Saint Mary the Immaculate, Grantham

Introduction

Saint Mary the Immaculate in Grantham was built in 1832. The church was built through the generosity of Thomas Peter Tempest, who later became its parish priest.

History

Edward James Willson of Lincoln designed the original Ionic style building. The dedication to Saint Mary the Immaculate dates from 1936. In 1884, at a cost of £1,042, a new chancel, sanctuary, mortuary chapel and baptistery were added. In 1995, a breach was made in the walls to provide a direct link between the church and the newly refurbished Parish Hall. In 2003, work on the re-ordering of the sanctuary, the re-modelling of the church entrance and porch, and the re-decoration of the church was completed.

Architecture and furnishings

The stained glass window depicting the Annunciation was installed after the Great War in memory of the fallen of the Machine Gun Corps. The sculptor of the fibreglass figure of Christ in Glory, behind the altar, was Willi Soukop.

The church is built of stone with a slate roof, a brick apse at the west end, a stone plinth, modillion cornice and parapet. The east front has a pedimented doorway with Roman Ionic columns, a window on either side with moulded architrave and cornice, and a bell tower window with stone cupola. In commemoration of the Holy Year of 1975, Vincent Wells MBE was commissioned by the Parish Council to produce a series of paintings depicting the Way of the Cross.

Parish life

Children make their First Holy Communion at Saint Mary the Immaculate on a weekend in late spring or early summer. Readers at Mass are drawn from volunteers across the parish who want to take part in this ministry. The Parish Priest manages the readers and the scheduling of their duties. The team of readers spans all ages, and the parish always likes to invite more people to become readers on a rota basis.

Sacraments and pastoral care

In the Diocese of Nottingham people are normally confirmed between the ages of 11-14. The Confirmation Mass is normally celebrated by the Bishop in the Easter season.

At St Mary’s, Baptisms usually take place on Sundays, and the church provides the baptismal candle while the family brings a white shawl. For marriage at the parish, couples must give the priest at least six months’ notice of their intention to marry. Couples preparing for marriage must attend a marriage preparation course, details of which the priest gives at the first appointment. The Parish Pastoral Council meets four times a year, with subsequent dates agreed at the end of each meeting and published in the minutes.