St. Bartholomew, Norbury

Introduction

The original church was designed by Benedict Williamson and built with London Stock Brick.

History

Until 1918, when Father William Taunton took up residence, the church was served from English Martyrs, Streatham. The original church was built with money from Miss Frances Ellis and her sister, who bought the land from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company, and the church was built and opened in 1908. Saint Bartholomew's was officially made a parish under his auspices in 1920. Miss Ellis died at The Daughters of the Cross Home at Hayle, which she had been instrumental in having built in 1930.

Architecture and furnishings

Usually, Miss Ellis insisted on employing an architect whose normal line of work was designing railway sheds, and this utilitarian approach is in evidence at Norbury. In 1964 the bare brick walls were plastered over and painted white, and a much larger choir gallery was built in 1966. All this work took place under the auspices of the architect Anthony Stalley of Broadbent, Hastings, Reid & Todd. The west end rose window (Christ the King 1973) and the octagonal repository filling the space at the west end between the baptistery and the porch were added (1974).

In 2004 the parishioners raised over £20,000 in response to an appeal for £15,000 to ensure the Organ received a significant enlargement and refurbishment, carried out in 2005. The original church of Saint Bartholomew's was very small, consisting of the main high altar, the front portion of the nave as far back as the first pair of pillars, and two corresponding side chapels. Miss Ellis favoured a Romanesque style with a single large circular window at the west end, but the church was mostly without ornament due to limited funds.

A glass screen between the church and the porch was added as a 'crying room' space, with an addition to the sound system so that parents with infants could follow and participate in the Mass. The three arches separating the retro chapel from the main body of the building were opened up to one much larger arch, something not technically possible in 1966. The sanctuary is circular, with a cut-out at the east end for the new baptismal font and a cut-out at the west offering access steps to the altar deep enough for choir seating.

The original sacristy, whose extant nave arch became the entrance to a passage linking the nave and retro chapel, became a parish library. The new Altar, the cross over it depicting Christ Crucified on one side and The Risen Christ Reaching for His Crown on the other, Sanctuary Chairs, Lectern and Baptismal Font, all to designs by David John, were installed. The 'Holy Spirit' painting on the rear wall of the retro-chapel, moved in 2022 to the north wall of the sanctuary, was painted by Marianne John. The Stations of the Cross, of unknown origins, were re-distributed from the main nave to encompass both the nave and retro-chapel.

Music and liturgy

The church's two-manual pipe organ was built by F.H. Browne and Sons of Canterbury in 1971-2, installed in 1972, and enlarged, altered and updated by them in 1985, 1996 and 2005. The organ is positioned high in the gallery, with pipe work each side of the window depicting Christ the King at the west end, beneath which the forward-facing console sits. The organ provides resources for leading a capacity congregation in hymn singing and tonal colours for choral singing, and is occasionally used as a solo and concerto instrument.

The 2005 refurbishment and extension of the organ was entirely supported by parishioners through a Sponsor a Pipe scheme. The parish has music ministries including a Family Choir, Hymn Choir, Plainchant Choir, and Polyphony Choir.

Parish life

The average Sunday Mass attendance in 1933 was shown in the 1934 Southwark Catholic Directory as 817. In 1950 the average Sunday Mass attendance was 613 as indicated in the Southwark Catholic Directory for 1951. The average weekly Sunday Mass attendance for 1981 was shown in the 1982 Southwark Catholic Directory as 2010. As in all the Ellis foundations there was to be a monthly Mass for the Holy Souls, something that continues at Saint Bartholomew’s as the monthly 'Ellis Mass for the dead' in their memory.

The parish runs a Food Hub, Knights of Saint Columba, MISSIO, Orchestra, Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Spiritual Discussion Group, and Teams of Our Lady. The Non-Drip Measure Factory next door was purchased at the instigation of Father Charles Byrne in 1945 and converted into a parish centre. The Parish Centre was officially opened by local Catholic TV actor Derek Guyler in 1959. In 1938 the parish priest Father Cyril Walmsley bought a triangular plot of land in Pollards Hill and had a dance hall built to develop as a Mass centre.

The first Mass at the Pollards Hill Mass centre was celebrated on 12 March 1939. In 1974 work began on building a Catholic primary school, Saint James the Great, shared between the parishes of Saint Bartholomew's and Saint Andrew's, Thornton Heath, which opened in 1976.

Sacraments and pastoral care

For adult baptisms, individual arrangements are made with the RCIA Co-ordinator. A minimum of six months' notice is required for marriage. The Archdiocese of Southwark provides approved marriage preparation courses, typically involving a Wednesday evening, Friday evening and Saturday daytime across a single weekend. There are bespoke weekend marriage preparation courses where one party is not Catholic/Orthodox.

The parish asks to be informed when someone is seriously ill so they can be included in prayers and may be anointed by a priest. The parish advises that when a relative has died, they should be informed as soon as possible so the deceased can be included in prayers at Mass and in the Parish Newsletter. The parish provides specimen readings, a list of appropriate hymns, and prayers of intercession for funerals. A eulogy may be given after the coffin is received into the church and before the Mass or service begins.

The parish asks to be contacted if there is a fear of death and a need for the Anointing of the Sick. The parish has catechists for Children's Liturgy, RCIA, and Sacraments. The parish has Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Readers.

Visiting

The church stands at the junction of Hepworth and Ellison Roads. A footpath links London Road and Acacia Road with Ellison Road. The church is about a five minute walk from Norbury Station and eight from Streatham Common Station. There is limited on-street parking around the church.

The main body of the church is wholly accessible to people with mobility disabilities, but the choir gallery is approached by stairs and its seating is stepped. The church has a wheelchair-accessible toilet and baby-changing facilities. There is a Loop System (AFIL) in place in the church.

The windows in the porch, dating from 1981, depict various scenes from the life of Saint Bartholomew. The parish has lay ministries including Church cleaning, Church flowers, and Repository. The parish runs groups for young people including Youth Club, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, and Guides.