| Description | The Parish of Hoddesdon was founded on 7 November 1932, when Fr Vincent Scully, DSO, of the Order of Canons Regular of the Lateran, took up his appointment from Francis Cardinal Bourne, the Archbishop of Westminster, as the first parish priest.
Prior to this, the first Mass at Hoddesdon since the Reformation was said by Fr Spark, Chaplain to the Canonesses of St Augustine, who had purchased Rawdon House in Hoddesdon and established St Monica's Priory there in 1898. Before the arrival of the Canonesses, there was no place of Catholic worship in Hoddesdon after the wayside Chapel of St Catherine ceased to be used in 1560 and was eventually demolished in 1705. In 1906, the chaplaincy to the Canonesses of St Augustine was taken over by the Canons Regular of the Lateran of Stroud Green, Fr Philip Corr, Fr David Dunford, Fr Timothy O'Sullivan, Fr James Reany and Fr James Joyce.
In August 1932, at the suggestion of Cardinal Bourne, the Canons purchased Esdale House in Hoddesdon, so that the students of the Order could attend St Edmund's College, Ware, and at the same time take responsibility for the care of both the parish and the chaplaincy at St Monica's. Esdale House was renamed St Augustine's Priory and a small public chapel was opened with the altar furnishing designed by Geoffrey Webb and the tabernacle made by parishioner Vincent Brown.
In 1933 the Sisters of Our Lady opened a convent and an independent primary school at St Cross. On 27 June 1935, Bishop Myers opened the purpose built parish school of St Augustine's and from 14 July, Mass was offered there on Sundays.
When Fr Scully died in November 1941, he was succeeded by Fr Bruno Peters, CRL, until 1946, when Fr Lawrence Byrne, CRL, became parish priest. Fr Byrne's tenure only lasted 6 months, when he had to give up the position due to ill health. He was followed by Fr Ambrose Whitehead, CRL, in 1947, who enlarged St Augustine's School in 1951 and again in 1957. In 1958, the Canons Regular withdrew from Hoddesdon and the Diocese of Westminster took over the management of the parish on 9 November that year. Fr John Leonard Longstaff was appointed by Archbishop William Godfrey as parish priest on 9 November 1958. It was he who was responsible for the demolition of the old church and presbytery of St Augustine's and the construction of the present buildings.
Esdale House continued to serve as a Presbytery up until 12 May 1961, when a newly-built Presbytery was ready for occupation. On 15 May 1961, the demolition of St Augustine's Church began and on 6 April 1962, the Foundation Stone of the new church was blessed and laid by Cardinal Godfrey. The new church was designed by Justin H Alleyn, B. Arch, FRIBA, and built by Marshall-Andrew & Co Ltd. The Foundation Stone was carved in Welsh slate by Sussex scultor Bernard Davis, ARBS, who also supplied the effigy for the Chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart within the new church. There are statues of Our Lady and the Holy CHild and St Augustine on the front of the chuch, carved by Philip Lindsay Clarke.
The Bell Tower has a traditional Hertfordshire spire, and was built thanks to a legacy from the late F C Hanbury. It stands on the site of the former wayside Chapel of St Catherine. The church bell, named Cora in memory of one of the original parishioners, was cast in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and was cast on 6 December 1961. It was heard for the first time on 6 April 1962 at the service to commemorate the laying of the Foundation Stone.
In September 1965, Fr Robert Tollemache succeeded Canon Longstaff when he moved to St Mary's, Chelsea. He went on to form the church's first Parish Council on 9 February 1968. In order to have the Church consecrated, Fr Tollemache and the Council had the High Altar redesigned to meet the requirements of Vatican II and the Church and High Altar were duly consecrated on 23 September 1971. After Mgr James O'Brien was made Bishop of the Pastoral Area of Hertfordshire, he proposed the re-order of the layout of the Church to fit the modern liturgical practice of making the altar the central focus of the congregation celebrating Holy Mass. The work began on 13 February 1989 and involved the repositioning of the Foundation Stone, to which a second scroll was added to the existing Instrument of Foundation. The church was again re-ordered in 1996. |