| Description | On 6 December 1913, Cardinal Francis Bourne appointed Fr John Caulfield to establish a parish in Pinner. Fr Caulfield initially took up residence in Dudley House, Wellington Road, Hatch End, where he celebrated the first Mass in his new parish on 1 February 1914. Mass continued to be celebrated there until 18 October 1915 when a small church, St Luke's, was opened in Love Lane. Fr Caulfield continued to live in Hatch End until 1926 when a house was purchased in Love Lane and became the presbytery.
With a seating capacity of less than 100, St Luke's church served the parish for the next 40 years, under the leadership of first Fr Caulfield, then Fr O'Rafferty and finally Fr Lyngnane. When Fr Wilfrid H Trotman became parish priest after Fr Lyngnane died in 1954, Cardinal Griffin gave permission for him to build a new church to accommodate a growing congregation. The architect who designed the church was F X Velarde and the contractors were Messrs William Lacey Ltd of Hounslow. The foundation stone for the new church was blessed by Archbishop Godfrey on 27 July 1957, and it was formally opened on 19 January 1958. A full description of the church building and its decorations is given in the illustrated souvenir brochure published for the opening ceremony in January 1958, which is included in the archive collection.
St Luke's was known as the National Shrine of St Philomena, and was the only church in the UK to have a chapel and altar dedicated to the saint. The Shrine was decorated with murals painted by Constance Mary Rowe (later Sister Mary of the Compassion). In the early 1960s, the statue was replaced by one of St Joseph and the National Shrines dedicated to St Philomena in both France (Paris) and England (Pinner) were discontinued. |