Holy Cross Priory 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 ...
and
priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...
of the
Order of Preachers
The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilian priest named Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius ...
(also called Blackfriars or Dominican Friars) on
New Walk, in
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
.
History
The Dominicans first came to Leicester in 1247 establishing a priory at St Clements Church in the north western corner of the old city walls (see
Blackfriars, Leicester) sometime in the reign of
Henry III. This house was dissolved by
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
in 1538. The order was then absent from the city for more than 280 years.
The friars initially returned to Leicester in 1819 but the current priory was not established until 1882.
[ By 1929, the church had proved too small and Friar Vincent McNabb O.P. began to raise money for a new church. The choir and transepts of the church was completed by 1931, and the High Altar was consecrated. The church was finally completed and formally consecrated in 1958.]
The priory has had two church organs. The first were built by J Porritt & Son of Leicester in 1861. It was moved to the south side of the choir when the first part of the new church opened in 1931. The organ was, however, too small and difficult to play, and so a new organ was bought. The replacement came from St Mary's Church in Preston, Lancashire, and was built by William Ebenezer Richardson in 1880.
The friars preach in the village of Woodhouse, at the University of Leicester
The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...
, De Montfort University
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body ...
and Leicester Royal Infirmary
The Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) is a National Health Service (England), National Health Service teaching hospital in Leicester, England. It is located to the south-west of the Leicester City Centre, city centre. It has an Emergency departm ...
and teach at Blackfriars, Oxford
Blackfriars Priory (formally the Priory of the Holy Spirit) is a Dominican religious community in Oxford, England. Its primary work is the administration of two educational institutions: Blackfriars Studium, a centre of theological studies in th ...
.[
]
References
External links
*
Official Holy Cross Priory Leicester website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leicester, Holy Cross
Monasteries in Leicestershire
Dominican monasteries in England
Roman Catholic churches in Leicestershire
Holy Cross
Dominican churches in the United Kingdom
19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom