Church of Saint Patrick, Corsham

Introduction

The Church of Saint Patrick in Corsham, within the Diocese of Clifton, was dedicated to Saint Patrick as a tribute to the Irish workers, and Bishop Lee blessed and opened it on 17 April 1945.

History

Pickwick School opened in 1858 and was placed under Government Inspection in June 1860. The school closed in 1922 after financial problems led to deterioration criticised by inspectors.

Architecture and furnishings

The Stations of the Cross are in wood and were carved by a nun of Henbury. An oil painting of the Nativity records the passage of Italian prisoners-of-war.

The fabric is rubble stone with ashlar dressings in Gothic style, under plain tile roofs with coped gables and stepped buttresses. A steep ashlar bellcote crowns the north gable. The porch has a segmental-pointed doorway, a ribbon scroll above it, and a statue niche in the apex. The rear south-east range has doors with ribbon scrolls reading 'Girls School' and 'Boys School'.

A projection with a stepped gable between the doors was extended in 1985 to mask the right-side door. The house to the east is 2-storey with a stone tiled roof, a cross-wing adjoining the school, and a coped east gable. The large outside stack to the left is dated 1858. The building was originally Pickwick District Schools, built for Sir G. Goldney M.P., and the design was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1857.

Henry Edmund Goodridge of Bath was the architect, with a brief to provide accommodation for 48 boys, 48 girls, 50 infants and 200 adults. The two porches opened respectively onto the London and Bradford roads and were equipped with primitive washing facilities and pews. Teaching was conducted in a large room partitioned by a curtain, while the infants were taught in a gallery also surrounded by a curtain. Windows were placed well above the pupils' heads to avoid distractions.

Heating was by Tortoise stove and lighting first by oil lamps and later by gas. The Sunday Mass is more traditional, usually with more music and incense.

Parish life

The parish has a long history of supporting CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, an international development charity and the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. The parish supports the Corsham Churches Food-bank, a non-profit charity established in May 2011, supported by all the local churches and run entirely by volunteers.

The parish has a St Vincent de Paul Society whose members give their time to help in the community, whether by a phone chat or other support. The parish has a joint Parish Council between the two parishes as they share the same mission.

Regular events

A baptism preparation course for parents is held in Saint Patrick's Church. The parish has a Caritas initiative in the Diocese as part of the Catholic Social Action Network, which the bishop is keen to develop into a practical resource for parishes.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish has Visitation of the Sick Ministries that bring Holy Communion to parishioners unable to attend Sunday Mass due to illness or being house-bound. The priest will come to the home to administer the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Eucharist, and Anointing of the Sick in time of need. Parishioners are encouraged to ask for the Sacrament of the Sick before admission to the Royal United Hospital, Bath or another local hospital. The parish asks parishioners to help keep the priest informed about those who are hospitalised, in a nursing home, or house-bound.

There is a short course of baptismal preparation for parents. Baptisms are usually celebrated during a Sunday Mass or a Weekday Mass. Baptisms are not normally celebrated during the Season of Lent, awaiting the baptismal Season of Easter.

Couples planning to marry at Saint Patrick's Church are invited to make an appointment to see the parish priest at least six months before the proposed wedding date. Couples will also attend a course of Marriage Preparation, focusing on their relationship and their hopes, a Catholic understanding of the Sacrament of Matrimony and a deeper awareness of their future, life-long, commitment.

The parish offers a Funeral Service in a Cemetery Chapel followed by Burial. The parish encourages people making detailed plans for a funeral at St Mary's or St Patrick's to discuss them with the Parish Priest and make sure that their next of kin know their wishes.

The process of becoming a Catholic takes around a year. Those already baptised who wish to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church through confirmation and first communion are welcome to speak to the parish priest. Parish Care Groups work with the Parish Priest to facilitate pastoral care within the parish, particularly to the sick and the housebound.