| Description | A mission was established in Brixton by 1880 by Fr Hendrick Van Doorne, a Flemish priest at Camberwell. In 1881 he acquired a large house between Lambert Road and Hayter Road, which was renamed Corpus Christi house and which housed a temporary chapel. Fundraising for a permanent church began in 1883. Fr Van Doorne approached the Catholic convert architect John Francis Bentley to draw up plans, and Bethel House, an 18th century house on the corner of Brixton Hill and Trent Road, was identified as a suitable site and was acquired for £3500. The foundation stone for the new church was laid by Bishop John Butt on 14 June 1886. The contractors were Messrs E Lawrence and Sons. Bentley's plans were for a church of considerable height and length, vaulted throughout in stone. However, only the sanctuary and side chapels had been built by the time of the opening by Bishop Butt on 12 June 1887. The transepts were added in 1904, but after that no further work took place. A 'temporary' west wall was put up pending the building of the nave and aisles, which would have more than doubled the size of the church, but these were not to be. Instead, much later (in 1983-84) a new entrance area and parish hall were built over the intended site of the nave, from designs by T. Houlihan & Associates.
In 1980 administration of the parish was handed over to the Society. A grant was obtained to refurbish the church, dealing with the many leaks, stonework trouble, shaky foundations, and the new entrance area mentioned above was built. On 23 July 2005 the Jesuits handed the administration of the church over to the Archdiocese of Southwark who continue to serve the parish, although the Brixton Community continued to live in the parish in three houses: Briant House at 51 Horsford Road, Canisius House at 41 Horsford Road, and Hopkns House at 21 Helix Gardens, until 2016.
Further records may be held by the Southwark Diocesan Archives. Please contact
RC Archdiocese of Southwark
150 St George's Rd
London
SE1 6HX
020 7928 5592
archives@rcsouthwark.co.uk |