Westminster Record November 2008
Parish Profile Warwick Street: the Parish with a history The parish profile this week finds itself in the heart of London, a stone’s throw away from Piccadilly. The flashing adverts and bright lights contrast strongly with Warwick Street Church in Golden Square which is just behind the massive adverts. By Fiona Paley I went to see Warwick Street on a quiet Tuesday morning. I was greeted by Canon Pat Davies at the presbytery on Golden Square. The Church stands at the back of the houses on Golden Square. Although not the Parish Priest, Canon Pat who prefers to be known as Fr Pat, has been at Warwick Street since 2002 and is able to tell me more about this parish. As he settles us in his sitting room with a cup of tea he says “I’ve been very happy here; it’s a lovely, lovely place to be with a tremendous history.” And what a history it is. The history of this little parish is what struck me most. The site upon which the presbytery now stands was formerly the chapel of the Portuguese and then Bavarian Embassy. It has a unique interest for Catholics since it is the only remaining chapel built during the penal days of the 18th century. The history During the 18th century, when being a Catholic meant exclusion from public life and incurring penalties, London Catholics had a great advantage over Catholics anywhere else in the country as they had access to the chapels of the diplomatic representatives of the Catholic powers. These were protected by international law and each was served by a number of chaplains maintained by the ambassadors, for the benefit not only of themselves and their staffs but also for the Catholics of London. Warwick Street was one of these chapels. Golden Square had been the embassy of the Portuguese Ambassador, but in 1747 he moved and the houses in Golden Square were taken over by the Bavarian Minister.
Riots The Church suffered in 1780 when anti- Catholic feeling erupted in the Gordon riots. Windows were smashed, doors broken open and the contents of the chapel were thrown into the street and burned. Chairs, pews, altar ornaments, candlesticks, pictures, vestments and prayer books were all destroyed. The building was re opened in 1790. The chapel continued to be supported by the Ambassador of Bavaria. This continued until 1871 when as a result of the Franco-Prussian war, Bavaria became part of the German empire. Until early in the 20th century it was known as the Bavarian chapel. The façade which still exists is unassuming, its main object in 1790 being to escape notice as much as possible. Today it provides a pleasant surprise as one walks down Warwick Street. At the turn of the century the sanctuary was rebuilt. The architect that began the work is the same architect who designed Westminster Cathedral: John Francis Bentley. Looking at the sanctuary today, the similarities are striking the walls of the apse are lined with marble and the beautiful mosaic in the vault of the apse representing the Coronation of the Virgin is wonderful.
Abover: Interior of Warwick Street Church Below left: Detail from the Stations of the Cross
people do come back here to have children baptised, for example if their parents married here or whatever, but the resident population is very small. The transient population consists of the people that come here to work. We have mass every morning here at 8am, for people on their way to work. It is one of the few 8am masses left in this part of town. We only get a dozen or so, but it’s worthwhile. And then there are the people who come to shop here, and then there are people who come as visitors from home and abroad who come to sample the “attractions”, of Soho. So every weekend we get people from all over the world, America, the Philippines, Spain etc. And some people come from other parishes because they like the liturgy.”
In the first half on the “we try to bring 19th century there Warwick Street also was a steady a Christian ministers to the development of presence to this Catholic homosexual Catholic life, and community in London. Warwick Street was in part of the On the first and third many ways its centre. world.” Sunday evening masses Today the church of every month there is forms part of the Mass for them, and ministries to central London their friends and families offering Catholics along with Covent Garden pastoral care and support. However, St Anselm and St Cecila’s and St these Masses are open to everyone Patrick’s Soho. and it is clear that Warwick Street provides a welcome to all. “Soho has The parish today Speaking of the parish today, Canon a reputation now says canon Pat, “We Pat says that it is a lovely parish try to bring a Christian presence to with “quite a small resident this part of the world. Evangelisation community, but it is a very of this area is something that we have been trying to do with local supportive community.” parishes for the last four years.” “It’s certainly transient,” he says with a slight laugh. “There are a few Canon Pat resident people from the one or two When Fr Pat was appointed to Street he was low rise blocks of flats, single elderly Warwick people, very, very few families. Some simultaneously coordinating Justice
Above: Detail from the apse: the Coronation of the Virgin
and Peace activity in the Diocese of Westminster. “I continued with the Justice and Peace work for three years until my health started to decline with Parkinson’s disease. It was difficult to decide which to give up,” he says with a smile, “but I passed the Justice and Peace mantle over to Fr Joe Ryan at West Green and the Diocese appointed a lay person to act as field worker to carry on the J & P work. They have done fantastic work, they’ve produced lots of DVDs and CDs, all sorts of stuff giving practical information about what people can and can’t do. So I’m very pleasedwith the way that it worked out.” “a real contrast” Fr Pat also worked for the Bishops Conference and between 19921997 he was Assistant General Secretary to the Bishops’
Conference in England and Wales working on international relations and global justice and peace issues. Fr Pat also speaks of his time at Kingsbury parish. “There were nearly 300 children and there are none here,” he says “there are no schools in this bit of London. It’s a real contrast.” However, he is accustomed to City Centre ministry having also spent some time as a London University Chaplain. He tells me that he was ordained at 40, I’ve been a priest for 30 years he says- nodding to the many cards that are still on displayon the mantlepiece to celebrate his 70th birthday. “It’s been very fulfilling,” he says with a final smile and a glance over the top of his glasses. A minutes’ walk from the front door and I am back at Piccadilly, the traffic, noise and bustle seem miles away from the quiet parish with quite a history.