St Gregory the Great Church

Introduction

The Parish of St Gregory the Great was founded in 1852 and the Church of St Gregory the Great was built in 1866. Edward Welby Pugin, son of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, designed the church, which was completed on 30th July 1866 and opened and dedicated to Saint Gregory the Great on 23rd October 1866.

History

On Saint Gregory's Day 1849 it was decided that Stratford should no longer be administered from Wootton Wawen, and money was raised to purchase a site for a church and cemetery, bought on 5th April 1850. In 1852 the Benedictine Order withdrew temporarily from Stratford, a diocesan priest was appointed, and a temporary Chapel was opened in Rother House in 1853.

In 1852 a diocesan priest, Alfred John Dayman, was appointed to take charge of the new mission; he left five years later and in 1859 the mission was handed back to the Benedictines, who have served ever since. The Benedictines from Wootton Wawen returned immediately to Stratford, revived the Warwick Road project, and opened temporary chapels in Wood Street until they could build the present church.

The contract to build the new church was signed on 13th June 1865, designed by E.W. Pugin (son of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin). The original bell in the Bell Tower fell down in 1935; a new bell was commissioned from the John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough and installed in a newly constructed bell cote in October 1988.

The sanctuary was reordered and the altar brought forward in 1979. In 2001 St Gregory's Organ was restored.

In 2020 the Altar was renovated and the original stencil decorations restored. E. W. Pugin designed the church, and William Moss of Loughborough built it. In 2020 extensive work on the interior of St Gregory's was completed.

Architecture and furnishings

At the west end of the nave is a modern (1957) organ gallery; the aisles have timber lean-to roofs with raking struts and there is no structural chancel arch. The carved stonework throughout the church is by Boulton of Worcester, who also carved the high altar (reconfigured in 1979) and the reredos with its carved figures. The present bellcote, dating from 1988, is on a much smaller scale than the original. The altar rails in St Gregory's were repositioned to the sides of the sanctuary during the reordering in 2020.

Underneath the Top Altar are two round carvings: one depicts the crucifixion of St Peter and the other the beheading of St Paul. The twelve heads around the nave and sanctuary are almost certainly those of the twelve Apostles. In 1905 the church interior was decorated with stencil decoration by the Pippet brothers of Solihull, overpainted in 1957. The altar is consecrated and marked with five crosses symbolizing the five wounds of Christ, and within the altar are sealed relics. The consecration crosses show where the bishop anointed the church with chrism or holy water to consecrate it; the candle in front of each cross is lit on the anniversary of the consecration, 23rd October, and the church was consecrated in

Music and liturgy

The initials IHS, an abbreviation of the Greek word for Jesus, appear behind the Crucifix on the high altar and in the stencilling in the apse together with PAX, Latin for peace. Around the church there are 14 framed pictures showing the events of Jesus' condemnation, his journey to Calvary, his crucifixion, and his burial. The lectern is in the shape of an eagle sitting atop a globe, a symbol of Jesus' Resurrection and of St John the Evangelist. The tabernacle is a special box located behind the High Altar, where the consecrated bread is placed after Mass.

Underneath the three right-hand sanctuary windows are the words 'Ora pro benefactore', meaning 'Pray for the benefactor'. Second left on the sanctuary is St John, with his brother St James wearing a pilgrim hat with scallop shell, opposite.

Parish life

In 1996, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of two charters granted to the town, permission was given to celebrate a Roman Catholic Mass in the Guild Chapel, the first since the Reformation, and this annual event has continued since. The parish is a monastic parish run by the Benedictine monks of Douai Abbey in Berkshire. The Parish Bereavement Team offers a confidential service and are trained in listening and have a commitment to and understanding of the grieving process. Altar Servers are a team of children and adults who serve God, their parish and the priest.

The parish offers Children's Liturgy, CAFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) courses for adults, and a Bible Study Group. The parish provides the RCIA Course (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) for those who want to become Catholic.

In 1967 the Baptist Chapel in Tiddington was acquired by the Diocese and St Joseph's Mass Centre opened on 8th December. St Joseph's Tiddington closed on 5th November 2000.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Confirmation candidates, their families and sponsors are expected to attend the Youlbury weekend camp, and there is a Day of Recollection prior to Confirmation. The marriage preparation programme at St Gregory's is delivered online via zoom, based on the Alpha Pre-Marriage Course covering communication, conflict, commitment, connection and adventure.

In the event of a bereavement, the parish asks to be contacted so it can pray for the bereaved and offer assistance, including a bereavement team. The parish holds regular Masses for all the bereaved of the parish, followed by small socials. Parishioners are asked to inform their priest if they or a family member is going into hospital, and to ask for the Catholic Chaplain when in hospital.

Visiting

A 3D virtual tour of the church is available online, letting visitors move around and zoom in or out. Outside stands a shrine honouring Our Lady of Lourdes, inspired by the original grotto in Lourdes. The porch holds holy water stoups, basins of holy water that Catholics dip their fingers into to make the sign of the cross.