Record

AAW - Archives of the Archbishop of Westminster
- DOW - Diocese of Westminster
  - PAR - Parishes

Repository	Archives of the Archbishop of Westminster
Ref No	AAW/DOW/PAR/123
Title	Lincoln's Inn Fields, St Anselm and St Cecilia
Level	Series
Description	The history of the Church of St Anselm and St Cecilia stretches back three hundred years. The present building, erected in 1909, formed part of the Kingsway development of the Edwardian era. It replaced the old Chapel of the Royal Sardinian Embassy, which celebrated its final Mass before demolition on 6th July 1909. From the early 19th century, the Chapel became quite openly what it had always been illicitly, the parish church for British Catholics who lived in the densely populated area around Lincoln's Inn Fields. Known as the Sardinian Chapel from 1720, this nomenclature was last used in 1852. In 1853, the Chapel was called after its titular saint, Anselm, and in 1861, the Pastor, Father William O'Connor, added St Cecilia as the second patron. The Chapel bore this double dedication until its destruction in 1909. The present church, successor to the historic chapel, retained the protection of St Anselm and St Cecilia, and preserves some of the architectural style and features of the old Sardinian Chapel. The Royal Sardinian coat-of-arms is situated on the interior wall above the South side entrance to the church. Tradition also maintains that the Lady Altar was the High Altar of the old Chapel. During the Blitz, on Wednesday 11th September 1940 at about 1am, the south part of the Church was bombed with the result that the Lady Altar and the south aisle were damaged. After the war, the ruined chapel and altar were restored. The church underwent major renovation in the 1990s following a serious fire.

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