Cathedral Church of St Mary & St Helen, Brentwood

Introduction

It is the first classical cathedral in the country since St Paul's. A mission with a resident priest was established at Brentwood in 1836, and Lord Petre gave land for a Gothic church and presbytery designed by Henry Flower, which opened on 26 October 1837.

History

In 1861 a second church dedicated to St Helen was built to the south to the designs of Gilbert R Blount. The diocese of Brentwood was formally erected on 20 July 1917 and Bishop Bernard Ward was named its first Bishop. In 1917 the church was made the cathedral of the newly created diocese of Brentwood.

Architecture and furnishings

The principal external walls of both parts of the building are of Kentish Ragstone, with yellow Smeed Dean stock brick for the less conspicuous west elevation and the clerestory of the addition. The internal disposition of the cathedral is organised around a novel axis that runs north-south from the entrance portico, past the ambo to a centrally placed altar, with the bishop's throne beyond. The principal façade is the north elevation of Terry's addition, inspired by the early Italian Renaissance fused with the English Baroque of Wren.

The Bishop's chair, altar, font and ambo were designed by Quinlan Terry's practice in Nabrasina stone from Pisa. The Stations of the Cross are glazed terracotta roundels by Raphael Maklouf, sculptor of the Queen's head on coinage. The organ was built by Alfred Hunter in 1881, came from St Mary-at-the-Walls in Colchester, and was rebuilt by Daniels of Clevedon with a new case by Terry.

Music and liturgy

The Cathedral Choir comprises Lay Clerk singers, boy and girl choristers, and former choristers, with training enabling many to establish professional careers in music. The range and versatility of the organ has attracted many eminent organists to give recitals at the Cathedral. Many great choral works, such as Elgar's Dream of Gerontius, Verdi's Requiem and Handel's Messiah have been performed in the Cathedral. The flexibility of the space has enabled it to stage performances of Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde and St Nicholas.

The Music Department provides music for the parish and diocesan liturgies in the Cathedral, embracing a wide range of styles, and also for important civic, school and ecumenical occasions for the town and county. A long-standing series of concerts and recitals in the Cathedral provides artistic, spiritual and social benefit to the wider community through music.

If the congregation is small, or unfamiliar with singing, it may be better to rely more on the organ and a soloist from the Cathedral choir. There are no facilities to play recorded or downloaded music in the Cathedral.

Parish life

The Saint Vincent de Paul group is an international Christian voluntary organisation that helps anyone in need locally through visiting and befriending. The Catenians are an association of Catholic laymen committed to their faith, families, those in need and each other, meeting locally once a month. PACE events include Quiz Night, Summer Carnival, and an Advent celebration afternoon.

Sacraments and pastoral care

As of January 2025, baptisms are celebrated for two families at a time. The parish requires at least six months notice of marriage to allow time for preparation and paperwork.

The parish asks families to inform the parish office of a death so that prayers can be offered for the deceased. The clergy at the Cathedral help and support families preparing a funeral service. The Cathedral clergy guide families through the three main things to consider for a Requiem Mass or Funeral Service.

Visiting

A guide book for the cathedral can be downloaded from the website. The cathedral offers an interactive guide book online.

The cathedral advises visitors to use nearby public car parks when the cathedral is busy. The cathedral's grounds include the grave of botanist Ellen Willmott, located just through the archway to the right of the Parish Hall.

The cathedral's day-to-day entrance is in the eastern bay of the north elevation, marked with the date MCMLXXXIX. The cathedral has Reconciliation rooms reached by timber staircases in the north-east and north-west corners. The cathedral's font is octagonal, located in the north aisle between the two entrances, with three steps into the basin. The cathedral is lit by modern brass chandeliers of traditional form, the largest hanging over the central altar. The cathedral's site is enclosed by a wall of yellow brick with iron railings and gold leaf finials, with two pairs of gate piers on the east side.