| Description | Although there had been a small centre for Catholic worship in Potters Bar since the 1920s, the parish of Potters Bar West was only formally established in 1967, following the construction of church of St Vincent de Paul and St Louise of Marillac (qv) on the site of the former church of St Francis Xavier, Potters Bar (qv), destroyed by a V2 rocket in 1945. Between the destruction of the church of St Francis Xavier and the construction of the new church of St Vincent de Paul and St Luoise of Marillac in 1962, parishioners attended the church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Mutton Lane, which was opened on 15 August 1950. The house at 243, Mutton Lane was later acquired as the Presbytery.
Fr Joseph Davey was appointed as the first parish priest and was succeeded by Fr. Richard Berry in 1958. He in turn was succeeded by Fr. Michael Moriarty in 1964. During his time as parish priest, the Pope Paul RC Junior Mixed and Infants School opened in 1967. This was also the year that saw the establishment of the two distinct parishes of Our Lady of the Assumption, Potters Bar West and St Vincent de Paul and St Louise of Marillac, Potters Bar East.
Following the departure of the Vincentians, who had been responsible for running St Vincent's, Potters Bar East, the Diocese of Westminster formally took over the parish in 1995. A Steering Group was etablished, chaired by Mgr Ralph Brown VG, comprising the parish priests and members of both parishes, to consider the future of both Potters Bar parishes and to report to His Eminence Cardinal Basil Hume OSB with recommendations. Plans to increase the seating capacity of Our Lady’s and provide meeting rooms and improved community facilities were approved by the Parish in Council in 1997 but subsequently deferred to allow plans for development of the St Vincent’s site by the Hospitaller Order of St John of God to be explored. The question of amalgamating the two parishes of Potters Bar East and Potters Bar West was therefore put on hold. Unfortunately negotiations were not concluded satisfactorily and, having found another suitable site for their work, the Brothers departed in 1998.
Parishioners from Potters Bar West played an active role in providing support following the Potters Bar rail tragedy on 10 May 2002, manning their Parish Centre round the clock for 5 days as a rest and refreshment centre for members of the Emergency Services.
In 2002, the two parishes of Potters Bar East and Potters Bar West were finally amalgamated and a New Church Committee was established to commission the construction of a new church on the site of the church of Our Lady of the Assumption, which was closed in 2004. The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 24 September 2005 by Bishop James O'Brien. In December 2005, the church of St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac, Potters Bar East was also closed. Thereafter all Sunday Masses were held at the nearby Pope Paul RC School.
Dedicated to Our Lady and St Vincent, the new church was embellished with numerous artefacts from the Church of St Vincent de Paul and St Louise de Marillac including the Stations of the Cross and Tabernacle. The dedication Mass was concelebrated by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Bishop James O'Brien, parish priest Fr Tim O'Connor, and former parish priests for Potters Bar, on 19 May 2006. |