Our Lady and St Dominic, Farnborough

Introduction

Our Lady and St Dominic in Farnborough, within the Diocese of Portsmouth, was designed by Hannen French Collins of London and built by John Allen and Partner of Fleet. The foundation stone was laid on 10th December 1974, and the church opened on 24th September 1975.

History

The Salesian Fathers came to Farnborough in 1901 for pastoral work in the parish and school. In 1930, the Salesians started a Mass centre in the Labour Hall in Cove Road and celebrated Mass regularly there from 1930 to 1949. In 1949, the Parish Priest, Father McCormick SDB, acted and a temporary chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes was built in High View Road. The old chapel was demolished and the site used for a new presbytery, occupied from 18th August 1977.

In 1983, the Benedictines from St Michael’s Abbey, Farnborough, took charge of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes and it became the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Michael. In June 2005, a new altar and lectern were delivered and blessed in a rededication service in September of that year.

Architecture and furnishings

Two windows to the left and right of the altar are memorials from an earlier place of Catholic worship, coming from a private chapel in Eversley Manor owned by the Copes of Bramshill. A semi-circular stained-glass window depicting Christ, designed using the Dalle de Verre technique, is directly above the altar.

Music and liturgy

The Liturgy & Worship Ministry supports the priest and deacon in planning and running core liturgical functions, including regular weekday and Sunday Mass and more elaborate liturgies for Christmas and Easter. Altar servers assist the priest in celebrating Mass, and Eucharistic ministers distribute Holy Communion at Mass and take it to the homes of housebound parishioners. The parish aims to widen leadership roles in the Music Ministry to empower more ministers and recruit young instrumentalists and singers. The parish intends to recruit a panel of occasional organists for Sundays and special events.

Parish life

The parish is part of the North East Hampshire Pastoral Area in the Diocese of Portsmouth. The congregation reflects the surrounding area and includes people of all ages. The parish is under the care of the Salesians of Don Bosco, GBR Province.

The social ministry coordinates regular parish activities, including coffee after weekend masses and a Wednesday coffee hub. A WhatsApp group exists for parishioners willing to help at social activities and share ideas. The social ministry advises on the fabric of the hall, which is available for public hire. The social ministry aims to develop outreach to the local community through new projects.

Families living outside the parish boundaries but normally worshipping at OLSD may celebrate baptism here with their own parish priest's approval. Pastoral care of the sick includes visiting frail and housebound parishioners to celebrate the Sacraments of Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Baptism normally requires parents to live within the parish boundaries and at least one parent to be a baptised Catholic providing a baptism certificate. The Confirmation programme uses the Sycamore course, a 12-week programme with two-day retreats.

Visiting

In 2020, the church was closed for several months due to the Covid pandemic, and camera equipment was installed to enable live-streaming of the Mass for the first time.