St. Mary on the Quay, Bristol

Introduction

Saint Mary on the Quay in Bristol was built in 1839-43 in the Greek Revival style by R.S. Pope. It is the first Catholic church built in Bristol following the Emancipation Acts.

History

The church was designed by Richard Shackleton Pope for the Irvingites but was purchased before completion in 1843 by the Roman Catholic Church. The church was dedicated by Bishop Baines in 1843. The church's associated schools closed in 1971. The church was under the care of the Divine Word Missionaries for a period.

Architecture and furnishings

The church has a cruciform plan with the sanctuary at the west end. The church is built of limestone ashlar. The altar with dome tabernacle was designed by J.F. Bentley and dates from c.1900. A marble font by G.E. Street (1860) was moved to the north transept of St Mary's after the closure of the Church of St George, Brandon Hill in 1984.

Floodlighting was installed in the year 2000, set in the top of the stylobate. The church has a distyle-in-antis inner porch reached by two converging flights of steps. The large central doorway has a battered, eared architrave and cornice, and there are plain doorways in the returns with a six-over-six pane timber sash above. The front face of the stylobate is inscribed CHURCH OF ST MARY ON THE QUAY, and there is a bronze First World War Roll of Honour plaque below.

The chancel is top-lit with a decorative ceiling with gilded plasterwork and dentil cornicing. The gallery at the ritual west end is supported on two fluted cast-iron Doric columns. Above the chancel arch is painted AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM.

Parish life

The parish runs a Young Adult Prayer Group, Bristol Catholic Women, Ignite Youth Bristol, RCIA, Rosary, Children's Liturgy, Adoration, and a Soup Run Group. The parish runs a Tuesday Lunch Club, which is on summer break.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish requires at least six months notice for marriage preparation, and couples must speak to a priest and participate in a Marriage Preparation course.