Church of St Augustine, Hammersmith

Introduction

The Church of St Augustine in Hammersmith, London, was built in 1916 and consecrated on 20th May 1933. The parish of Hammersmith was founded in 1903.

History

In 1902 Cardinal Herbert Vaughan asked the Augustinian Friars to fill a missionary gap in West Kensington and primarily serve the large number of Irish immigrants living and working in Hammersmith. On 12 April 1903, Easter Sunday, a priory and small chapel opened on 71 Comeragh Road, West Kensington. In 1905 the parish boundaries were revised, with a section of Holy Trinity, Brook Green parish being added to it. On 25 March 1915 the foundation stone was laid by Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster.

On 14 October 1916 the church was formally opened by Cardinal Bourne, Archbishop of Westminster. On 25 March 1917 the first Parish Priest, Father Raleigh, died in Dungarven. In 1961 the apse was opened to the extended church (now the St John Stone Hall) owing to 6,000 Mass attendance every Sunday. In 1988 the apse wall was restored and the Sanctuary reordered.

In 2013 the Regeneration Project was launched to provide a new centre at Saint Augustine’s for the Augustinians in Britain. In 2016 the parish celebrated the centenary of the current church building.

Architecture and furnishings

In 1920 the Chapel of St Nicholas of Tolentine was installed, made by Edmund Sharp of Dublin. The window depicting St Nicholas dates from 1952. In 1960 the Mother of Good Counsel Altar was refurbished with renewed marble décore taken from the high altar.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish runs an RCIA programme for adults wishing to become Catholic, adult Catholics wishing to be confirmed, and any Catholic adult wishing to learn more about their faith, with application forms available from the church porch. Baptisms take place on Saturdays, with more information from the parish office. The parish offers home visits for the sick, arranged through the Parish Office.

Visiting

The parish has a live streaming service available 24/7. The parish has a piano teacher offering lessons to both adults and children. A food bank collection box in the church porch accepts dried, tinned, and packet foods as well as toiletries. The church choir welcomes new members.

Readers are appointed for Sunday Masses at the church. The church's cleaning team welcomes volunteers. An Augustinian Laity group exists for lay faithful who wish to live their Christian vocation according to the life, teaching, and example of Saint Augustine of Hippo. St Augustine's Centre, managed by Helen Murphy, is available for hall hiring. The church requires at least six months notice for marriages and attendance at a Marriage Course.