Our Lady & St Peter

Introduction

The church's exterior is mainly of Bargate stone from Godalming, with Bath stone inside.

History

From Advent 1914 until October 1915 Mass was said weekly by Father Lippens, a Belgian priest of the Congo Mission Fathers. In 1915 a mission under the patronage of St Peter was set up, with Father Bernard Kelly as priest in charge. On 6th November 1915 Father Kelly moved into Editha, which housed the chapel until 1923 and remained the priest's house until 1926. In September 1923 Father Francis Redaway died; his body was brought to the church on 3rd October and Requiem Mass was said before burial in Kensal Green.

By 1946 priests from Our Lady & St Peter's were serving two Mass centres, in Ashtead and Fetcham, as well as Saint Andrew's Convent. Father Bernard Kelly was the first priest in charge of St Peter's mission, serving from 1915 to 1918.

Architecture and furnishings

The reredos beneath the east window has figures of eight saints set against a blue mosaic background, all patron saints of members of Sir Edward's family. The altar rails were removed after the Second Vatican Council and a new free-standing altar was erected in the centre of the sanctuary. Woodroffe's West window with scenes from the Christmas story was erected in 1924. The last of the Gill Stations of the Cross were finished in April 1925; Sir Edward Hulton died on 23rd May 1925.

The Lady Chapel window recalls the apparitions of Our Lady to Marie Bernarde Soubirous at Lourdes in 1858. The Baptistry is a later addition, with a font of Saxon stone carved with scenes of the life of John the Baptist, the work of John Skelton, nephew of Eric Gill. The chest-style Tabernacle was installed in 2005 on the feast of St Thomas Aquinas, made in Spain by Talleres de Arte Granda. The ambo on the north side has an early nineteenth century icon of Christ Pantocrator; the one on the south has a twenty-first century icon of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

In 2014 the church received a new processional cross, funded by a bequest from the late Mary Cuffe. The light coloured timber panelling in the sanctuary is of Japanese oak. The Tabernacle was funded by a generous bequest from the late Nancy Cuffe.

Music and liturgy

The church provides a link to the Thesaurus Preces Latinarum, a resource for Latin prayers and liturgy. The church links to the Church Music Association of America, an association of Catholic musicians interested in music and liturgy.

Parish life

The parish runs a Coffee After Mass group. The parish runs a Church Cleaning rota. The parish offers prayers in English and Latin, including the Liturgy of the Hours and Mass readings.

The parish runs a programme to prepare young people for Confirmation. The parish has a prayer request service.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish provides a Certificate of Catholic Practice for admissions to Catholic schools, signed by the Parish Priest for registered practicing families.

Visiting

Visitors arriving by car can use the church car park, which lies north of the church beside the Parish Hall and is entered from Copthorne Road. In the Lady Chapel and in the Sacred Heart Chapel, a book is kept in which parishioners and other visitors may enter petitions.