SS Thomas and Edmund of Canterbury Church

Introduction

SS Thomas and Edmund of Canterbury Church in Erdington, popularly known as Erdington Abbey, has served the Catholic population of Erdington since 1850. The church was designed by Charles Francis Hansom in a C14 Gothic style.

History

The church was consecrated by Bishop Ullathorne on 11 June 1850. In 1876 the parish was given to Benedictine monks from Beuron, Germany, who had fled Bismarck's Kulturkampf persecution. In 1878 the church was given a ring of eight bells cast by Messrs W Blews & Sons of Birmingham; these were recast in 1950 by J Taylor & Co of Loughborough. Father Haigh died in 1879 and was buried in his church with a commemorative brass.

A tower was added to the west end by Harry Haigh, nephew of the founder, and a south-west porch (converted into an oratory in 1932) with an octagonal turret. In 1897 a reredos by Pippett of Solihull, carved with scenes depicting the Benedictine Apostleship in England, was introduced behind the High Altar. The church was repaired in 1922-4, with its spire partly rebuilt. In 1933 a new sacristy was built and the old sacristy was converted by Brother Aloysius (Frederick Winders) into the chapel of St Alphonsos.

In the early 1980s the stone rood screen was removed and a new organ was installed. In 1994 the monastery buildings were sold to Highclare School.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of red sandstone with ashlar dressings and pitched roofs covered in Welsh slate. The plan comprises a nave with double aisles and a long chancel with chapel to the right (the former sacristy). The tower is capped by a stone broach spire with three tiers of lucarnes. The interior contains elaborate and intricate decorative and figurative carvings on head-stops, corbels and plinths, including statues.

The large east and west windows and the windows to the aisles contain C19 stained glass. The oak carved reredos by Pippet of Solihull, introduced in 1897, has a pinnacle throne for the Blessed Sacrament surrounded by four painted angels. The Lady Altar at the east end of the inner south aisle was reconstructed in 1947. The former entrance porch at the west end contains an oratory dedicated to the English Roman Catholic Martyrs. A mid to late C19 lych gate with boundary walls stands c16m south-east of the church.

Music and liturgy

The founder, a convert Anglican clergyman, paid for the construction of the church from his personal fortune. The founder hoped that monks would serve the church and included a spacious sanctuary to allow for choir stalls. The founder made the monks trustees of the church and property before his death in 1879.

Contact the parish office if you would like to enquire about a burial plot within the Abbey grounds. No dogs are allowed in the cemetery.

The parish follows the Birmingham Diocesan directions and requires at least six months notice for a wedding. To prepare for the baptism ceremony, parents or guardians are required to attend a preparation session, which happens every second month. Erdington Abbey provides a baptismal candle.

Parish life

A Lunch club / Senior Citizens Group meets in the Abbey Hall every Thursday. A Wednesday Coffee morning is held in the Abbey Hall. The parish community is enriched by many cultures and nationalities represented among its members.