Blessed Sacrament, Gorseinon

Introduction

Blessed Sacrament Church in Gorseinon, within the Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia, was built in 1967 by architect Robert Robinson, one of the larger new churches of the 1960s in South Wales. The church was designed in partnership with the artist John Petts (1914-1991).

History

The original seating was replaced, the original altar replaced by that from the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament, the baldacchino removed, and the egg-shaped font removed to the porch.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is 14-sided in plan with each side gabled, with a ridge and furrow 14-sided metal-clad roof and a 14-sided glazed lantern. The basement of the church provides the church hall, which has been modernised and re-ordered. John Petts designed the statues of Christ and the "Mater Amabilis", as well as stained glass in four of the bays of the building. The egg-shaped font by John Hopkins of Tewkesbury stands in the porch of the church.

Other glass, depicting scenes from the books of Genesis and Exodus, is said to be by Paul Quail. The church is rough-rendered brickwork on a black brick basement, 14-sided in plan with each side gabled. The interior is a single space dominated by a serrated roof, boarded with steel ribs on 14 steel posts, the ribs running up to a 14-sided steel ring at the base of the lantern. The sanctuary is quadrant shaped and has a timber panelled back screening a passage behind which has two small vestries.

The church has curving open-back pews in 4 blocks following the curve of the sanctuary step. The church roof is said to have been originally felted. The church entrance on the N side is up steps from the pavement to the upper level, the building being raised on a basement church hall entered from the car park below, but the line between floors is not marked externally. The N porch is built out, with matching gabled roof, rendered side walls and full glazing with hardwood mullions and transoms.

On the rear S side two of the walls, corresponding to chapels within, are projected with similar roof detail to the porch. The posts are mostly linked by a white-painted broad beam and the gabled spaces between are mostly infilled with white plaster panels at this point or glazed. Two bays each side of the porch do not have the beam and are open to the cross-pierced outer walls. Around the church from the sanctuary, the bays are variously glazed, open to chapels, infilled with confessionals, open to the outer wall, or containing the porch.

The stained glass at the heads of the two stairways down to the church hall depicting the Passion of Christ and Life of the Virgin is more recent. In the porch is an extraordinary egg-shaped stone font, matt-finished with finely lettered incised inscription and cross, with two shallow bowls hollowed out and polished on the flattened top, standing on a rock-faced granite block. The glass in the small cross lights is to an overall colour scheme moving from yellow to red from left to right, and with animal and natural themes to the designs. Three bays infilled behind the sanctuary screen the organ, and there is a statue of Christ on the centre panel.

Parish life

All weekday masses from Blessed Sacrament Church are livestreamed by the parish. The parish runs a catechetical programme for Gorseinon and Pontarddulais.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Unbaptised adults and children above the age of 7 are directed to RCIA sessions for instruction in the Catholic faith. Couples wishing to marry must complete the short 'Marriage Care' instructional sessions.

Reconciliation is offered at advertised times as part of parish services, and private confession can be arranged with the Parish Priest. The parish runs a Divine Mercy SOS Chaplet initiative launched from Wales.

The parish offers the Retrouvaille programme for couples needing help with their marriage. The parish uses a census form to register parishioners and update its contact list.