic ...

of St Joseph's Convent, Taunton suggested that the Franciscans go to Clevedon. In 1882, the Franciscans started a

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

serving the local Catholic community there. The Royal Hotel in Clevedon was bought and it became a friary. In February 1883, the first

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

was held there.

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked wit ...

Clevedon – The Immaculate Conception
''Taking Stock'', retrieved 17 May 2021

Construction

Designs for the church were made by

, he was an architect and son of

Joseph John Scoles Joseph John Scoles (1798–1863) was an English Gothic Revival architect, who designed many Roman Catholic churches. Early life and education Scoles was born in London on 27 June 1798, the son of Roman Catholic parents Matthew Scoles, a joiner, ...

, and a Catholic priest in Bridgwater. On 16 February 1886, the foundation stone was laid. On 14 July 1887, the church was both opened and

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

. The church cost £3,800. In 1902, the English Franciscans came to serve the church.

Developments

Over the years, various alterations were made to the church and the friary. In 1907, the

rood A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church. Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixion ...

was lowered. In 1980, a new porch was built. From 1924 to 1925, the former hotel was refurbished and new benches were installed in the church. In 1927, the rood was removed. In 1929, the

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...

was installed. In 1967, a new altar was installed. In 1972, the pulpit and two side altars were removed. In 1977–8, the old hotel was sold and a new friary was built to the south of the church. In 1990, some new benches from

Gorton Monastery The Church and Friary of St Francis, known locally as Gorton Monastery, is a Grade II* listed former Franciscan friary in Gorton, Manchester, England. It was designed by the noted Victorian architect Edward Welby Pugin and built 1866–1872. G ...

were added. In 2000, the porch was demolished. From 2002 to 2003, a new parish hall, called Greyfriars Hall, was built to the north of the church. On 25 October 2020, a white statue of Saint Mary was added to empty niche at the front of the church, facing the sea.After 60 Years, A Statue Of Hope Stands Again At The Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
from ''Discover Clevedon'', 9 November 2020, retrieved 17 May 2021

Parish

The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

itself includes Clevedon,

Yatton Yatton is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located south-west of Bristol. Its population in 2011 was 7,552. The parish includes Clav ...

, Wrington,

Claverham Yatton is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located south-west of Bristol. Its population in 2011 was 7,552. The parish includes Clav ...

and

Congresbury Congresbury is a village and civil parish on the northwestern slopes of the Mendip Hills in North Somerset, England, which in 2011 had a population of 3,497. It lies on the A370 between Junction 21 of the M5 and Bristol Airport, south of Bri ...

. In Yatton is St Dunstan and St Antony Church, which is also served by the friars. There are two Sunday Masses in Immaculate Conception Church at 6:30pm on Saturday and at 10:00am on Sunday and weekday Masses at 10:00am. At St Dunstan and St Antony Church in Yatton there is a Sunday Mass at 8:30am.

References

External links

* * {{Franciscans in Britain Buildings and structures in Clevedon Roman Catholic churches in Somerset Gothic Revival architecture in Somerset Franciscan churches in the United Kingdom 1882 establishments in England Roman Catholic churches completed in 1887