Sacred Heart, Wimbledon

Introduction

At the aisle's east end there is a small Holy Souls Chapel, built in 1915 by Drysdale, in memory of Fr William Kerr, founder of the Jesuit Mission in Wimbledon.

History

Frederick Walters was commissioned without competition in 1884 to design the new church in Wimbledon. The church was consecrated in 1931. The church was reordered in 1990. The church is built of limestone and dark grey knapped flint in Late Decorated manner with tile roofs.

Architecture and furnishings

The organ by the firm of Walkers was installed in 1912. The baptistery is enclosed by fine embattled wrought iron gates carrying tall fleur-de-lys, installed 1909. The rood screen is by McCulloch of Kennington, 1887, in slender iron filigree; the design is based on the rood in the Collegiate church Louvian, Belgium and drawings of figures from the rood screen at Westminster Abbey. Against the pier of the south chancel arch is a Carrara marble figure of Our Lady, 1896, by Messrs Regali of London, under a richly carved canopy.

Wrought iron altar rails by JF Bentley formerly enclosed the High Altar, but were repositioned in 1990 to either side of the lower altar at the opening to the Sanctuary. The St Ignatius chapel has a stone vaulted roof with carved bosses, lined in enriched linenfold timber panelling, and paintings by Chevalier Tayler from 1904 depicting the life of St Ignatius. The chapel has a richly carved stone memorial to Mrs Caroline Currie, dated 1904. The nave retains its original seating of simple benches with shaped ends, some carved.

Small ambulatory windows to north and south are set in larger blind bays, those to south with stained glass, commemorating Jesuit saints, and probably by Westlake. Off the ambulatory at the end there are three polygonal chapels, built in 1896, to St Joseph, the Sacred Heart and the Lady Chapel, each with a vaulted stone roof with emblematic carved bosses. The outer chapels retain alabaster altar tables each with a fine carved stone reredos. Each chapel has polychrome tile floors.

The stained glass to each chapel is by Hardman and Westlake. Carved wooden benches remain in the Lady Chapel. The west front has slender octagonal turrets flanking a six-light west window with curvilinear tracery over a canopied porch. In the tympanum of the west front is a seated figure of Our Lady and Child flanked by quatrefoil lozenges.

The south elevation has an English Martyrs' altar abutting forward, gabled with a three-light window. The east end has three canted chapels each with two-light windows with curvilinear tracery, the central chapel of different pattern, over a chequerwork base. The interior has a small panelled porch leading to a panelled lobby with a boarded ceiling with a deep moulded frieze and ribs and has internal windows and part glazed doors with cusped tracery above rectangular leaded lights.

Music and liturgy

At first floor there is a community tribune overlooking the choir, and a music room. The organist helps choose hymns and other music for a Church Funeral Mass.

Parish life

The parish runs social, cultural and welfare groups, listed in the annual report. The parish runs a number of prayer groups catering for different prayer styles.

The parish has a Directory of Parish Organisations listing social groups. The parish provides access for wheelchairs to all halls, meeting rooms and the church, with disabled toilet facilities in all areas. The church, upper hall and lounge are provided with a loop system for people with hearing impairment. The parish has a chair lift inside the Upper Hall to take wheelchairs to the main floor level.

The parish publishes an annual report, with the June 2026 edition available. The parish maintains a newsletter archive covering years from 2016 to 2026. The parish adds the name of the deceased to the Sunday prayers in the weeks leading up to the Funeral if wished.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Baptisms normally take place in church, usually on a Sunday afternoon, and do not normally take place during Lent. The seriously ill can be added to the weekly newsletter prayer list with their consent. Hospital chaplains are not permitted to visit patients without prior permission. If you live outside the parish boundaries, you must obtain the written consent of the parish priest where you live to marry at the church.

Visiting

All services are streamed via the church services website. The car park next to the halls has about 30 spaces, including a few marked disabled spaces, and is only for people visiting the church, the Presbytery Office or a function in the halls. A new parking scheme requires visitors to enter their car's registration number on a tablet each time they enter the car parking area, Monday to Saturday including Bank Holidays but not on Sundays. Large print copies of the Orders of Service are usually available at Sunday Mass; please ask the Welcomers on arrival.

The principal distribution of the Newsletter is via email to minimise the use of paper resources, with a small quantity printed for those unable to download it and copies posted to those who have asked the Parish Office. The church is closed immediately after the last Mass of the day. Funeral times may be checked in the latest copy of the Newsletter.

The church has a ramped access into the church. Disabled passengers can be dropped off at the 'drop off' area when visiting the upper hall, lounge and presbytery.