Our Lady of Sorrows, Peckman

Introduction

Our Lady of Sorrows in Peckham is a Roman Catholic church in the Archdiocese of Southwark, built in 1864-66 and designed by Edward Welby Pugin.

History

The foundation stone was laid in July 1858, and the church was designed by E.W. Pugin to be served by the Capuchin friars. The friary was built in 1884, and the parish hall in 1937. The Capuchin friars served the parish until 1999, when they gave the parish, church and friary to the Archdiocese. In 2014 the Archdiocese invited the Vincentians to take over the running of the parish.

Architecture and furnishings

The interior has a 5-bay nave arcade of narrow pointed arches, a chancel panelled in various coloured marbles, and an arch braced panelled ceiling. The church follows a Gothic plan with a tall nave and buttressed aisles. The south-west entrance extension has a hipped roof and a mosaic in the tympanum, possibly a later build. The north aisle has a one-storey extension eastwards with a row of lancets.

Small gabled extensions with rose windows to the roof stand at the point where a crossing might be. The gabled east end has a large rose window above a row of narrow lancets flanked by twin buttresses. Side aisles have smaller rose windows in similar style at the east ends and narrow lancet aisle windows with a continuous stone band at the spring. The chancel has quatrefoil clerestory windows.

The friary in a similar style is attached to the north. The Norbertine canons sing the hours of their choral offices, with parts in English and large parts in Latin.

Parish life

The parish has a Legion of Mary Praesidium that supports a Junior Praesidium for young people. The parish has its own youth group, the CYP, supporting local young people in serving their community. The parish hosts and supports the Sierra Leonian, Ghanian and Nigerian associations.

The parish church has no venue for wedding receptions while the Hall is undergoing renovation. The parish is the seat of the Norbertine Canonry of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The canonry is a house of formation for novices and juniors discerning their vocation. The canonry is the centre of the Archconfraternity of the Mass of Reparation, on whose aims Pope Saint Pius X gave his Apostolic Blessing and in 1904 presented a silver chalice.

The RCIA course begins in September of each year and ends at Easter. Visitors are invited to come and visit the church and join in Mass or the Divine Office.