Our Lady Help of Christians, Kentish Town

Introduction

Our Lady Help of Christians in Kentish Town, London, occupies a church built in 1864-7 by J Tarring, originally as a Methodist church.

History

A new mission opened in February 1856 in a temporary chapel in Junction Road dedicated to Our Lady Help of Christians. In 1970 the Catholics exchanged buildings with the Methodists, moving to Lady Margaret Road. Cardinal Basil Hume consecrated the building at a Mass on 20th September 1979.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of Kentish rag and is a Grade II listed building. The church has a tower with spire at the north-west corner and a 5-bay nave with clerestory and sanctuary. The interior retains pine galleries on 3 sides carried by enriched cast-iron columns. The church is built of Kentish rag random rubble with freestone dressings in Gothic style.

The west facade has an enriched, gabled central west doorway with recessed orders, double doors in pointed arches, and quatrefoil tracery over. Above the west doorway is a 7-light geometrical tracery window. The north facade has 3 gabled and buttressed bays, each with 2 traceried windows reflecting interior galleries.

The deep gallery at the rear of the church extends into the north and south aisles and is supported by slender cast-iron columns. The conversion to the current internal layout was carried out by the builders Messrs Burles Newton and partners. Renovation work included putting gold leaf gilding on the bishop's mitre on the organ pipes. In the gallery on the west wall is a small stained glass window depicting Our Lady, which is one of the few things that came from the old church in Fortess Road.

A small sculpture on the right hand of the central arch beside the organ may be the face of John Wesley himself. The great organ was completely dismantled and serviced by Forster and Andrews of Hull, the company that had originally installed it.

Parish life

The parish runs a St Vincent de Paul Society that serves the local poor and vulnerable. The parish has a Nursing Homes Ministry that regularly visits residents in nursing homes with Communion and Healing Services. The parish has a Climate for Justice group, an amalgamation of Justice & Peace, CAFOD and the Climate Change groups.

The parish has a Sacristy Team that prepares and clears up after all liturgies and decorates and cleans the church. The parish has a team of Welcomers who greet Mass goers at weekend Masses. The parish has readers who read the Scriptural Readings at weekend Masses. The parish has Eucharistic Ministers who distribute Communion at the Masses with the priest.

The parish had bingo twice a week that helped pay off the debt associated with moving to the new church. The parish had organisations like Brownies, Cubs and the Union of Catholic Mothers.

Regular events

The parish holds a Christmas lunch, a tradition that began at the Fortess Road church. The parish held regular weekly dances with a band, which were packed with all ages even when there was no bar. The parish has a youth club that existed at the Fortess Road church during wartime.