St Marys

Introduction

The church is typically East Anglian, with very high quality flint work. St Mary's was founded in 1850 by priests from the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits.

History

In 1824 the Society of Jesus decided to start a mission in the town. In 1841 a new pastor arrived, a refugee from his native Spain, Father Don Claudio Lopez. In 1962, the Jesuits left the town after being there for 138 years. In 1972, after being away from the town for 425 years, the Augustinians returned.

They remained here until 1995 when the church returned to the care of diocesan priests. The work to re-roof St Mary's church has been completed.

Father Randal Lythgoe, an ex-Provincial, died on January 25, 1855. Since just before Christmas 2020, work to re-roof the Sanctuary, both side chapels and Old Sacristy started by erecting scaffolding.

Architecture and furnishings

The main entrance is through the porch in the base of the tower leading into the west end of the building. The ceiling panels contain over 800 carved wooden bosses. The Sacred Heart chapel, with its limestone altar, is part of the original design. The font has been moved from the back of the church, the pulpit lowered and the Sanctuary floor raised to conform to modern liturgy.

On the floor of the chapel there is a memorial brass to Father Lythgoe S.J., parish priest from 1852 until 1855. In 1978 all the statues were vandalized, leaving Our Lady's statue in over 200 pieces. He commissioned Archibald Jarvis to paint the mural on the south wall. The wooden rails were the original altar rails which were removed from the front of the church to conform to modern liturgy in 1978.

The two heads either side of the church door are, on the right, Saint Edmund King and Martyr, and on the left, Saint Augustine. The Lady chapel contains the Shrine of Our Lady of Yarmouth.

Parish life

The parish comprises three worshipping communities: Acle, Caister, and St Mary's. St Mary's school relocated to Gorleston, where it occupies a larger site with playing fields.