The Assumption, Nottingham

Introduction

A side altar dedicated to Our Lady, adorned with a carved Italian statue representing the Assumption, was placed to the left of the Sanctuary.

History

The church's Romanesque design was executed using Ibstock brick, with a marble sanctuary floor and terrazzo decoration on the altar and old pulpit. After the war, new plans by architect Mr Reynolds were initially rejected by the local authority as too elaborate and costly. A new priest's house was constructed and opened in 1954. A small toilet block was constructed adjacent to and linking the church and the Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

Parish life

In 1971, the Sanctuary was remodelled and liturgical changes were introduced following the Second Vatican Council. The parish requires at least 6 months notice for marriage and attendance at a Marriage preparation course.

The choir sings at Mass on alternate weeks, usually the 2nd and 4th Sundays, and also covers the 5th Sunday if there is one, liaising with the Music Group for Sundays and major feasts. Parishioners joined Diocesan Pilgrimages to various destinations, including Lourdes, and parish-level pilgrimages to Rome in 1985 and the Holy Land in 1987. In 2005, the deanery was reorganised, with a priest looking after St Thomas More's in Wollaton in addition to The Assumption at Beeston. Catholic secondary education for over-elevens was made possible by the construction of the Clifton Bridge, allowing attendance at schools in Ilkeston and later Corpus Christi School at West Bridgford.

The construction of the church hall freed the parish from using other venues such as the local Roundhill School and other local churches for social occasions and meetings. The parish publishes a weekly A3 newsletter to keep parishioners up-to-date.

On Good Friday 2007, for the fourth year in a row, the Churches Together in Beeston and Chilwell led a dramatised Walk of Witness through Beeston. In June 2005, a joint contingent from The Assumption, Beeston and St John the Evangelist, Stapleford took part in the Nottingham Diocesan Pilgrimage to Walsingham. The Good Friday Walk of Witness 2004 used the Roman Stations, the stations used by the Pope in Rome, rather than the more familiar Jerusalem Stations.

Visiting

The church stands at the top of Foster Avenue next to the Town Hall, opposite the Broxtowe Borough Council Offices and the Library, and within easy reach of the University of Nottingham. The church hall is a spacious single-storey building with a large main hall, a meeting room and a kitchen, designed for easy accessibility for disabled people and with suitable toilet facilities.

The church has a modern community hall that is available for hire. The church has full facilities for disabled visitors, including single-level access, disabled toilets in the church and hall, and a loop system fitted in the church.

A small garden area beside the church hall houses a grotto to Saint Bernadette of Lourdes. Some parking is available at the church, with more parking at the pay-and-display municipal car park on Foster Avenue or on-street parking on Devonshire Avenue and adjacent roads. It has become a popular custom for many families and friends to gather in the church hall after mass for coffee and a chat.