Corpus Christi Church is a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

, part of the

Archdiocese of Southwark The Archdiocese of Southwark () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in England. It is led by the Archbishop of Southwark. The archdiocese is part of the Metropolitan Province of Southwark, which covers the South of England. Th ...

within the

London Borough of Lambeth Lambeth () is a London borough in South London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Its name was recorded in 1062 as ''Lambehitha'' ("landing place for lambs") and in 1255 as ''Lambeth''. The geographical centre of London is at Frazi ...

. It was previously under the administration of the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

whilst remaining part of the

Archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

. It was founded in 1886, was designed by

John Francis Bentley John Francis Bentley (30 January 1839 – 2 March 1902) was an English ecclesiastical architect whose most famous work is the Westminster Cathedral in London, England, built in a style heavily influenced by Byzantine architecture. Life Bentley ...

and is a Grade II* listed building.

History

Foundation

In 1880, a mission to the local Catholics of Brixton was started by Rev. Henrik van Doorne, a priest from

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

who had lived in England for many years. He bought a house in the area, for £2,610, so that it could become a chapel. In 1885, John Francis Bentley was asked to design a larger church for the area. He recommended that Bethel House, a large on the corner of

Brixton Hill Brixton Hill is the name given to a section of road between Brixton and Streatham Hill in south London, England. Brixton Hill and Streatham Hill form part of the traditional main A23 road, London to Brighton road (A23). The road follows the li ...

and Horsford Road, be bought so that a church can be built on the site. The house was bought for £3,550. On 14 July 1886, the Bishop of Southwark John Butt laid the foundation stone.F. H. W. Sheppard ed
Survey of London: volume 26: Lambeth: Southern area
from

British History Online ''British History Online'' is a digital library of primary and secondary sources on medieval and modern history of Great Britain and Ireland. It was created and is managed as a cooperative venture by the Institute of Historical Research, Universit ...

retrieved 14 March 2014

Construction

On 12 June 1887, the church was opened by the bishop. As there was a lack of funds, only the chancel and two chapels and a sacristy was built. In 1904, the transepts of the church were added.

Later history

In 1902, Corpus Christi Primary School was built at the back of the church, on the land that was previously occupied by Bethel House. On 23 July 2005, the Jesuits handed back the administration of the church to the

who continue to serve the Parish.

Parish

As the church was not completed, there is capacity for about 300 people inside, although the building's capacity does seem larger from the outside. It has five Sunday Masses to accommodate the congregation. There is one Mass at 6:00pm on Saturday evening, at 8:30am, 10:00am and at 12 midday on Sunday, and the last one at 6:00pm on Sunday evening. There are weekday Masses at 10:00am from Monday to Saturday and evening Masses on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7pm.Directory
from

retrieved 14 March 2014

HM Prison Brixton HM Prison Brixton is a Category C training establishment men's prison, located in Brixton area of the London Borough of Lambeth, in inner London, inner-South London. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. Before 2012, it was use ...

is within the Parish boundary, wit
Priests from the Parish
saying Mass for the inmates and staff on Saturdays at 9.15am. The Parish has a relationship with Corpus Christi School whose mission statement states that 'We are here to educate our children to the highest possible standard in a community which has the Gospel values, traditions and beliefs of the Catholic Faith at the centre of its ethos.'Teaching and Learning Policy
from Corpus Christi School retrieved 14 March 2014

References

External links

Corpus Christi Parish site

Corpus Christi School site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brixton, Corpus Christi Church Grade II* listed churches in London Roman Catholic churches in the London Borough of Lambeth Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark Corpus Christi Church 1886 establishments in England Roman Catholic churches completed in 1887 Grade II* listed Roman Catholic churches in England 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom Gothic Revival church buildings in London Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Lambeth