Remember that Catholic chapel from history books? That’s a story closely linked to the Catholic Church of St Mary, Moorfields. For over 120 years, the Catholic Church of St Mary, Moorfields has stood here. It welcomes local workers travelers and tourists every day. Some seek sacraments. Others light candles. Still others simply enjoy the peace.
Catholics faced restrictions after the 1559 Act of Uniformity. Public worship was forbidden. But a chapel opened in 1686. It closed just a few years later. Catholic worship went underground. The Catholic Relief Act of 1791 changed things. Public worship became legal again. In 1820, a large chapel rose in Finsbury Circus.
This chapel became a significant Catholic church. By 1836, it had 30000 members. It gained the status of Pro-Cathedral in 1850. The title shifted to Kensington in 1869. The City’s population was shrinking. Maintaining such a large church became difficult. In 1899, the decision was made to sell it.
The Catholic Church of St Mary, Moorfields was sold to a property developer for a large sum. Part of the money supported Westminster Cathedral’s construction. The rest funded a smaller local church. But consecrated sites can’t be sold for secular use. Pope Leo XIII intervened allowing the sale. Before demolition 5000 bodies were moved from the catacombs. They were reburied in Wembley. The old Catholic Church of St Mary, Moorfields closed in 1899.
The present Catholic Church of St Mary, Moorfields opened in 1903. George Sherrin designed it. The exterior has Christian symbols. Panels show the Annunciation Nativity Deposition and Assumption. Above them a statue shows the Virgin and Child crowned by cherubs. The doors lead down into a sunken church. This lowering addressed ancient light issues. The interior mirrors the old church.
Marble columns the altar and the font came from the old church. An old stained-glass window was also reinstalled. Electric lights illuminate it. The church has no external windows. Daylight enters through ceiling windows. The organ is over 200 years old.
Originally, the Catholic Church of St Mary, Moorfields stood in Hackney. Boundary changes in 1994 moved it into the City of London. The Broadgate development influenced this change. Now it is the only Catholic church in the City of London. This was thanks to a bureaucratic change. Otherwise the City might have remained free of Catholic worship. When you visit look for the Papal tiara over the doors. Note the hammer pliers and nails representing the crucifixion. Look for the scourge and crown of thorns too. The Catholic Church of St Mary, Moorfields is a place of history and peace.