St. Anselm, Tooting Bec

Introduction

Saint Anselm, Tooting Bec, in the Archdiocese of Southwark, was built in 1932-33 to designs by architect J B Mendham. The church's style is a mixture of Classical, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic and Mudejar influences.

History

In 1905 a Catholic mission was established in a former Baptist chapel in Balham High Road, served from Holy Ghost, Balham, becoming a separate parish in 1909. By 1928 the church was dilapidated and the rector, Father Cornelius Le Warne, planned to replace it. Work commenced in 1932 and the new church was in use by Easter 1933. A re-ordering took place in 1979.

In 1988 the undercroft of the church was remodelled by Michelmore Associates and a separate parish hall was built to the rear of the church facing Tooting Bec Road. In 2009 this area was remodelled and re-landscaped by Baxter Phillips Architects, including a large figurative mosaic, to mark the centenary of the parish and the 900th anniversary of the death of Saint Anselm.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of red brick with white stone dressings to the north side to Balham High Road but stock brick to the south elevation, with slate roofs and a copper clad dome. The church has a plan of five bays with parish hall below, a west narthex leading into nave and aisles of three bays with a central octagonal dome, and an eastern bay comprising the sanctuary and flanking chapels. The north elevation to Balham High Road is a fusion of Classical, Mudejar and Gothic styles, with a central bay featuring a stone balustraded parapet and above this the stock brick octagonal cupola with copper dome.

The central bay has a large statue of Saint Anselm under an elaborate canopy and above a plinth with the Chi Rho symbol flanked by palms. The three central bays bear a stone frieze with the inscription DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO IN HONOREM SANCTI ANSELMI ARCHIESCOPI CANTUARIENSIS in Roman Lettering. The main entrance is through a Classical Corinthian doorcase with broken segmental pediment bearing the papal arms and the date 1933. The interior includes a narrow narthex with grey brick arches and low plastered groin vaults supporting a choir/organ gallery above.

At the centre of the narthex is a canted recess flanked by stone columns with Romanesque capitals, probably inspired by the capitals in Saint Anselm's crypt at Canterbury Cathedral. The nave consists of two large square bays separated by grey brick piers with transverse arches, the first bay barrel-vaulted and the next opening up to the octagonal dome supported on squinches. The sanctuary and the flanking chapels are barrel-vaulted, with clerestory windows penetrating the curve. Furnishings include the 1952 round-headed arched baldacchino over the high altar of Early Christian character, supported on grey marble columns with Romanesque capitals.

Beneath the baldacchino the 1952 marble high altar and its tabernacle survive intact. The sanctuary also has a Bath stone suite of forward altar, ambo and font dating from the re-ordering of 1979 by Kendal Building Services. The Lady Chapel to the south has a marble altar within a shallow apsidal recess and two late C20 mosaic panels. The Sacred Heart chapel to the north has a stone altar with marble panelled reredos behind.

Music and liturgy

The parish has a large group of about sixty readers who proclaim the Word of God at Mass on a rota basis. The parish celebrates special Masses including Masses of Healing and Anointing, International Masses, Adoration and Benediction, and Services of Reconciliation. The parish holds annual retreats weekly during Advent and Lent, and has prayer groups including the Intercessory Prayer Group, Friends of the Holy Family, Pro-Life, and Legion of Mary. The parish has a large number of catechists and liturgists supporting youth programmes including Little Fishes (under 5 liturgy) and The Followers (over 5 liturgy).

Parish life

The parish has a formal choir of thirty to forty parishioners who come together for the main liturgical celebrations of the year, including Christmas, Easter, and celebrations of the conferral of sacraments. The parish has a large number of ushers who assist at weekend Masses and special liturgical celebrations. The parish shop, in existence in its present site since 2005, opens on Sunday mornings in the courtyard.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Bereavement support is available on alternate months on a Saturday afternoon, and on a one-to-one basis at any time. Once a year on All Souls, a special service called 'Remembering with Love' is offered to the whole parish. St Anselm's SVP is twinned with three conferences in India, supporting education, agriculture, and self-help projects for widows, and sends help to the Sudan baby appeal through the International Twinned scheme.

Notable people and events

The architect John Bernard Mendham (1881-1951) was born in Saint Leonard's on Sea in Sussex but was brought up in Buenos Aires where his father worked as an engineer.