St Mary – Merthyr Tydfil

Introduction

The Catholic Church of St Mary in Merthyr Tydfil, a Grade II listed building, was built in 1893-4 to designs by J S Hansom, his only Catholic church in Wales.

History

A mission was established in the town c1825 in a loft over a slaughterhouse at Pondside and served by Rev. P Portal from Newport. By 1839 there was a resident priest, Rev. James Carroll, and he established a school for 50 children and was holding Mass each Sunday in the town and at Rhymney.

In 1852 a plot of land was purchased in Georgetown for the building of a Church and School. After the Benedictines took over the Merthyr mission in 1859 plans were made to build a permanent church but they were unsuccessful. The Carmelites took over c1864 and were equally unsuccessful in raising the funds required and after they left the mission in 1878 the Benedictines returned under Fr Bernard Sanders and Fr Dunston Ross. It was originally proposed to have two side chapels, two sacristies, an organ loft, side chapels and confessionals off the S side; these were omitted from the initial construction with the intention to construct them at a later date.

The church was opened on 27 September 1894 with the Bishops of Clifton and Newport in attendance. The sanctuary and sacristy were added in 1904, probably following the original designs. After Canon Wade's death in 1909 a high altar was erected in his memory and consecrated by Bishop Hedley in July 1910. Also that year altar rails in the memory of a Mrs Bernasconi and a font were installed.

The organ gallery was erected in 1921 and in 1924 the Lady Chapel (now side chapel) was opened. The parish celebrated the centenary of its founding in 1827 on 27th November 1927 with the arrival of Cardinal Bourne of Westminster.

The Benedictines left in 1930 with the church served since by diocesan clergy. The mensa from the Wade high altar was set into the sanctuary floor with other parts used as a base for the tabernacle. A new ambo (pulpit) was made from the former pulpit and an electronic instrument replaced the original organ. The church is built in Early English Gothic style with randomly coursed snecked Pwllypant stone and Bath stone dressings. A group called Sisters of Charity operates within the parish.

Architecture and furnishings

A lean to on the N side housing a kitchenette and WCs have been added. The church retains original and early furnishings including the reredos and good stained glass. The reredos is made of alabaster and marble and includes carved figures of St Bernard and St Stephen. The polygonal pulpit is carved and painted stone and marble with open arcading, and its pillars were reused for the tabernacle plinth.

The Sacred Heart Chapel contains an octagonal stone font dating from 1910. The 5-light east window depicts the five Joyful Mysteries and is likely 20th-century work. Sunday Mass was held in a hired clubroom, accompanied by a choir of dogs, cocks and donkeys.

Visiting

The parish is served by a parish council. The church hall is available for booking.

The rear of the church has been enabled for social or community gatherings by the installation of improved toilets and a small catering facility. A glazed screen at the west end forms a narthex with a piety stall and an archway to WCs in the north aisle. The gallery of 1921 is above the narthex and is accessed by a spiral stair in the north-west corner. The interior has painted plaster relief Stations of the Cross.