St Edmund's 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 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, ...

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

. It is situated on the corner of

The Avenue The Avenue was a rugby union stadium and training pitches in Sunbury-on-Thames that belonged to the English club London Irish since 1931 when the team bought its . The team moved one season to the Stoop Memorial Ground thereafter to Madjeski S ...

and Rockstone Place. It was built in 1889 and is a Grade II listed building.

History

Foundation

The first Roman Catholic church that was built in Southampton after the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

was the

Pugin Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

designed St Joseph's Church. In 1867, the priest there decided that a new church was needed in Southampton to the serve the growing Catholic population in the city. In 1884, two years after the Diocese of Portsmouth was created, St Edmund's Church was built. It was temporary, made of iron and was named after Saint Edmund of Abingdon, co-patron of the diocese.St Edmund Southampton
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 15 December 2014

Construction

On 21 June 1888, construction began on a larger and permanent St Edmund's Church. The architect was J. William Lunn, who also designed Our Lady of the Annunciation Church, King's Lynn, Corpus Christi Church in Boscombe, Corpus Christi Church in Portsmouth and St Catherine's Church in Chipping Camden. It was opened on 20 November 1889, the birth date of Saint Edmund of Abingdon. Present at the church's opening was the Bishop of Portsmouth,

John Vertue John Vertue (or Virtue) (1826–1900) was an English prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Portsmouth in England from 1882 to 1900. Life Born in London on 28 April 1826, Vertue attended King's College, London; and St ...

, and Canon

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 ...

, who was an architect himself.

Renovations and Restorations

In 1918, the sanctuary was redecorated. The walls were repainted and stained-glass windows by

Lavers, Barraud and Westlake Lavers, Barraud and Westlake were an English firm that produced stained glass windows from 1855 until 1921. They were part of the 19th-century Gothic Revival movement that had a significant influence on English civic, ecclesiastical and domestic ar ...

were made. Two paintings were added and communion rails by Hardman & Powell were installed. From 1967 to 1969, the church was renovated. A small spire or

flèche Flèche or Fleche may refer to: *Flèche (architecture), a type of church spire *Flèche (cycling), a team cycling competition *Flèche (fencing), an aggressive offensive fencing technique *Flèche (fortification) A flèche ( Fr. for "arrow") is ...

at the west end of the church was removed. The porch inside the church was enlarged and a new organ, from St Mark's Church in Portsmouth, was installed. In 1988, a fire broke out and severely damaged the building. By 1989, restoration of the church was complete and it was reopened. On the Northern side of the church is a small building known as St Edmund's Lodge. The Presbytery is located in one of two large houses to the south of the Church; the other is used as Catholic student accommodation. Also to the south is a 1960s building which is used as the Church Hall.

Parish

In 2006, the diocese reorganised its parishes. St Edmund's parish was merged with the neighbouring St Joseph's parish to form the Parish of St Joseph and St Edmund, which is sometimes referred to as the Southampton City Centre Parish. St Edmund's Church has four Sunday Masses. They are at 9:00 am, 11:00 am and 7:00 pm on Sunday and there is a mass in Polish at 7:00 pm on Saturday evening. St Joseph Church has two Sunday Masses, one at 6:15 pm on Saturday evening and the other at 10:00 am on Sunday morning. Close to St Edmund's is the all-girls St Anne's Catholic School. The Parish of St Joseph's and St Edmund's hosts a Verbum Dei religious community, which provides chaplaincy to the

University of Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

and Southampton Solent University.

Interior

St Edmund's Church windows, Southampton by Basher Eyre Geograph 3205353.jpg, Stained-glass windows St Edmund's Church organ, Southampton by Basher Eyre Geograph 3205350.jpg, Church organ

References

External links

Southampton City Centre Parish site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Edmund's Church, Southampton Roman Catholic churches in Southampton Gothic Revival church buildings in England Roman Catholic churches completed in 1889 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Grade II listed Roman Catholic churches in England Roman Catholic churches in Hampshire Grade II listed churches in Hampshire Gothic Revival architecture in Hampshire English churches dedicated to St Edmund