St. Joseph

Introduction

Saint Joseph's Church in Castleford, within the Diocese of Leeds, was built in 1890-1 to the designs of Edward Goldie. Edward Goldie designed a church to seat 500, with a five bay aisled nave and chancel of red brick with stone dressings and slate roofs.

History

In 1871, a chapel-cum-school was opened in rented rooms in Castleford itself, until a new school funded by Sir John Austin MP was built on the present site, opening in 1877. Bishop Cornthwaite sent Fr John Hewison to take charge of the new parish in 1880. In 1920 the chancel was decorated with murals depicting the Apostles, Evangelists and other saints as a memorial to Sir John and Lady Austin, by a Belgian artist. Shortly after his arrival in 1936, Fr John Comerford substituted the large pulpit with a smaller one, removed the large brass corona light fittings and ceiled the nave.

A grotto and War Memorial were built in the presbytery garden to the north of the church in 1956. The present reordering of the sanctuary was designed by Overton Architects.

New stained glass windows by Joseph Nuttgens were commissioned and installed in 1972-75. The triptych and shrine house for the southeast altar were commissioned from Mr McDool and painted by Joseph Nuttgens.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is reversely oriented, with the main altar at geographic west. A small timber frame chapel, the Austin Chantry, is attached to the south aisle and the presbytery is reached through the sacristy at the east end of the north aisle. The Chapel of Our Lady is at the east end of the south aisle, connected to the chancel by two Caernarvon arches. At the apex of the west facade is a stone corbelled bellcote with stone spirelet.

The open nave roof with its many closely spaced rafters dominates the interior, an effect helped by the many timbers of the lean-to aisle roofs with two principal trusses to each bay. The five bay arcades have two-chamfered orders on short round columns, motifs reproduced in the chancel arch. The short square chancel has an open barrel roof. The three lancet east window contains a Crucifixion scene possibly of 1910.

The statue in the shrine house was carved by a Mr Butterworth. The Austin Chantry has stained glass in its timber framed side walls and contains a painted Pieta. The six cusped arches of the 1890 reredos that flanked the central tabernacle remain somewhat incongruously above large panels of dark green veined marble that replace the former stone altar. The present altar is of Portland stone. The pews are in the form of benches with arm rests at each end.

Sacraments and pastoral care

To marry at St Joseph's, one party must be a Catholic resident in the parish and both must be free to marry, and no other wedding arrangements should be made before speaking to the parish priest.