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A summary of the history of the Catholic Church in St Albans (Fr
Michael O'Leary MSC gave a history of the Catholic Church in St. Albans after
the Reformation at the Celebration of the Solemn Consecration of the Church
on 4th May 1977, it has now been updated by Fr Jerry Daly MSC)
 The first public Mass celebrated in St. Albans after the Reformation was on 3rd May - the Feast of Corpus Christi - in 1840,
when a room in the White Hart Inn on Holywell Hill was used as a chapel.
Fr. William Crook commenced the mission in St. Albans, travelling from St.
Edmund's College, Old Hall, Ware in a pony and trap once a month. Fr Crook set up a kitchen table using it as an altar to
offer Mass for a congregation of 43 St Albans Catholics. It was the first public Mass in the city since the 16th century and the
embryonic start of our parish. MAP
 In
1848, Alexander Raphael, a newly elected M.P. and a convert to Catholicism, decided to build a Catholic Church in Verulam Road. MAP
Shortly
after the building commenced Mr. Raphael died intestate. His estate was sold.
The church site was purchased by Mrs. Worley, who had the church completed
according to its original design and donated it to the Church of England.
This church was known as Christ's Church. Sadly, it's now converted to offices.
The mission of St. Albans from 1852 to 1854 was described as vacant. No mention is made of it in the Catholic Directory for 1857 to 1861 and in 1861 the Barnet priests commenced to serve St. Albans once a month. From 1870 Mass was said every Sunday.
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In 1876,
Fr. Bampfield of Barnet decided to build a small church in London Road on
a site donated by Major Gape. It was dedicated to Ss. Alban and Stephen by
Cardinal Manning on the Feast of St. Alban, June 22nd, 1878.
Thus the first Catholic Church was opened in St. Albans. Fr. Bittleston,
a convert of the Oxford Movement with Cardinal Newman, became the first resident
priest in 1883. MAP The clergy who served the Catholics in St Albans
then were missionaries from Barnet; it was not until 1886 that responsibility for the parish passed to
the diocese.
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 In 1899 the Missionaries of the Sacred
Heart were invited by Cardinal Vaughan to take charge of the mission of St.
Albans. Fr. Michael Tierney was appointed Rector. He realised by 1900 - only a year after the arrival of the MSCs -
that the church in London Road was too small (seating for 80 people) and
too insignificant for a place as important as St. Albans, the scene of the
first martyr of England,
so he decided to build a larger, more ornate church which would help to restore
the place to its former glory as a Catholic centre, when it was renowned
throughout the land as a place of pilgrimage.
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In 1903, having purchased a site in Beaconsfield Road and with the permission of Cardinal Vaughan, and after raising another
£6,000 to build the church, the church was built. MAP
On the 12th April 1902, the Herts Advertiser reported:
"Considerable activity is being displayed by Roman Catholics in St Albans
in raising the necessary funds for the new church which it is proposed to
erect, the accommodation of the present building having been found totally
inadequate to meet present requirements."
The report then goes on to talk about "a most successful and enjoyable concert" held
in the Town Hall. The new church for which they were so enthusiastically
raising funds was, of course, this church.
It was somewhat smaller than it is now,
because as many of you will remember, in the mid-1960s, it was extended back
towards the railway, the side aisles were added, and the tower was built.
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When the nave was completed the church was dedicated and blessed by Most Rev. Francis Boume, Archbishop of Westminster on New Year's Day 1905.
For further detals, and a map, showing the locations of all the Churches referred to herein, click here
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St. Albans had now become a real mission centre, with the priests administering
to the faithful in the surrounding districts, eventually building a church
in Harpenden in 1905 and in Radlett in 1910
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On the south side of the city sites were secured in Vesta Avenue for church, school and presbytery in 1954. A Mass centre was established at St. Columba's College in 1955, in the Brothers' temporary chapel. The Mass centre was continued at St. Adrian's School, which was built in 1959, and served the people until the new church of St. Bartholomew's was completed in 1964 and blessed by Cardinal Heenan. The people of Marshalswick were catered for in 1959 when a Mass centre was started at Skyswood Primary School and later transferred to St. John Fisher's School.
Around the church noticeable changes have taken place; In the mid-1960s, the side aisles were added, the Church was
lengthened back towards the railway, and the tower was added. The Church
was then very much as we see it today.
A modem presbytery has been constructed to replace the three old houses which
served the priests for so long. Also a new parish centre had been erected
providing space for a limited car park. With the unit complete, and all debts
cleared, the church was solemnly consecrated to Almighty God, in honour of
St. Alban and St. Stephen, our patrons, on the 4th May 1977 by the Right Rev. B. C. Butler, Bishop in Hertfordshire.
In the Summer of 2005 the roof of the church as well as the top windows were replaced through the generous offering from the parishioners.
This updating of the history of the parish is about mission rather than maintenance.
In the late 70s the mass attendance was two and a half thousand. There
were eleven weekend masses, including one in Italian at 5pm on Sunday.
A
slow decline started in the 80s,
and the present average is about one thousand eight hundred. Over the years
many parishioners have responded to a great need for collaborative ministries
in sacramental preparation and liturgical participation; details of groups
can be found in the Parish Directory (also availabel on this website).
From the 70s there has been a continuing outreach to other churches,
especially in the Marshalswick area. Catholic Mass is said at
noon
every Friday in the Lady Chapel of St. Albans Cathedral, attended by Catholics
and Anglicans. Many parishioners took part in the Alpha courses
and follow-up programmes, and found them very helpful. More recently there
has been a wonderful response to the Renew Programme initiated by our Cardinal
Cormac Murphy O'Connor, called "At Your Word, Lord", and in 2006 "Christ Among Us".
Another great spiritual resource has been the creation
of the Prayer Room at the back of the Presbytery. About one hundred parishioners
have their own key to the room, and they come privately and in groups to
pray before the Blessed Sacrament. By opening the door of the Tabernacle,
a permanent monstrance becomes visible.
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Education
The Sisters of Mercy were established in 1899 in Alma Road and in 1900
opened a little private school for the few Catholic children in and around
St. Albans. Thus began the long and steady progress of Catholic education
in the area, which has now reached its peak with facilities in abundance
for all the Catholic children in the catchment area. In 1911 a three-classroom school was built behind the church, this sufficed until 1934 when a new school was built in Vanda Crescent and the old school served as a parish hall.
In the meantime, the Loreto Sisters came to St. Albans in December 1921 and
established a private school for infants and secondary pupils. Their school
has gone through many changes and great extensions. In 1944 the college was allowed to receive scholarship children and in 1968 the status of the school was changed to a voluntary aided school. In the 1970s they decided to go comprehensive in accordance with the policy of the Labour Government.
As St. Albans was designated
a reception area during the war years (1939-45)
there was a great influx of families from the danger zones of Britain, also
many refugees from abroad settled here together with a great increase of
Irish immigrants. Consequently the child population grew steadily and fast,
so that in the mid fifties there were 450 junior and infant children on the
roll. All could not be accommodated in Vanda Crescent School and were consequently
housed in three separate buildings. The old school at the back of the church
was again brought into use together with the Marian Hall and the Adult School
in Stanhope Road. In 1958 the school at Vanda Crescent was extended with
the addition of a hall, kitchen and three classrooms.
St. Adrian's primary school was opened in 1960 and S1. John Fisher's in 1965. The new junior school in Cecil Road was opened in November 1973.
Neither were we lagging behind in our consideration for the tiny tots as
a new nursery school was opened in Vanda Crescent in November 1975 to admit the first class of children, beginning at three and a half years old.
St. Columba's
College was established in 1939 at
30 Beaconsfield Road by Mr. P. O'Neill with the assistance of the local clergy,
all very conscious of the need for a secondary school for boys in the area.
With the growth in numbers the school was moved to Orchid House in Camp Road
and later to St. Stephen's Hill. In 1955 the Brothers of the Sacred Heart from America took over the college
and within a few years built a completely new school, which is now flourishing
as an independent school for boys.
In accordance with the requirements of the 1944 Education Act, provisions
were made for the building of a secondary modem school in Colney Heath Lane.
This opened in 1965 and named Nicholas Breakspeare School in memory of the
one and only English Pope (Adrian IV) who had studied at St. Albans. It is
now a comprehensive school for boys and girls and is a very successful seat
of learning. Now there is ample accommodation for all our Catholic children
in our schools, catering from nursery to Sixth form level.
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In 1999 the parish exuberantly celebrated a centenary
of continuous ministry by the MSC priests and the Mercy Sisters.
On 12th June 2005, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor led us
in our celebration of the centenary of that pivotal event in the history
of the parish.
At
the start of a new millennium the Catholic community has become an integral
part of the religious, civic and social life of St Albans.
From our small
beginning we now have a splendid church, five schools to nurture our children,
an incredibly evangelistic parish, as this website shows, and a wonderful
history of Christian witness and public service.
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News from the pews
We hope that you have enjoyed your visit to SS Alban & Stephen, and we
look forward to seeing you again. This is a very active parish with over
forty groups serving its various needs. For more details of any aspect of
parish life, do contact the Parish Office on 01727 853585, e-mail us on alban_stephen@lineone.net , look around this website www.albanstephen.com,
or take a copy of our Parish Directory. If you would prefer to speak to
a parishioner then call one of the leadership team of our Pastoral Parish
Council who will be delighted to assist
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Richard
(01727 842124)
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Espe
(01727 853804)
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Stan
(01727 765549)
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Sara
(01727 764601)
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Many thanks to the late Malcolm Smith RIP for
this article, based on the book "Celebration" by the late James
Corbett RIP, and to Geoff Miller for updates provided at the time of the Beaconsfield Road Church Centenary (June 2005)
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© Ss Alban & Stephen
Catholic Church 2005, 2006
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