ARCHITECTURE
The Oxford Oratory Paul Waddington takes a look at a church designed by Joseph Aloysius Hansom
T
he Catholic Relief Act of 1791 legalised Catholic chapels, although they were not allowed to have steeples or bells. This new freedom led to the building of many Catholic chapels, although they tended to be modest buildings, usually hidden away in back streets, due to widespread anti-Catholic sentiment that persisted in many parts of England. Oxford’s first post-Reformation Catholic mission dates from this period. In 1793 the Jesuits built a small chapel dedicated to St Ignatius, in the St Clement’s area of the city. Although regarded as a temporary measure, it survived in use until the opening of the present church of St Aloysius some 85 years later. During this period, the Jesuits made several attempts to find a new and more conveniently located site for a new and larger church, but without success. John Henry Newman was also keen to establish an Oratory in Oxford, and purchased land for the purpose at what is now Wellington Square; but the scheme ran into difficulties and had to be abandoned. By 1871, the small chapel had become hopelessly inadequate and decisive action had to be taken. Natural choice A site on Woodstock Road was purchased by the Jesuits and Joseph Aloysius Hansom was commissioned to draw up plans for a new church. Hansom was a natural choice as architect as he had already designed several large churches for the Jesuits, including St Mary’s at Spinkhill in Yorkshire, the Holy Name in Manchester and St Walburge’s in Preston. His original design was for a church somewhat larger and grander than the one that was built. It was to have had fan vaulting and a tower, but, despite a bequest of £7,000 from Baroness Weld, the scheme was considered too ambitious, and a simpler design, built of brick rather than stone, was pursued.
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Oxford Oratory: the interior
The foundation stone of the new church was laid in 1874 and the church opened in 1875. It was dedicated to St Aloysius Gongaza, the aristocratic-born Jesuit, who was devoted to the care of the sick, and who died at the early age of 33 after being infected with plague while working in a Rome hospital. The church was by no means completed when it opened. The High Altar was installed the following year after a £1,000 donation from Lord Bute, and work on the reredos started in 1878, although the numerous niches were not filled until several years later. A temporary pulpit was used until the permanent one was installed in 1888. Sanctuary paintings Gabriel Pippet was engaged in 1902 to provide wall paintings in the Sacred
Heart Chapel, where a statue by Mayer & Co of Munich was installed. Later Pippet decorated the walls of the sanctuary with paintings depicting the life of St Aloysius, and stained glass by the Hardman Company was installed in the highlevel windows. The Lady Chapel was enhanced by a copper, silver and enamel altar designed by Morris & Co. Hansom’s church had been built on land behind buildings that fronted onto Woodstock Road, and consequently was hardly visible from any public street. This changed to some degree in 1925, when the property immediately in front of the church was purchased and demolished. It was replaced with a screen incorporating a massive archway with a stone relief designed by Pippet. This archway continues to restrict views of the church.
SPRING 2024
