The Most Holy Trinity RC Church, Dockhead, Bermondsey, 1835-2006 inclusive

Series — Box: BER 72

Identifier: IOLM/BER/16

Scope and Contents note

Series consists of records acquired by the Bermondsey Congregation, dating from 1835 to 2006, in the form of publications, press cuttings, significant celebrations and events in the life of the church.

Dates

Creation: 1835-2006 inclusive

Conditions Governing Access note

As a private archive, access to the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy Archive requires application to the Archivist and approval by the Institute's Leadership Team. Where items are closed for access, this is indicated at the appropriate level.

Biographical/Historical note

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The Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church at Dockhead, Bermondsey, was formally opened on Tuesday 16 June 1835. The church had been meeting since 1773. The new building was the first Roman Catholic church since the Reformation to be built fronting a public highway. The main road once ran to the north of the church, hence today's strangely long bleak wall here. In 1839 the parish priest, Father Peter Butler, invited the Sisters of Mercy to make a foundation and a Pugin-designed convent was built next to the church. The Sisters arrived in 1839.

The church was bombed in 1940 and Mass was held in the school. In March 1945, the presbytery was bombed and three priests were killed (a forth priest and the housekeeper survived). The 1945 bomb also rendered the adjoining Convent of Mercy uninhabitable. The foundation stones of the new church and convent were lain on 16 June 1957, 122 years after the opening of Most Holy Trinity Church. The architect of the new church was Harry Stuart-Goodhart-Rendel C.B.E.. The formal opening of the new Most Holy Trinity Church and the blessing of the bells took place on 19 July 1959.

Parish priests: Fr. Peter Butler Canon John Bamber abt 1828 (on 1871 and 1881 census as RC Priest with Fr. Charles Huggett below) Fr. Charles Huggett about 1828 (on 1891 census as RC Priest, with four others inc E Murnane underneath) Canon Edward F. Murnane abt 1853-1933, Curate 1883-1891 and Rector from 1896, becoming Canon after some years. Canon Edmund Arbuthnot Canon Owen McManus Fr. Tom Power, senior Assistant Canon George Telford, fl. 1981-1988 Rev. Derek Vidler, fl. 1988-1989 Rev. Michael Rogers OSM, fl. 1977-1991 (seems to have been PP from 1990 to 1995) Fr. Alan J. McLean, fl. 1995-present