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SHRINES OF OUR LADY (14)
OUR LADY OF KENNINGTON
PARK
The Parish Church of S.
Agnes’ Kennington Park, London SE 11
The
celebrations to mark the D -Day Landings this year with rejoicing and
thanksgiving was an anniversary which allowed us to look back and share
something of the emotions of that terrible time. It is however, very
difficult for those of us who did not live through the Second World War to
capture the emotions experienced by those who did. What becomes very clear
with hindsight is how very near we seemed to come to defeat and disaster.
In 1941 Dr Kirk then Bishop of Oxford wrote:
“ There is no question of excitement and
exhilaration, still less of enjoyment. The war is one long twilight of
mental suffering, its darkness growing ever deeper as new countries are
dragged into the sphere of Nazi domination, new cities here and overseas
laid in ruins by the Teutonic lust for devastation."
In
that context we might consider the post-war decisions made for the future
of the celebrated Church of S. Agnes Kennington, which was reduced to a
ruin. Sir John Betjeman mourned its passing and perpetuated its memory in
Collins Pocket Guide to English Parish Churches (1958). Two of his
favourite churches, were both casualties of the Second World War.
To
the memory of
S.
Agnes’ Kennington, 1877 and Christ Church Salford, 1830
Fine
churches of unfashionable date demolished since the war.
To try to build or
rebuild a house or temple of God seems to be fraught with problems. And
yet this is what the People of God have tried to do since the earliest
days of faith. Natural disasters, wars, major shifts in population, and
the economic climate often dictate the survival of many places of worship.
Some buildings owe their demise to that curious concept which is fashion
and that has its parallel in Christian art, architecture and liturgy.
Fashion in any sphere of life is always characterised by its total
unpredictability.
The
survival or loss of church buildings is not just an issue for those built
in the white heat of the Tractarian revival. It is now a problem for all
the mainstream churches. Those that survive still provide varying degrees
of inspiration and wonderment bringing worshippers and occasional visitors
to their knees. But bills have to be paid, repairs put in hand, and
frightening restoration schemes have to be started to put right the
structural mistakes of those near-canonised Victorian architects. They
prove an ongoing headache and consternation to those who carry the heavy
responsibility for their upkeep.
A Vanished Building
Betjeman
was a passionate supporter of Victorian Gothic long before that period of
architecture roused any substantial interest at all. A browse at the
photographs of the old church of S. Agnes’ Kennington now displayed in
the modern vicarage and new church (1958) give some indication of why
Betjeman mourned its destruction and it’s passing.
S.
Agnes’ Kennington Park, in South London (1877) was an Anglo-Catholic
shrine of great magnificence. It is considered to be one of the greatest
buildings of the nineteenth century as well as being a church building,
which broke new ground. The photographs show that it was a glorious church
of great refinement and beauty, and was rightly considered to be the best
expression of a church of the late Gothic revival in
England
. It was greatly loved and admired in its day and hailed as the
masterpiece of its architect George Gilbert Scott Junior. Its burnt out
shell at the height of the blitz must have presented the worshippers who
had survived the horrors of World War 2 with a re-building task, which was
formidable and unenviable. The recent publication of “An Architect of
Promise: George Gilbert Scott Junior (1837- 1897) and the late Gothic
Revival” by Gavin Stamp contains many photographs of the church. It also
brings before us again; the anguish, which must have faced many
congregations, whose churches; schools, halls and parishes had been
reduced to a heap of ruins.
The
Foundation of the Church
The
Parish of S. Agnes’
Kennington
Park
was originally founded as a mission church within the parish of S.
Paul’s,
Lorrimore Square
, Walworth. Its foundation was
immediately due to the Vicar of the mother parish, the Revd. John Going,
and in a more general way to the Catholic Revival which had stirred the
Church of England during the nineteenth century. By 1868 S. Paul’s was a
thriving Catholic parish by any standard and the 150 candidates for
Confirmation and the 1,000 people who attended Evensong regularly give an
indication of the work being undertaken. In 1869 High Mass replaced Matins
as the main Sunday service. However, the work of this busy parish took its
toll on Fr. Going and his health was suffering.
With
wise foresight Fr. Going had arranged for the southern portion of his
parish to be cut off and placed under the charge of a vigorous young
priest, Thomas Birkett Dover. To ensure the tradition of this new parish
of S. Agnes’ would be maintained in the future and in the event of S.
Paul’s tradition being suppressed (which it was in 1880) a number of
well-known churchmen of impeachable
catholic credentials were persuaded to become the trustees. They included
Canon Liddon of S. Paul’s Cathedral, Canon King (later Bishop of
Lincoln), the Revd. Charles Edward Brooke Vicar of S. John the Divine
Kennington, the Hon. Charles L. Wood (afterwards Lord Halifax) and J.E.
Shaw – Stewart Esq.
Fr.
Dover had already made his mark as curate of the nearby
Church
of
S. John
the Divine,
Vassal Road
and it was largely due to his shared vision with the trustees and his
energy and organising ability that S. Agnes’ became a great Church in
every sense.
Fr.
Dover had begun the task of building-up a new parish. A temporary church
was used in the form of a shed. Mr Gilbert Scott was asked to draw up
plans for a permanent church to accommodate Catholic worship and
ceremonial. On 8th July 1874 the Hon. Charles Wood laid the
foundation stone of the permanent church. His involvement in this ceremony
as the most prominent Anglo-Catholic laymen of his day (and his role as
trustee) signalled to the Diocese and the Church at large what the
tradition of the parish was. On the same day Dr. William Maclagan, Vicar
of S. Mary’s
Newington
(later Archbishop of York) was the preacher at the evening service in the
temporary church. He was taken to task the next day in the “Pall Mall
Gazette” for assisting at a church “ where he wore a white stole and
where a hymn was sung in which the name of Mary occurred.” S. Agnes’
Church had made its mark on day one of its existence!
The
Consecration of S. Agnes’ Church
On
20th January 1877 the Bishop of London, Dr Jackson (in whose
Diocese the parish then was) came to consecrate the new church. He had
been subjected to a great deal of pressure to refuse to consecrate the
building and demanded that a representation of Our Lady wearing a crown be
removed from the great east window. Riots were expected at the service of
consecration and 50 police constables were on hand in the event of
trouble. It was decided to barricade the doors as a precaution against a
violent disturbance by the Church Association and their hired protestant
agitators. This was not unfounded paranoia but a real fear that the riots
at nearby S. James’ Hatcham would spill over into the district. These
were challenging times.
As
a consequence of the Public Order Regulation Act (1874) Lord Penzance had
during the previous week, ordered the Revd. Arthur Tooth Vicar of S.
James' Hatcham to be arrested. He was confined to Horsemonger Lane Gaol
and on January 22nd (two days after the consecration of S.
Agnes’) Fr. Tooth began his sentence as the first priest committed to
prison during the ritual persecutions. These events were uppermost in
everyone’s minds not least the founder priests and people of S. Agnes
Church.
The
new church was built in the late Perpendicular (14th Century
Gothic) style. Externally it was austere; only the buttresses and wide
windows with their flowing tracery relieved the sheer red brick walls.
This contrasted with the sumptuous interior. The internal lofty arches
with graceful arcade piers and fan-vaulted aisles provided a magnificently
proportioned liturgical space. The building continued to be enriched and
developed alongside the liturgy during the next sixty years.
The
interior glowed with magnificent late Gothic glass by C.E. Kempe. A great
coloured and gilded triptych formed the reredos to the High Altar, which
was glimpsed through a magnificent screen. The screen and loft designed by
Temple Moore was enriched with lace-like tracery and stretched across the
whole width of the east end. A gilded and coloured rood surmounted the
screen with its attendant figures on an elegantly curved beam.
Medievalism permeated S. Agnes’
and the Church was widely admired for its noble proportions and haunting
beauty.
The
First and Second Vicars
Fr.
Dover was not only a pioneer of Catholic teaching and practice, but also
an ardent educationalist, and the schools were built at the same time as
the Church. With the latter they formed a splendid block of buildings,
extending over 300 feet along the roads on either side. A visiting school
inspector observed that “These
buildings are meant to last for all time, and like everything else about
S. Agnes’ they are massive and solid. They accommodate between 400 and
500 children, and a Sung Mass at which all the children are present is an
inspiring sight, calculated to convert the most pessimistic opponent of
Church schools to the belief in their value.”
Twenty
years after the formation of the parish Fr. Dover felt that much of his
former energy was exhausted and to the regret of all he left. His entire
ministry had required an enormous spirit of courage, iron determination
and holy disobedience to those in authority. In the cause of S. Agnes’
Church he was described by his contemporaries as a vigorous leader and an
indomitable beggar!
The
Revd. Alfred Holland was appointed to succeed him and he became the second
Vicar in 1895. During his ministry the work of beautifying the Church
continued and the dignity in worship and the outstanding musical tradition
was sustained. Perpetual Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament was
introduced in 1898. Most important of all, the pastoral care of the
people, and especially amongst the parishioners was maintained with all
diligence.
S.
Agnes’ like most of the leading parishes of the period were firmly
rooted in the ornate, pre-Reformation ceremonial “according to the use
of Sarum”. The clergy of S. Agnes’ were drilled by the senior curate
Fr. Henry Worth “who was
very learned in liturgy and was responsible for the correctness of S.
Agnes’ services”. The elaborate liturgy was of a pronouncedly
“English” type, and the large congregations, which assembled for High
Mass, were transported into a world very different from that of
South London
at the end of the 19th Century.
S.
Agnes probably reached its apogee during the Edwardian era when
congregations were large and fashionable and music and ceremonial was
performed on the grandest scale.
In
1920, Mrs Fleus gave the statue of Our Lady and Child in memory of her son
H. Otto Fleus. Otto had been a devout member of S. Agnes’ and a server.
He was killed in action at Flanders Field and was one of the hundreds of
young men who were slaughted in the defence of freedom and for their
belief in Christian civilisation. In 1926 Martin Travers provided two
memorial altars dedicated to S. George and S. Joan of Arc, which were
placed in front of the Rood Screen. Travers work included stencilling
angels to the roof of the chancel and painting and gilding the statue of
Our Lady.
The
Mission House in
Cooks Road
was also acquired in the 1920’s. This building – later called S.
Agnes’ House calls for a special mention. Its purpose was to house the
Sisters of Bethany who worked within the parish and to provide premises
for the clubs, guilds and classes, which thrived at that time. As events
turned out, the decision regarding this building was fortuitous as it
preserved to S. Agnes’ the only place where, after the Second World War,
and until 1958 meetings and clubs could be held.
After
a ministry of 30 years Canon Holland, as he later was accepted the country
parish of Wrington in
Somerset
.
The
Glory that is Departed
The
Revd. Marcus Donavan became the 4th Vicar in 1927. He arrived
amidst great joy as the parish was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of its
Consecration. The issues, which faced the parish, now, were very different
from those of 50 years earlier.
The
next 18 years were not easy ones for the parish. At the beginning of the
1920’s, the parish began to feel the burden of maintaining its existing
buildings; for by this time a number of wealthy and influential supporters
had died or moved away. It was significant too, that Catholic worship was
revived in an increasing number of
South London
parishes. Years before, S. John the Divine, Kenninton, and S. Agnes’
were almost the only churches in the district, which enjoyed “full
Catholic privileges” as they say, and people then travelled great
distances to attend High Mass. Indeed, the congregation now more than ever
consisted of local people, many of who were financially poor.
The
income of S. Agnes’ was insufficient to maintain a large staff during
this period, and in the end it was too little to keep even one assistant
priest. The upkeep of the buildings alone was crippling, and Fr. Donovan
had to spend a great deal of his time and energy appealing for funds. The
cathedral-like church was a treasure house of Christian art; but amongst
the congregation, diminishing through continual migrations to the suburbs,
there were few of any substantial means.
This
period was a time of financial hardship and changed fortunes but Fr.
Donovan’s ministry was characterised by high aspirations in the
essential work of the Church, in terms of worship, education and high
quality pastoral care. Fr. Donovan was one of the organisers of the Anglo-
Catholic Congresses and S. Agnes’ was a host church for Congress Masses
in 1927, 1930 and for the Centenary of the Oxford Movement in 1933.
Most of the leading centres of the “English Use” changed over
to the “Western Rite” during the Congress years.
S.
Matthew’s
Westminster
, S. Mary Magdalene’s
Munster Square, S.
John’s
Red Lion Square
(now Christ the
King Gordon Square
and the Headquarters of Forward in Faith), S. Columba’s Haggerston and
the Ascension Lavender Hill were prominent examples of parish churches
that, with S. Agnes’ adopted the customs and practice of contemporary
Catholicism.
Fr.
Donovan is best remembered for his writings, his outstanding preaching and
instructions, and visiting the sick and elderly. Despite the poverty he
had to contend with, he could rejoice that further adornments were added
to the church in his time. Miss Lilian Baylis, manager of the Old Vic and
Saddler’s Wells Theatre fame gave the Stations of the Cross (1934), a
new window was installed in memory of Fr. Dover (1928), and the new stairs
and a refurbishment of the west gallery added to the convenience of the
musicians. The last gift was the magnificent Book of Remembrance, which
was the gift of the old Burial Guild.
From
Fr. Dover’s days there had been sisters from well-known religious
communities working in the parish. The earliest ones were members of the
Community of the Holy Cross; they were followed by the Sisters of
Bethany
and finally sisters from the Community of Reparation to Jesus in the
Blessed Sacrament. The out break of War, and other circumstances under
which they had to work, led to the sisters being recalled to their mother
house the Convent of Reparation in
Rushworth Street
, Southwark.
The
Second World War was the end of an era in every sense at S. Agnes’. The
school children and their teachers were evacuated to Wokingham in
Berkshire
. Other people moved away, and the young men joined the services. Like
many more inner city areas, the parish could not be seen as a safe place
to be. Nevertheless a very much-depleted congregation maintained worship
for a while in the huge, inconvenient, cold yet stunningly beautiful
church.
War
and Peace
During
the air raids the Church suffered damage, and in April 1941, it seemed the
final blow had come. The schools were ruined, the church was a burnt out
shell and the vicarage was totally destroyed. S. Agnes’ was obliged to
close down. The faithful who were left in the parish found a home in their
mother-church of S. Paul’s
Lorrimore Square
and were cared for there.
After
the war Fr. Donovan resigned after 18 exhausting and to some extent
heart-breaking years. There followed much discussion whether the church
should be restored and S. Agnes’ remain as an independent parish.
The
War Damage Commission was helping with restoration work and the Church
Commissioners made grants for new buildings; but vast sums of money had to
be found. The problems of a nation in the aftermath of war and the
dislocation of normal civilian life made the rebuilding of communities
more than difficult. The evacuation of women and children from congested,
vulnerable city areas and their return to the scenes of the devastation of
enemy action was fraught with problems. Priests and people began to
re-build at a time of rationing and severe shortages. It was a time for
tough decisions regarding the spiritual and pastoral provision for the
future.
In
1946 the Revd. William Thompson Simpson was instituted, but restoration
was still uncertain. That uncertainty did not deter the new Vicar from
making efforts to rebuild the church. At number 4, S. Agnes’ Place, a
house that served as the vicarage a small oratory chapel was set up.
Shortly afterwards the narthex of the ruined church was made into a
temporary church and an altar and some other furnishings were salvaged
from the ruins. A talented architect called Stephen Dykes-Bower was
engaged to restore the old church. When the Revd. Francis Seaborn
succeeded as Vicar in 1949 a scheme was drawn up “to make good the north
aisle and leave the remainder to be completed at a later date.” That
scheme was not proceeded with. Rising costs in the post-war years seemed
to cause doubts whether a full-scale restoration could be managed, and if
achieved whether the great church could be financially maintained. In 1953
a meeting of parishioners and other members of the congregation was
convened, and a recommendation was made to the diocesan authorities that
the ruins of the old church should be demolished and a new and smaller S.
Agnes’ be built.
The
recommendation was accepted, and Ralph G. Covell was commissioned as
architect. His first work was to erect a prefabricated church, on the
former vicarage site. It was in this temporary church that the Revd. John
Whitelam 7th Vicar of S. Agnes’ was instituted in 1954.
Whilst
plans for the new church were being discussed, the work began of salvaging
furnishings, which remained from the old church. On Sunday 21st
October 1956 the Bishop of Kingston blessed and laid the foundation stone
of the new church. During the months that followed, the building of the
new church was watched with keen interest and pride.
The
Latter Glory of this House
The
design of the new church and hall was influenced by a number of factors
including:
·
The need for the utmost economy.
·
The requirement to use the original foundations of the old
church as far as possible.
·
The need to make the church so shaped as to provide a
satisfactory interior and to accommodate certain furnishings salvaged from
the old church.
The
architect had to solve these requirements by presenting a building in a
style he called “Gothic in shorthand - a contemporary essay in the
Gothic idiom”!
The
32 year long ministry of Fr. Whitelam saw the new S. Agnes’ brought to
fruition. The philosophy of the re-use of the old furnishings reminds us
of the parable in S. Matthew’s gospel:
The kingdom of heaven is said by our Lord to
be like a merchantman who brings forth out of his treasures things new and
old.
The
result is a harmonious blend of the treasures of a previous age and a
convenient worship space greatly cherished. For rightly or wrongly, people
who are in need of the Gospel will be repelled if they come into a
building that is dreary and forlorn. As Catholics we are bound by our dual
commitment for continuity and renewal. The Revd. Christopher Pearson is
the 9th Vicar of S. Agnes’ and the vision of the church as a
place of excellence in the parish goes on as it did with Fr. Dover. A
clear understanding that a shabby and neglected church is an insult to God
the Creator and a positive hindrance to mission is evident from both
inside, and more recently outside the church.
The
bombsites of the post war years eventually have given way to the building
of 18-storey and other blocks of flats. The population has grown again and
the work of ministering to a diverse community continues to be
challenging. However, here is a church where people can find a wonderful
spiritual home.
Here
we find a well-kept, often-open, church set in the midst of a well-kept
and well-used garden. A flag fly’s on the major feasts and that is
surely a good advertisement for the excellence of the services that go on
inside, for the beauty of worship that is offered to God in the liturgy,
and to the glory of God who inspires and receives them.
The
true
Church
of
S. Agnes
’ Kennington Park, are the people of God in this place. It was built by
men and women who held the Faith once for all delivered to the saints. It
has continued steadfast in that Faith up to the present day. This year the
people of S. Agnes Kennington are 50 years on from abandoning the ruins
and their planning of a new church for the future. The
Church
of
S. Agnes
’ has a glorious inheritance to which the building is a proud witness.
UT
IN OMNIBUS GLORIFICETUR DEUS.
R. I. McEwan
“If
the Lord does not build the house,
In
vain do its builders labour.”
Psalm 126
In
the second Book of Samuel King David says to Nathan, the prophet: Look I
am living in a house of cedar while the ark of God dwells in a tent.
Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your mind, for Yahweh
is with you”. But that very night the word of Yahweh came to Nathan:
“Go and tell my servant David, “Thus Yahweh speaks; are you the man to
build me a house to dwell in? I have never stayed in a house from the day
I brought the Israelites out of
Egypt
until today”.
Please
pray for:
Fr
Christopher Pearson (parish priest),
Fr Sonny Brown,
Fr Simon Acland
Sr Dorothy CHN
-
The
Anglican & the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Southwark
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The
Bishop of Fulham and for all those parishes in his care
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All
Religious Communities
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Those
who have served the parish of S. Agnes’: the Community of the Holy
Cross, the Sisters of Bethany and the Community of Reparation to Jesus in
the Blessed Sacrament
-
All
Urban Priority Areas and the work of the Church Urban Fund
-
Those
who suffer violence and those addicted to drugs
-
The
elderly, lonely and the homeless
-
The
repose of the souls of all departed priests, people and benefactors of
this parish:
-
John
Going, Thomas Birkett Dover, Alfred Holland, Marcus Donovan, Francis
Vincent Seaborn and John Whitelam (priests)
-
George
Gilbert Scott, Temple L. Moore, Charles Eamer Kempe, Martin Travers,
Stephen Dykes-Bower and Ralph G.
Covell (architects and artists)
-
Lillian
Baylis (actress) and John Betjeman (poet)
-
H.
Otto Fleus and all those who perished in the two World Wars
-
Father
Arthur Tooth of S. James’ Hatcham - priest and confessor of the Faith
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