Our Immaculate Lady of Victories

Introduction

The official title of the church is Our Immaculate Lady of Victories. The church was built 1849-51 by William Wardell, with fittings by J.F. Bentley from 1866. The church was solemnly opened and blessed by Cardinal Wiseman on May 14th 1851.

History

The foundation stone of the new church of St Mary's was laid in 1849. In 1851 the Redemptorists lost a lawsuit over bell ringing and the bells were silent until 1864. A major renovation of the church took place in 1919 and 1926, with the last major work completed in 1930. In the early 1980s changes in the architecture of the church were introduced to bring the ornate sanctuary into line with modern liturgical thinking.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of ragstone with freestone dressings and slate roofs. The tower and spire soar to a combined height of 154 feet (47 metres).

The Lady Chapel, built 1883-6 by J.F. Bentley, had its windows repaired after war damage by Veronica Whall. The south transept was constructed in 1894 to accommodate the growing parish. The tabernacle is constructed of beaten copper and was gifted by Miss K Mahony in 1902 in memory of her parents. The black iron grille between the sanctuary and transept was installed in the early twentieth century in memory of parishioners John and Mary Dell and John Francis Bentley.

The fresco on the arch above the sanctuary depicts the Last Judgement; a new canvas was fixed to the original in 1926. The baptismal font was moved closer to the sanctuary from the baptistry as part of the Second Vatican Council.

The chapel of St Gerard Majella, built 1910 by Osmund Bentley, has a rib vaulted ceiling with foliate bosses. The aisle extension of 1926 by Bernard Cox has a heavy bossed ceiling with angel corbels. The church has a south east tower in three stages with a broached steeple. The interior has a six-bay arcade of quatrefoil piers with figure stops.

The chancel roof is tierceron vaulted with foliate bosses. The reredos is in nine panels under crocketted canopies. The painting over the chancel arch is a copy, made in 1926 by J. Linthout of the 1854 work by J. Settegast of Koblenz.

The sanctuary is dominated by a colourful gothic style stained glass window depicting Christ and Mary flanked by archangels Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel. A saint is located on each of the six sanctuary pillars, including St Teresa of Avila, the prophet Isaiah and four evangelists. The statue of Our Lady was a gift from the mother of a priest. The pulpit was originally accessed via one set of steps; a second set was added as part of the Second Vatican Council.

The south (ritual north) transept was built 1892-4 by J.F. Bentley. The chapel of St Joseph was relocated from the south aisle to its current location when the transept was added. On the side of the transept are statues of John Fisher and Thomas More, both beatified in 1866. The window in St Gerard's chapel depicts St Gerard curing a sick boy.

Most of the windows in the north aisle are in plain glass, each containing the arms and initials of the Archbishops of Westminster at that time. The ceiling of the north aisle is flat and made of carved oak. A stained glass window in the church was created by Margaret Agnes Rope in honour of the Holy Family.

Music and liturgy

Saturday evening Marian devotions and Sunday afternoon public recitation of the rosary have been features of parish life from the beginning. In the late 1970s, following an Irish custom, a celebration of Nine Days of Prayer finishing on June 27th, the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, was begun.

Parish life

At the end of the Second World War an American chaplain introduced the Saturday Night Perpetual Novena, which has continued to the present day. The Ace of Clubs began as a response to the homeless and vulnerable knocking at the red door of St Mary's Monastery. The parish has a proud tradition of hosting a Senior Citizen's Christmas lunch at the Redemptorist Monastery every year. The parish regularly serves tea, coffee and cakes in the monastery after Sunday Mass.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Parents or guardians requesting infant baptism must attend two preparation sessions led by a parishioner, with only one parent or guardian required to participate. Before the day of baptism, the child and parents have the opportunity to be formally welcomed by the community at one of the Sunday Masses.

The parish follows Southwark Diocesan directions and requires at least six months notice for a wedding. All couples are required to take part in a marriage preparation course organised by the Lambeth Deanery and led by trained couples.

The parish has a long-standing and proud connection with the Ace of Clubs, a Redemptorist initiative formed in 1995. The Redemptorists provided the location, manpower and resources for Ace to begin in 1995.

Notable people and events

In 1871 St Alphonsus was made a Doctor of the Church, marked by three days of special Masses and sermons in the church. Clement Hofbauer was canonised in 1910, and a stained-glass window depicting important events in his life can be seen in the transept.

Visiting

The main entrance of the church is located on Clapham Park Road. A gateway on Clapham Park Road leads to the church entrance and the monastery, and the area contains a War Memorial Cross dating from 1920. The original doorway consists of large heavy oak doors with black iron furniture, set within an archway, and is no longer in use. The sacristy is accessed via a large oak door under an archway, where the clergy prepares for Mass.

The community chapel is accessed from the monastery, where the Redemptorist community celebrates the daily office and other prayers. The south transept can be entered via an additional entrance near the monastery. The Lady Chapel houses St Mary's copy of the Byzantine icon of the Virgin Mary and was intended to provide a place for personal prayer and meditation. The Way of the Cross has 14 prayer stations; the original stations were replaced in the 1960s by a set originally intended for the ex-King Umberto of Italy.

The angel window is located above the confessional and depicts 3 angels. The shrine to Fatima is particularly dear to the local Portuguese community who celebrate Mass in the church every week.