A Short History
In the
nineteenth century the area we are in was known as the Farnborough
Missionary District and was served for a time by the
Premonstatensian Canons, brought to Farnborough Priory (Abbey) from
Storrington in
Sussex
by the Empress Eugenie. After their departure in 1895, priests from the
diocese took over for a short time. Mass was said in St.
Patrick’s School in
Peabody Road
and the diocese records a Fr. James Doran in charge from 1900 to 1901.
In l901
Bishop Cahill of
Portsmouth
asked the Salesians to come from
London
to take charge of the Soldiers’ Boys Home in
Queens Road
and also to look after the pastoral needs of Catholics living in
the area (excluding
Aldershot
). According to diocesan records, the Salesian community/college
chapel of Our Lady Help of Christians in
Queens Road
was already being used by the local Catholics in l903.
When the
majority of the Salesians moved out of Sherbourne Road to Reading Road
in the 1960s, the chapel continued to be used by the parishioners as
their parish church until 2nd November l999. The new
church
of
Our Lady Help
of Christians is their first purpose built parish church.
As the
article ‘Farnborough’s New Church’ from the l946 Salesian College
Magazine records, the vision of having a new church goes back to the
visit of the well loved Bishop Cotter in l939, a vision that has taken
6l years to be realised. The world war of l939 -45, of course, was
the first delaying factor and other attempts particularly by Fr. Nolan,
were frustrated for one reason or another. During Fr.Caroll’s
and Fr. Coupe’s time as parish priests some movement did take place. In l98l Outline Planning Permission was applied for and granted for the
first time. This was renewed in l984, l987, l990 and l994.
In July
l994 the Salesians set up the Farnborough Parish Project Team to
progress matters, at team consisting of representatives from the Parish,
the Salesians and the Diocese. The parish appointed the
architect, Rex Butland of the Sarum Partnership in
Salisbury
, in April l996 and he was eventually joined by Oliver Freeman as his
assistant. At an open parish meeting in January l997, Mr.
Butland presented his design to the parish and this was unanimously
approved by those present. He proceeded to apply to Rushmoor
Borough Council for full planning permission and this was granted in
June. Because of changes in l998 in College plans for moving
out of
Sherborne Road
earlier than had been expected, the design had to be altered to include
a presbytery and therefore new planning permission sought. This was granted in August.
A vital
parish meeting took place on Sunday 20th September l998, attended by
some eighty parishioners. The purpose was to see authorisation
from the parish for the parish priest to apply for approval from the
Diocese to proceed with the building on the basis of the architect’s
plans and to seek approval for a loan. Both vocally and by a show
of raised hands, the wish for him to do so was practically unanimous. The permission and loan were finally granted in December l998.
Demolition
work on the old
Sherbourne Road
buildings began in July l999 and Brazier General Construction (part of
the Kier Group) set up site in January 2000 to begin the long awaited
building. In the afternoon of 5th March, with about 200
parishioners and visitors present, the Salesian Provincial, Fr. Francis
Preston, laid the symbolic foundation stone during a short service.
Behind the stone the parish priest, Fr. Peter Carr, placed a ‘time
capsule’ for posterity containing the following documents:
- A history of the Salesian presence in the Farnborough area since l90l
- A copy of the l946 article from the Salesian College Magazine referred to earlier
- The history of the past 8 year’s work towards the building of the new church
- A copy of that weekend’s newsletter
- A copy of the Service used for the laying of the stone
- A message from the parishioners, printed in the souvenir brochure,
- Who had built the church and signed by everyone present.
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