The Oxford Oratory

Introduction

The Oxford Oratory, also known as St Aloysius Gonzaga, is a Roman Catholic church in Oxford, within the Archdiocese of Birmingham. St Aloysius' Catholic Church was built in 1875 to serve the population of Oxford. John Betjeman's poem 'Summoned by Bells' describes St Aloysius as 'St Aloysius of the Church of Rome: Its incense, reliquaries, brass and lights Made all seem plain and trivial back at school.'

History

The Catholic mission in Oxford begun by the Jesuits was centred on the temporary chapel of St Ignatius (built 1793) on St Clement's. By 1871 the existing buildings were inadequate, so the decision was taken to build a new church on the Woodstock Road. The foundation stone was laid on 20 May 1874 by Bishop Ullathorne, attended by a huge crowd including Oscar Wilde and David Hunter Blair. A design for a large decorated church with fan-vaulting and a large tower was submitted by Hansom but rejected as too much of a copy of New College Chapel and too expensive.

In November 1876 Lord Bute gave £1000 for the cost of the high altar, and in 1878 the construction of the reredos began. The Lady Chapel was decorated by the gift of a Miss M Fletcher and an altar of copper, silver and enamels by Morris & Co was installed in the same chapel. In 1902 the church was decorated with pale marble, gilding and colour, and electric light was well installed throughout. The statue of the Sacred Heart by Mayer & Co of Munich was given by Miss L Kirner, and in 1902 the chapel was decorated by Gabriel Pippet.

The murals by Pippet of scenes from the life of St Aloysius were painted in the sanctuary where stained glass was also installed in the windows. On 3 May 1908 the Relic Chapel, endowed by Mr Hartwell de la Garde Grissell, was completed and solemnly blessed with the bodies of the martyr saints Pacificus and Felix installed there.

Grissell left the entire Relic Chapel and its contents to the church in his will. In the 1960s, the sacristy's original roof collapsed and was replaced with a much lower flat roof.

After the Jesuits left in 1981, priests of the Archdiocese of Birmingham looked after the parish until 1990, when the church was entrusted to the Fathers of the Oratory. Beginning in 2007, the Fathers of the Oratory began the enormous task of renovating and restoring the church; the Lady Chapel and Relic Chapel were fully restored in 2007 and 2009. In 2008–9, major structural restoration was carried out in the sanctuary, and in 2019 a new altar for the Sacred Heart chapel was installed.

The lost sanctuary murals were uncovered in 2024. The church is raising £3.3m to pay for apse repairs, the High Altar and the restoration of the sacristy.

After the building work, the sanctuary will need a new floor, a chance to reinstate the original parquet design. Half of the Fathers were ordained at the altar and celebrated their first Masses on it. The last Solemn Mass at the current high altar was celebrated. The church is where the Holy Mother of God is venerated under her title of 'Our Lady of Oxford'. In the 1950s the sanctuary was reconfigured according to the latest fashions, and the high altar was simplified and moved forward.

Architecture and furnishings

An altar loaned by the Fathers of the London Oratory arrived to allow Mass to continue while work takes place in the sanctuary. Fixing a hole in the apse is one of many repairs needed to the apse of the church.

Music and liturgy

The Oratory Choir, which sings for the Solemn Mass on Sundays and feast days, consists of professional singers and a list of approved deputies. All sung Masses incorporate Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony, particularly the great music of the Catholic counter-reformation by composers such as Palestrina, Victoria and Lassus.

The verse 'O God, come to our aid; O Lord, make haste to help us' may be heard sung at the start of Vespers in the church. Musical Oratories are services of prayer following the pattern first established by St Philip in sixteenth century Rome, consisting of readings, prayers and hymns on a particular theme. The Oratory choir sings at the Christmas Carol Service and the Passiontide Musical Oratory each year.

Parish life

600 visitors were welcomed to the church as part of Oxford Open Doors. A Men's Oratory trip was led to the grave of Hartwell de la Garde Grissell in Mickleham.

Oratory Young Adults is a series of monthly Friday night meetings for young Catholics aged 18–35 who frequent the Oratory. Cafe Neri is staffed entirely by volunteers.

The parish offers catechism classes for children and young people preparing to receive the sacraments for the first time. The parish provides the Anointing of the Sick, Confession or Holy Communion at home or in hospital for those unable to come to church.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Couples planning to marry should contact one of the Fathers at least six months before the wedding. Confessions are heard 20 minutes before all Masses Sunday to Friday and an hour before all Masses on Saturday. There are more opportunities for confession in the weeks leading up to Easter and Christmas.

Visiting

The church is open every day of the week, every week of the year. Paid on-street parking is available along St Giles and Wellington Square, and buses from Pear Tree Park & Ride stop metres from the front door. Cafe Neri serves Jeeves & Jericho artisan tea, Nespresso coffee, and cakes by Cakesmiths, and opens the bar after the last Sunday morning Mass.