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| Bournemouth Church History |
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The first stone or brick Oratory was started by Fr. Dignam, the architect's plan (Mr. Clinton) was not followed, but a curious plan was adopted, almost unique in ecclesiastical architecture.
Alongside the nave was built an aisle equal in size to the nave and divided down the middle by three columns; the left side aisle had at its head the Lady Altar, the other the altar of St. Joseph.
Over each small aisle was an arch. and over these still another arch of the same height as the arch over the nave. At the Albert Road corner was the beginning of a small tower which gave the only entrance into the church for the laity.
The end wall was blank, with a confessional against it. The wall of the presbytery formed the other wall of the nave; the sacristy was to the left of the high altar, with a door between the sanctuary and the house. A second confessional was partly in the house, partly in the nave. The pulpit stood near the first column of the Lady Altar aisle.
Two houses which stood on the ground where the altars and transepts now are, their gardens extending to the present Post Office. were purchased. Albert Road at this time was a public highway only up to where the Theatre now stands.
Here was erected a rail making the upper portion a private road leading only to our church. With the consent of the Superior this rail was removed and the Theatre was built.
During 1890 Fr. B. Cooney (pictured right) began the enlargement which resulted in our present beautiful church, less the confessionals. The work tarried for several years, but the foundations of the present church were laid in 1896.
Next year work on the Sanctuary, Transepts, Lady Altar and the Altar of St. Joseph was well advanced and there was hope of payment through funds in hand and promised. There was some doubt if the old body of the church would correspond with the new, and also whether the building of the Lantern Tower should be continued.
The congregation decided to continue and a fund of £80 was raised at their meeting. Later it became clear that the thrust from the massive arches would be too great for absolute safety without greater support from the old building, the pillars of which were not exactly in line with the great piers of the new.
It was therefore decided to stop work on the Tower and to continue the remodelling of the old building. The cost of this, with the new roof and flooring, and including the pay of a Clerk of the Works for nine months, amounted to £2,229.
Other expenses brought the total up to £2,877. A small sub-committee of gentlemen, helped by a fortnightly collection at the door (which still continues) was in charge of raising the money. A Church Alteration Fund Committee was formed in 1899 with the object of getting £2,000 paid off in five years. Subscriptions were slow in coming in and three years later another appeal is made to clear off the balance of the ever mounting expenses.
A great improvement was made in the lighting of !he church; a transformer which reduced the current to 50 volts was done away with and the full 200 volts furnished by the Company came into operation. 0f course, new lamps were required.
The Lady statue was cleaned and the new canopy over the statue fixed in position on the Lady Altar, but the marble from Italy for the. new shrine was delayed.
A valuable diamond and pearl pendant presented by a lady as a thank-offering was worked into the Monstrance used on ordinary occasions.
Fr. Crofton ceased to be Superior after ten years of hard work on the Parish. Under his reign the church had a very fine new organ, the West End was enlarged, a new canopy for the Lady statue was installed as also a sounding board for the pulpit and the new Lady Chapel was partially built. It is of interest to know that the sounding board came from Innsbruck via Amsterdam to Bournemouth.
His Worship the Mayor attended High Mass in state on January 8th, and later held a reception in the Town Hall to which all the Fathers went and a good number of the Congregation.
The 40 hours prayer began on the 2nd Sunday of Lent; the almost insurmountable difficulty of "Watchers" was overcome by the goodwill of the Catenian Association which provided for the time from 10 p.m. to 6.0 p.m.
The Lady Chapel was now near completion and it was determined to marble the whole floor. A new statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and four angels were still to come from Italy and the painting for the reredos would arrive some time later still from the studio in London.
The work of church enlargement was brought to a satisfactory conclusion (apart from finance ) in 1900. The new chancel and transepts were dedicated on March 10th of that year and the entire church was solemnly opened at Midnight Mass on Dec. 31st 1900.
Of interest culled from various sources -
1868. Hampstead House on Richmond Hill belonging to Dr Fall burnt down.
1870. Wooden structure built on site as a chapel to accommodate 90 people. Windsor cottages next door used as Presbytery. Rev Mann, Lady Herbert.
1872. Fr Dignam arrives.
1873. Brick and stone church built by Saunders of Southampton next to wooden chapel. Designed by Henry Glutton. Parish Priest Rev, Augustus Dignam SJ, also Fr. Meagher (?).
1874. First Mass in new church at Christmas. Glutton designed new Presbytery. Oratory considered too small.
1875. Bishop of Southwark formally opens new church. Rev Peter Gallwey SJ and James...........
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