English Martyrs, Reading

Introduction

The Church of the English Martyrs on Liebenrood Road in Reading, built in 1925-1926, is listed at Grade II. This Roman Catholic church was designed and built by JH & WC Mangan in a Lombardic style, with later additions and alterations in 1970 and about 1990.

History

The church began as a wooden hut formally opened in November 1921, served by clergy from Saint James' in the town centre. The new building could accommodate over 400 people and was officially opened on 14th September 1926. The clergy at Saint James' continued to be responsible for English Martyrs until 1935, when the first Parish Priest, Canon Francis Kernan, was appointed; he continued until his death in May 1947. The foundation stone was laid on 18 October 1925 and the building was completed the following year at an overall cost of £12,000.

During WW2, the church played a significant role in the war effort with allotments used for the 'dig for victory' campaign and the tower used for fire watching duties. Following Canon Kernan's death in 1947, he was succeeded for a short period by Canon Bernard Morris, then by Father James Walsh, and in 1952 by Father William Kirk. The impetus to build a new church came from Reginald Cecil Powys-Lybbe of Thurle Grange, Streatley, who was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1914 and gave £10,000 towards building a church designed to seat 400 people.

Architecture and furnishings

The Bethlehem Chapel and Prayer Garden were added to the south side in the 1990s. In the 1970s, most probably as a result of the Second Vatican Council, the high altar and its ciborium were removed from the eastern end and replaced by an altar beneath the dome. The tympanum has a mosaic panel which shows the arms of Hugo Faringdon (the last abbot of Reading) and Sir Thomas More as well as the Agnus Dei, with the lettering 'OMNES SANCTI MARTYRES ANGLIAE' and 'ORATE PRO NOBIS'.

A memorial plaque was erected to Mr Powys-Libbe and is located on the sacristy side of the altar. A Commemorative Memorial was erected in the church showing the names of seven parishioners who gave their lives in wartime.

The church is built of red brick in Flemish bond with tile dressings and a shallow-pitched pantile roof. A taller bell tower of five stages is attached to the north-west end of the nave. The western end has a deep central portal with a round arch, recessed doorway with panelled doors and moulded marble surround. The wall above the door has a semi-circular window, and the plain wall at either side of the portal is inset with glazed terracotta roundels showing Faringdon and More.

The aisle-end doors have mosaic-filled tympana bearing the mottos 'O CRUX AVE SPES UNICA' and 'O REX CENTIUM'. The nave flanks have single arched windows to each aisle bay, divided by pilaster buttresses, and paired clerestory windows above. The north western tower has paired lights to each stage on alternate faces, with the belfry stage having four openings per face and a pyramidal roof with an iron cross. The transepts each have a triple window under a relieving arch with tilework keys.

The interior nave arcade has plain rectangular brick piers with projecting tilework keys, and lateral brick arches cross the aisles. Roof timbers are exposed with trusses having angled braces and central and lateral uprights. A lower arcade continues across the western end as a narthex, above which is the organ loft with a central projecting organ case.

The organ was made by G.M. Holdich in 1855, with his nameplate on the keys. The church is 122ft long and 45ft wide and has a 65ft campanile in the north-west corner.

Music and liturgy

The music groups combine to perform at important liturgical celebrations like the Easter Triduum and Advent, and also visit Care Homes and Day Centres and give Carol Concerts. The organ was restored from 1980 to 1981 and moved to the Church of the English Martyrs, Reading by Saxon Aldred.

Parish life

Trained servers may be invited to join the Guild of Saint Stephen, with a special Altar Servers Mass on the feast of Saint Stephen. Lay people are commissioned as Ministers of the Eucharist to distribute Holy Communion at Mass and to the sick and housebound. All Sunday Masses have Welcomers who greet parishioners, distribute the Newsletter, arrange Offertory Gifts, supervise collections and ensure the church is left tidy. The parish has an Audio-Visual Team that creates and presents slides shown at Mass each weekend.

Livestream operators enable those who cannot physically join the church to be part of the spiritual celebration each week. Emmaus groups are small groups of parishioners who meet to read and discuss the readings for the following Sunday or books of the Bible.

CAFOD is 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 lists organisations and publications including Age UK, Alcoholics Anonymous, C.A.F.O.D, Fairtrade, Pax Christi, Shelter, Saint Vincent de Paul, Taize, Traidcraft and the Catholic Truth Society.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Children and parents work together at home using the Growing Up Catholic booklets, six on the Eucharist and six on Reconciliation. The Children's Liturgy forms part of all Sunday Masses, run by volunteer catechists from the parish, and children explore the Gospel through craft, drama and singing. The parish has an altar server ministry open to boys and girls who have made their first communion and are aged 8 or above.

Visiting

The parish's First Holy Communion programme is a family journey helping children grow in their love and understanding of Jesus, the Eucharist, Reconciliation and the life of the Church. The parish office can be contacted for more information about any of the Sacraments.

The church has a car park available, with weekday entry via Liebenrood Road and weekend and funeral access from Tilehurst Road. A bicycle rack is provided and located to the right of the colonnade entrance. The church can be reached from Reading General Station by taking a No.33 bus from Friar Street and alighting at Waverley Road stop. The church can be reached from Reading West station by exiting onto Tilehurst Road and walking along Tilehurst Road for approximately 15 minutes. Route 33 is the only bus route that passes by the church, running along Tilehurst Road, with boarding/alighting at Waverley Road.