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/53
Title	Feltham, St Lawrence
Level	Series
Description	The Parish of Feltham was founded in 1910, with the first public Mass being celebrated on 21 August that year at Crendon Lodge, Hanworth Lodge by Fr Martin Cave from Ashford. In 1911, a plot of land on Feltham Green was purchased as a site for a Catholic church and the following year, the corrugated iron church of St Lawrence the Deacon and Matyr was blessed. In January 1915, the church was almost entirely destroyed by fire, so a new and enlarged church of St Lawrence was built (now used as the Parish Centre). In 1917 Cardinal Bourne gave responsibility for running the church to the chaplains of St Anthony's Home. In 1924, a renovated and extended St Anthony's Home was formally opened and blessed by Cardinal Bourne. St Anthony's, formerly a home for boys under the care of the Sisters of Good Hope, became a girls' home looked after by the Daughters of Charity. In 1927, the parish of Feltham, including Bedfont and Hanworth, was created and Fr John Houtman appointed as its first parish priest. He purchased additional land on which to build a church, presbytery, school and parish hall. In 1932 the foundation stone of the new Catholic church of St Lawrence was laid by Bishop Joseph Butt. The church, designed by Thomas H B Scott, was formally opened in January 1934. In 1937 a fire nearly destroyed the new church and its subsequent restoration saw the building extended to its present size. The renovated church was reopened and blessed by Cardinal Hinsley on 4 September 1938. Post war development of nearby Heathrow Airport made the position of St Anthony's - close to the flight path - unsuitable for bringing up young children and in 1960, afrter protracted legal wrangling, the home was closed, ending almost sixty years of close association with St Lawrence's Church and School. The late 1960s also saw the transferral of Bedfont from Feltham parish to to Stanwell parish. In the 1970s, the new St Lawrence Parish Council establish a Church Alterations and Improvements Committee to liaise with the architect Julian F G Hastings over the re-ordering of the church to meet the requirements of the Second Vatican Council. Rewiring, redecorating and new lighting were done at the same time and the church was reconsecrated on 12 November 1971. In 1992, the rose window, one of the few features to survive the devastating 1937 fire, was removed for repair and restoration. This preceded a major refurbishment of the interior of St Lawrence's in 1995 when the church was again re-ordered with new lighting and rewiring installed. In 1996 a mural depicting the life of St Lawrence was set in place by the artist Carmel Cauchi. The parish centre was later refurbished in 1999.

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