Parish Profile
Westminster Record October 2013
St Monica’s - Uncovering a Victorian Gem in Hoxton by Carolyn Wickware Tucked away on Hoxton Square just off Old Street, St Monica’s Priory is nonetheless in the thick of trendy Shoreditch life. Flanked by bars and restaurants, St Monica’s offers a simple and peaceful space since it was built in 1864. Opened for worship a year later on 4 May 1865, the former feast of St Monica, the church and its 400 weekly parishioners will soon be celebrating its 150th anniversary. Given St Monica’s surroundings, it’s understandable why the parish priest of seven years’ standing, Fr Paul Graham, describes his parishioners as having a young age
For its 150th anniversary, however, the community is keen to return to the Victorian roots of the Church. “We’re seeking to restore the Victorian scheme in the church, which was very colourful and much more vibrant than subsequent decoration. St Monica’s is an architecturally significant Victorian building, the only church designed by EW Pugin substantially in wood. The local industry in Hoxton when the church was built was furniture making; and St Monica’s was known as the ‘cabinet makers’ church.’” Painted over sometime around 1960, the Victorian colour scheme will prove far livelier than the yellow
“People say St Monica’s is a very warm church, perhaps its wooden structure contributes to that. It’s a very simple building, just a nave with a Lady Chapel. People find it prayerful.” profile with plenty of diversity. “The Sunday evening Mass attracts the students and young professionals in the area” says Fr Paul. “Our African congregation is the largest single ethnic group. Then we also have an Irish community, which is representative of the ethnic majority from years gone by. But we have a diverse congregation also from Latin America, Vietnam, the Philippines and the Far East” he continues. “We even have a Colombian prayer group and a Nigerian association.” “Hoxton is still a densely populated area of social housing with lots of immigrants in the area – what I call the real Hoxton. The part of the parish with a vibrant nightlife and bars should be classified as Shoreditch” emphasized Fr Paul, eager to remember the less affluent members of his flock.
Restoration work being undertaken
wash that currently predominates. “Even before the 1960s, they started to paint over the elaborate decoration. In the 1960s the original stained wood pillars, porch, gallery and organ surround were subsequently painted over.” As for what to expect from the restoration project, Fr Paul is somewhat uncertain. “We know the general scheme would have been in the style of Pugin but we’ll never know who the artists actually were. Exploratory work on the sanctuary of St Monica’s has discovered an elaborate p a i n t e d scheme under eight layers of paintwork. In addition, more recent work on the reredos has also uncovered a polychrome scheme under a layer of gold paint and woodstain.” But through fundraising and a substantial bequest from a parishioner enough money has been raised for Fr Paul and his parishioners to discover what’s been hidden for over half a century. Fr Paul hopes the restored decoration will be on show in time for the parish’s inaugural anniversary celebrations on 20 September 2014, a century and a half after the foundation stone was laid. The celebratory events will then last until 5 May 2015 – the closest
The unique wooden interior of St Monica’s
Fr Paul Graham, OSA
Sunday to the church’s opening. To coincide with the event, Fr Paul is looking into the church’s history as an Augustinian parish. “The parish was founded by Irish Augustinians, who have administered the parish since then. It is the first permanent foundation of the Augustinian Friars since the Reformation but our history here goes back to 1253.” In hope of producing a historical book on the parish, a historian specialising in the Catholic Church in the Hoxton area is currently interviewing some of the older parishioners and conducting further research. Fr Paul is looking forward to restoring St Monica’s, back to its Victorian glory. “People say St Monica’s is a very warm church, perhaps its wooden structure contributes to that. It’s a very simple building, just a nave with a Lady The exterior of St Monica’s, just a short walk from Old Street Tube Chapel. People find it prayerful.” Page 17