St Joseph's

Introduction

The church is a rare surviving collaboration of A. W. N. Pugin and his son E. W. Pugin, with stained glass by Hardman of Birmingham and post-war restoration by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

History

In 1850 the Chancel was built to a design by A. W. N. Pugin as the mortuary chapel for the first Catholic cemetery in Birmingham, consecrated on 18 September by Dr W. B. Ullathorne. In 1850 the Chancel was built in Bath stone at a cost of £800. In 1867 a mission was established at Nechells and Father (later Canon) William Greaney was the first resident priest, living in Lichfield Road until a school was built in the grounds of the Church. The first marriage ceremony was performed by Father Greaney on 13 July 1867.

By 1870 the Cemetery Chapel was too small and Bishop Ullathorne gave permission for its extension; a six-day bazaar at Birmingham Town Hall raised £656 for the extension. The building of the Nave started in July 1871 and was completed the following April, designed by AWN Pugin's son Edward W Pugin, at a cost of £2658 for the Nave and adjoining house. Canon Arthur Chattaway was appointed parish priest in 1885 and served until his death in 1922, extending the school in St Joseph's. The church was restored and redecorated after the Second World War by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, and the interior was again restored in 2001.

The church has Giles Scott benches and decorative schemes. In circa 1850 Nechells began a separate Catholic cemetery amidst financial difficulties. The 1870 expansion of the cemetery was partly financed by Birmingham Town Council and the separate mortuary chapel was built because of concern of leaving coffins in churches overnight (a requirement of Catholic burial liturgy).

Before 1850 Mass was celebrated at the home of Mrs Jane Wheatley by a priest from St Chad's Cathedral. Mrs Wheatley died on 22nd January 1901 aged 85 years and is buried in St Joseph's Cemetery. The 1877–1878 census showed approximately 2,200 Catholics in the Parish; by 1884 the parish covered nearly 10 square miles. The Pope, Pius IX, gave a cameo brooch to be raffled at the bazaar.

Architecture and furnishings

The 1850 mortuary chapel by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was enlarged in 1872 by Edward Welby Pugin and restored in 1945 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. The building is ashlar with 1872 works in red brick with stone dressings, and slate roofs with coped gable ends. The plan comprises the chancel and Lady Chapel as the 1850 mortuary chapel, to which was added in 1872 the nave, north aisle, west porch, north west mortuary chapel and south presbytery. The mensa of the Lady Chapel altar is by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and the wooden reredos of circa 1950 is by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

There is a circa 1850 stone high altar with wooden frontal and a wood and gilt reredos of 1902 with a five circa 1900 Birmingham Arts and Crafts tabernacle with chased silver doors. The church has an Edward Welby Pugin pulpit and a circa 1850 chancel east window by Pugin/Hardman. The church has good circa 1900 Stations of the Cross in late Gothic German style. The church is a Grade II listed building, first listed on 10-Dec-1991.

The ashlar chancel and Lady Chapel have 3-light decorated style geometric and reticulated tracery east windows with small quatrefoils above and 2 2-light north windows with reticulated tracery. The red brick and brick-dressed nave has 3 tall south windows, each with foiled light over pair of lancets. The west end has a gabled bellcote, gabled porch with carved tympanum, 2 lancets above with foiled light above flanked by statues in niches with corbel colonnettes and canopies. The north gable of the mortuary chapel has a foiled light above 3 small lancets.

The north aisle has 4 3-light depressed 2-centred arch windows. The interior has a 2-bay arcade between chancel and Lady Chapel with compressed foliated capitals and 4 shafts. The interior has a 5-bay north arcade with unusual reeded piers, the reeding rising as mouldings in the scalloped capitals. The church has painted timber roofs; the nave and north aisle have braces on small corbels, the nave arched; the chancel roof is by Giles Gilbert Scott.

Music and liturgy

A sister involved the children in Sunday Mass and started the Children's Liturgy. St Joseph's continues to celebrate Holy Mass and serve the community of Nechells.

Sacraments and pastoral care

On 18 September 1850 the Chapel and Cemetery were consecrated by Dr W B Ullathorne, who was then Vicar Apostolic to the Midlands. The Presentation Sisters came to the Parish at the invitation of the parish priest in 1997, developing a closer link between the Church and school.

Visiting

The parish school was opened in 1868. In 1868, Canon Chattaway invited the Sisters of Charity of Saint Paul to work in the school.

The parish holds an annual feast day celebration for Saint Joseph with Solemn Mass and a shared lunch. The parish collaborated with other groups of people of Faith and none to improve the lives of people who were voiceless and living in poor conditions.