Saint John the Baptist

Introduction

Saint John the Baptist in Brighton was designed and built between 1832 and 1835 by William Hallett, with sculpture by John Carew.

History

The church is in Greek Revival style, with the east end executed in Renaissance Revival style. Hallett based his design closely on the Catholic church of St Mary, Moorfields, London, completed by John Newman between 1817 and 1820. The church was built by the Rev. Edward Cullin (1776-1850), who is commemorated by a memorial on the north wall. Maria Fitzherbert (1756-1837), patroness of this congregation, is commemorated by a monument in the south wall.

The ritual east end was extended 60 feet in 1875 to designs by Gilbert Robert Blount. In the late 1880s, designs for a complete remodelling in a Romanesque/Italian Renaissance style were made by SJ Nicholl, shown at the Royal Academy in 1887 and published in The Builder.

Architecture and furnishings

The south chapel, dedicated to Our Lady, has a stone altar consecrated in 1875. The nave benches and pulpit date from 1890, when Westlake began the painted decorations and designed the windows. The altar piece is an oil painting on canvas showing Christ Enthroned and Adored, with prophets and saints attending. Westlake's last works, dating from 1917 to 1921, are a memorial to Father Johnston, who served as assistant priest then rector from 1876 to 1916.

A C17 Belgian altar rail was added in 1890. The west front has pilasters of the Composite Order and a distyle in antis porch of the same order. A flat-arched niche above the centre entrance holds a statue of St John the Baptist. The porch to the north-west, of c1890, is single storey with a round-arched entrance in the ritual north face.

The choir and sanctuary are barrel vaulted with panelled transverse ribs, and the north and south chapels are cross vaulted. The chancel arch and arches to side chapels form an arcade of three bays, with the central bay higher and broader than the sides. The nave ceiling is plain, pierced by three ventilation ducts in the form of rosettes, added in 1890. The organ gallery at the west end is supported on two cast-iron columns with capitals of acanthus and palm leaves.

The gallery front is topped by a wooden screen of thin, turned colonnettes on high socles supporting a nine-bay arcade of round and cusped arches. The baptistery, finished in 1889 and entered through a round diaphragm arch, contains a stone low-relief sculpture by Carew of c1835 depicting John the Baptist baptizing Christ, which was the original altarpiece. Carew also carved two Composite capitals which flanked the original altar, likely reused in the rebuilding of the east end. Under windows next to the organ gallery is a three-bayed, round-arched niche containing the figure of a saint. The panels between the nave windows form a narrative cycle depicting the Life of the church's patron saint.

Parish life

The parish runs a Wellbeing Group to facilitate understanding and awareness of mental health and mental ill health and of local help available. The parish runs a monthly Messy Church community event to bring together families and individuals to build community connections. The parish runs Family of Faith, a series of monthly meetings offering formation in faith and prayer for families with children of primary-school age. The parish offers baptism preparation courses for parents and carers, consisting of six sessions and running four times per year.

The parish runs a Visiting Group caring for people in the local community. The parish partners with Brighton Table Tennis Club, The Real Junk Food Project, Voices in Exile and national bodies such as CAFOD and CARITAS. The parish runs a Young Adult and Student ministry that reaches out to visitors from all over the world. The parish runs a youth group called Proclaim for young people aged 12 to 17.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish runs a Young Leaders programme for ages 14-17 encouraging service to the community. The parish runs Youth Alpha courses through its youth group. The parish offers opportunities for young people to join diocese and national events such as the Lourdes pilgrimage, the Flame youth conference and diocesan retreats. The parish runs a monthly Family Mass in which children are encouraged to read, welcome or take part in the offertory procession.

The parish runs a Children's Ministry team with volunteer opportunities for parishioners. The parish runs a Milton Road redevelopment project to create a new space of welcome, growth and community. The parish runs a Fitzherbert Community Hub that is a safe, diverse, community space tackling poverty and isolation.