St Saviour's Church, Lewisham

St Saviour's Church or St Saviour, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist Church is a Catholic Parish church in Lewisham, London. It was built in 1898, and architecturally it is in the Italianate style, with a coloured marble interior. The church is situated in the centre of Lewisham on the High Street. It is a Grade II listed building.

Saint Saviour's Church
Church of Saint Saviour, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist
OS grid reference	TQ382753
Location	Lewisham
Country	England
Denomination	Catholic
Website	Official website
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Jesus as Saviour John the Baptist John the Evangelist
Consecrated	23 October 1917
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	12 March 1973
Architect(s)	Claude Kelly
Style	Italianate
Groundbreaking	24 April 1909
Completed	9 December 1909
Construction cost	£3,000
Administration
Province	Southwark
Archdiocese	Southwark
Deanery	Lewisham
Parish	Lewisham

History

Foundation

While there were Catholics present in Lewisham in the 1800s, for most of that century, there was no official place of worship. In 1893, in autumn, a meeting was held to organise regular worship in one location. As a result of the meeting, a French resident of Lewsiham allowed Mass to be said in her home on Morley Road. The first Mass there was celebrated on 27 May 1894. A priest, Fr Sheehan, came from Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Blackheath for it. Later that year, a parish was created encompassing the Catholics in Lewisham and a resident priest was appointed, Fr McClymont. However, as the location was too small, the search for a permanent chapel continued. A hall in the School of Art was briefly used. Afterwards, an abandoned building in Rushey Green was purchased and was turned into St Columba's Chapel.

When a new resident priest arrived, Fr George B. Tatum, the chapel was renamed St Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and Evangelist. The efforts to have a larger church continued. In 1898, a school and chapel were built on a piece of land purchased on the High Street. It was the site of a former manor, dating from the 1600s, called The Limes. The parish priest at the time was Fr James Connell. He continued the efforts to have a church and another school large enough to accommodate the growing community. The school and the chapel still exist, at the back of the current church, with the former chapel now the school hall.

Construction

On 24 April 1909, the foundation stone of the current church was laid. Construction of the church was funded by the founder of the Pearl Assurance Company, now the Phoenix Group, Patrick James Foley. The cost of the initial building came to £2,000. The architect was Claude Kelly. He also designed St Peter's Church, Aldrington in a similar style. On 9 December 1909, the church was opened. A new larger school was opened the following year. However, the church was quite small. In 1914, additions were made to it: the main altar, pulpit, side passages, confessionals and side chapel dedicated to St Patrick. The total cost came to £3,000 and it was paid off in 1917, and the church was consecrated on 23 October 1917.

Developments

More chapels continued to be added to the church: the Lady Chapel in 1918, St Joseph Chapel in 1921, and the Sacred Heart Chapel in 1924. A new presbytery and the bell tower were constructed from 1928 to 1929 next to the church. From 1978 to 1979, repairs were made to the church interior.

Parish

Next to the church is still the school, St Saviour's Catholic Primary School. The church has five Sunday Masses at 5:30pm on Saturday and at 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 11:30 am and 5:30 pm on Sunday.

Exterior

• 
  Church tower
• 
  Church and presbytery
• 
  Doorway

See also

• Archdiocese of Southwark

External links

• Media related to St Saviour's Church, Lewisham at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website