A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
CATHOLIC PARISH OF TOWCESTER
The first
known church in Towcester was Saint Lawrence’s. William Nandri was the first
parish priest. He took office shortly before 1258. His most famous successor was
Cardinal Benedetto Caetani who was Rector in Commendam. He was elected
Pope on Christmas Eve in 1294. He took the name Pope Boniface VIII and was
inaugurated on 23 January 1295. He reigned until 11 October 1303. He is known
for his many contributions to the Church, including his classification of the
principles which underpin the Church’s law.
During the
Reformation Saint Lawrence’s Church was confiscated from the Catholic Church.
The practice of the Faith became illegal, with severe penalties for anyone who
attempted to do so.
In his book
‘The Returning Tide: Northampton Diocese 1850-2000’ (Printed by Gemini Print
Ltd. for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton, 2000, pages 2-3, 38-39),
Rev. Derek Lance explains the resurgence of Catholicism in England and, in
particular, in Northamptonshire and the adjoining counties. In 1791 the building
of public chapels was legalized. In 1829 the Catholic Emancipation Act removed
many of the laws which criminalized the practice of the Catholic Faith. Then on
29 September 1850 Pope Pius IX declared that the English Hierarchy was restored.
The apostolic vicariates which had secretly co-ordinated the work of the Church
since 1685 were now replaced by dioceses - one of which was the Diocese of
Northampton. One of the earliest Catholic missions in Northamptonshire was at
Weedon, a small town seven miles from Towcester. The military barracks at Weedon
contained a number of Catholic soldiers, many of whom were Irish. In 1851 a
wooden building erected in the early 1820s was rebuilt and opened as a Catholic
chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Victories. In 1880 a Father Keane lived in
Weedon for a short time and celebrated Mass in the chapel. During the Second
World War a Mill Hill Missioner lived there.
It was
during the War, on 9 February 1941, that Winston Churchill made an important
speech on the wireless. He was anxious for the United States of America to
provide material support for Great Britain in its fight against Nazi Germany.
Churchill proclaimed, ‘Give us the tools and we will finish the job’. Very soon
posters were produced showing Churchill with these words printed below him. It
was in the mid-1940s that a Father James Galvin, curate at Northampton
Cathedral, celebrated Mass in the Town Hall at Towcester under such a poster.
Father Galvin declared, ‘Give us a church and we will finish the job!’
Consequently, Lord Frederick Hesketh gave a converted Nissen hut to the
Diocese. It was in an excellent position, being on the A5 Watling Street and
very close to the town centre. Mass was celebrated there by priests from Stony
Stratford and Buckingham. Then on 20 February 1949 it was formally opened as a
church, being dedicated to Saint George. Canon James Galvin, as he now is,
celebrated his ninetieth birthday in 2004.
From 1949
to 1954 Saint George’s Church was served by priests from Buckingham and
Northampton. Meanwhile, Our Lady of Victories in Weedon was served from Daventry.
Then in 1954 the Catholic Parish of Our Lady of Victories, Weedon was
established. Saint George’s Church, Towcester fell within this parish. The first
parish priest was Father Alfred Bull who lived in Weedon. In 1971 Our Lady of
Victories Church was rebuilt.
Initially,
the focus of the parish was Weedon. However, emphasis gradually shifted onto
Towcester. This was for two reasons. First, Towcester gradually increased in
size. Second, Daventry and the Duston area of Northampton grew and became very
strong parishes very close to Weedon. Thus in 1976 the parish priest began to
live in Towcester. He did so in Meeting Lane next to a church that had just been
bought by the Diocese of Northampton.
This church
had originally been a Congregational chapel. It was built in the mid-1800s and
had been empty for a few years before it was bought by the Diocese. It was given
the new name of Saint Thomas More Church. It replaced Saint George’s which
became the A5 Rangers Club. The new church had the advantages of being able to
hold more people and of being even more central to the town. It has a fine
organ - built in 1865 by J.W.Walker of London. Its chairs were carried in
procession from Saint George’s by parishioners. The triptych at the rear of the
church and the statues of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady also came from Saint
George’s. A small statue of Saint George was also transferred between the two
churches. The altar was donated by Lord Frederick Hesketh’s widow. The
tabernacle came from the chapel of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Northampton.
Before their convent was unfortunately demolished they ran a successful school
in Northampton. Some of the sisters had given catechism classes in Weedon and
then Towcester. Saint Thomas More Church was blessed by Bishop Charles Grant on
16 June 1976.
In 1992 the
church at Weedon was closed. It was sold the following year. It became a
needlework shop. The parish was now known as the Parish of Saint Thomas More,
Towcester. The church itself is most beautiful. In the garden there is a statue
of Saint Francis of Assisi given in memory of Jack McGuinness who died in 1978.
The font was given in memory of Adriano Pizzoni, who died in 1990, and his
daughter Elisabetta who died seven months later in January 1991. The garden
conservatory was donated in the early 1990s by Heinz and Hetty Lombard. Heinz
died in 2002 and his wife Hetty died in 2004. After the Easter Vigil of 2001 the
new Meeting Room was formally opened. This had been two small rooms which were
converted into a single larger room. In 2003 a statue of Saint John Fisher was
donated to the church to accompany the existing statue of Saint Thomas More. The
statue of Saint John Fisher was given in memory of Norah Parkinson, who died in
1997, and her husband Bernard who died in 2002.
The list of
parish priests since the establishment of the Diocese of Northampton is as
follows:
Rev. Alfred Bull 1954-1956
Rev. Maurice Hignett 1956-1962
Rev. Valentine Elwes 1962-1963
Rev. Michael Foley 1963-1968
Rev. Hugh Capper O.S.B. 1968-1975
Rev. Patrick Crowe 1975
Rev. Gerald Moorcraft 1975-1979
Rev. William Hughes 1979-1984
Rev. Dr. Thomas Cooper 1984-1992
Rev. Michael Griffiths 1992-1995
Rev. John Danford 1995-1999
Rev. Dr. Brendan Killeen 1999-
In 2000 the parish priest of Saint Thomas More, Towcester was also given charge
of Saints Francis and Therese Parish, East Hunsbury in Northampton. In December
2002 he became parish priest of that parish while remaining parish priest of
Saint Thomas More.
May God give us the spiritual tools so that, through us, He may finish the
job. Amen.
Father
Brendan Killeen
Easter 2005
