Our Lady of Gillingham Church 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 let ...

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, ...

in Gillingham, Kent, England. It was founded in 1888 and built in 1896. It is situated on the corner of Ingram Road and Railway Street, north of Gillingham Rail Depot in the centre of the town. It is a Gothic Revival church.Gillingham - Our Lady of Gillingham
from

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

, retrieved 29 January 2016

History

Foundation

Before a Catholic

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 ...

was started in the city, local Catholics had to travel to St Michael the Archangel Church in

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

. In 1888, a mission was started when Fr Thomas McMahon arrived in the town. The mission was supported by the local Arathoon family. In 1890, construction started on a small building that housed a school and church. It was funded by the Fauld family. It opened in 1893 and later became known as McMahon Hall.

Construction

On 12 May 1896, the present church was opened by the

Archbishop of Southwark The Archbishop of Southwark (''Br'' �sʌðɨk is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark in England. As such he is the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Province of Southwark. The archdiocese has an area of and covers the Lon ...

Francis Bourne Francis Alphonsus Bourne (1861–1935) was an English prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the fourth Archbishop of Westminster from 1903 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911. Biography Early life Francis Bo ...

. In 1903, he became Archbishop of Westminster and cardinal in 1911. The architect is unknown. The high

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

and reredos were crafted by a Belgian craftsperson and donated by Louis Brennan.

Developments

In 1902, the church was extended. In 1934, a new school building was built. It is now called Scott Hall. In 1972, new school buildings were built on Greenfield Road. This meant that only the junior school was left on the old site. In October 1988, more school buildings were built at the new site, and the junior school was moved there. Without a school there, some of the old buildings were demolished and a car park created. In 1990, the church was extended again, this time, with a

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

being added. Between 1999 and 2003, the two halls were refurbished.

Parish

The church has three Sunday Masses, they are at 6:30 pm on Saturday and 9:30 am and 11:30 am on Sunday.Our Lady of Gillingham
in Archdiocese of Southwark, retrieved 29 January 2016 There are also Daily masses at 10 am, other than Wednesdays, with two masses on Holy Days of obligation.

References

External links

Our Lady of Gillingham Church
on Catholic Directory
Our Lady of Gillingham
on Archdiocese of Southwark {{Archdiocese of Southwark Gillingham, Kent Roman Catholic churches in Kent Gothic Revival church buildings in England Gothic Revival architecture in Kent Roman Catholic churches completed in 1896 1888 establishments in England 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom