St Ignatius Church,

Stamford Hill Stamford Hill is an area in Inner London, England, about northeast of Charing Cross. The neighbourhood is a major component of the London Borough of Hackney, and is known for its Hasidic community, the largest concentration of orthodox Ashken ...

, is a large, listed

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 ...

in the

Archdiocese of Westminster The Archdiocese of Westminster (Latin: ''Dioecesis Vestmonasteriensis'') is a Latin archdiocese of the Catholic Church in England. The diocese consists of most of London north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, the borough of Speltho ...

ministered by 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 ...

(Jesuits) who founded it in 1894. It is on the corner of Stamford Hill and St. Ann's Road, at the junction with

Tottenham High Road Tottenham High Road is the main thoroughfare through the district of Tottenham, in the London Borough of Haringey. It runs from Edmonton, London, Edmonton in the North (where it becomes Fore Street) to Stamford Hill in the South (where the road ...

, in the

London Borough of Haringey The London Borough of Haringey ( , same as Harringay) is a London boroughs, London borough in north London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation ...

, close to the border with the

London Borough of Hackney The London Borough of Hackney ( ) is a London boroughs, London borough in Inner London, England. The historical and administrative heart of Hackney is Mare Street, which lies north-east of Charing Cross. The borough is named after Hackney, Lond ...

, north London.''Introduction''
Stamford Hill Parish site
. Retrieved 18 January 2013

History

Founding

In 1892, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan invited the Jesuits to create a parish church, and also a primary school and a secondary school for boys. He did this after receiving a petition from nearly 300 people for a parish to be set up in the Stamford Hill area.''About the Parish''
Stamford Hill Parish site
Retrieved 18 January 2013 The first Mass was celebrated in Morecambe Lodge, a large house, since demolished, on the site of the unproductive land (historically termed waste) next to the church. In the following year Burleigh House next door was bought. This was used to house Jesuits, including priests, until a new presbytery opened in 1928.

Construction

A chapel was constructed from the stables, coach house and stable yard of Morecambe Lodge, but soon the congregation increased to such a size that a proper church was needed. The Jesuits decided to dedicate the church to their order's founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola. For financial reasons the church was built in two stages. The first part, which included the sanctuary, was opened in 1903 and the exterior parts were completed in 1911. The architect,

Benedict Williamson Benedict Williamson (1868–1948) was an architect who designed many Romanesque Revival churches in the United Kingdom who later became a Roman Catholic priest. Early life He was born in 1868 as William Edward Williamson in London. He studied ...

, converted to Catholicism and became a priest after being responsible for the design of several other churches in the south-east of England. The interior decoration of the church is notable for the significant mosaic glass illustrations in vivid colours of the birth of Christ and of the Sacred Heart, as well as the Stations of the Cross. These were in the opus sectile style much favoured by the Arts and Crafts movement at the time of construction. The interior of the church was not completed until 1925. The chapel of St Joseph at the back of the church is dedicated to the men of the parish who died in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and their names are inscribed on the front of the altar. The High Altar and the communion rails are still present in the church.

School

The secondary school asked for by

Cardinal Vaughan Herbert Alfred Henry Joseph Thomas Vaughan (15 April 1832 – 19 June 1903) was an English prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Westminster from 1892 until his death in 1903, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1893. ...

was founded on 10 September 1894 next door to the church, and was called

St Ignatius' College St Ignatius College is a Catholic Church, Catholic Voluntary aided school, voluntary aided secondary school for boys aged 11–18 in Enfield, London, England, founded by the Society of Jesus in 1894 and completely moved to its present site by 1 ...

. By the 1960s it needed greater capacity to be able to teach an increasing number of pupils and it moved to Enfield in 1968. It left behind a primary school, also dedicated to St Ignatius.St Ignatius RC Primary School
/ref> Jesuits ceased in the 20th century to run the expanding primary school adjoining which is entrusted to the borough and financially to the

, while as a Roman Catholic school retaining a close relationship with the church.

Parish

The church is active pastorally. Many voluntary organisations run in the parish and its main premises. For example: *Major outreach to homeless including daily distribution of hot food to between 40 and 60 daily. *Meeting venue of many groups including Legion of Mary; Knights of St. John; AA; Al Anon. *Support for the Tottenham Refugee Alliance. *The St Ignatius Housing Association is supported. This houses some of the homeless and while non-discriminatory serves the neediest, many of whom turn to the church. *Meeting venue of

Ignatian spirituality Ignatian spirituality, similar in most aspects to, but distinct from Jesuit spirituality, is a Catholic Church, Catholic spirituality founded on the experiences of the 16th-century Spanish Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order. The ...

groups such as the Christian Life Community.

Choirs

Being home to a multi-cultural congregation, the parish has seven church choirs, representing the diversity of the parishioners. The acoustics of the church aid choir singing, and the church houses a 3 manual Compton organ. The choirs are: * St Ignatius Parish Choir * Junior Choir, started in 1997, for ages 7 to 10. * Youth Choir, for ages 11 to 16. * The St Ignatius Caribbean Choir, started in 1985. * African Society Choir * Latin American Choir * Polish Choir

Gallery

File:Geograph-2677609-by-John-Salmon.jpg, North side File:Geograph-2677606-by-John-Salmon.jpg, West side File:St Ignatius Church entrance, Stamford Hill by John Salmon Geograph 2677605.jpg, Entrance File:Geograph-2677639-by-John-Salmon.jpg, Interior File:Geograph-2677616-by-John-Salmon.jpg, Altar

References

External links

Stamford Hill Parish Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Ignatius Church, Stamford Hill Roman Catholic churches in the London Borough of Haringey Roman Catholic churches completed in 1911 Romanesque Revival church buildings in England Jesuit churches in the United Kingdom Grade II listed Roman Catholic churches in England 1903 establishments in England Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom