Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in St Marychurch, Torquay, Devon, England. It was built in 1869 and designed by Joseph Hansom in the Gothic Revival style. It is located between Priory Road and St Margaret's Road in St Marychurch. It is a Grade II* listed building.[3]
| Our Lady and St Denis Church | |
|---|---|
| Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis Church | |
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| 50°28′58″N 3°31′29″W / 50.4828°N 3.5248°W | |
| Location | St Marychurch, Torquay |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | OurLadyandStDenis.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Mary Help of Christians Saint Denis |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Designated | 14 February 1972[1] |
| Architect(s) | Joseph Hansom |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1869 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Southwark |
| Diocese | Plymouth |
| Deanery | Torbay[2] |
| Parish | Our Lady Help of Christians & St Denis |
History edit
Foundation edit
In 1864, Dominican nuns came to St Marychurch. They were invited by the Bishop of Plymouth William Vaughan. A house, Southampton Villa, was bought in the area. It housed the nuns, while an orphanage, St Mary's Priory, was built on the site.[4]
Construction edit
In 1867, a Mr Potts Chatto, from the Daison estate, in thanksgiving for his son, Denis, recovering from a serious illness, paid for the construction of a church in the grounds of Southampton Villa. Joseph Hansom, who designed Plymouth Cathedral and Church of the Assumption of Our Lady, Torquay, was commissioned to design the church. In 1869, the church was opened. Southampton Villa was later demolished and the tower and spire of the church were built in its place. In 1871, a convent for the nuns next to the church was opened. The convent included a school and elementary school with a capacity for 200 children. An organ and lady chapel were later added to the church, they were paid for by Mrs Potts-Chatto.[4]
Parish edit
The church is in the parish of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis. It has two Sunday Masses at 6:00pm on Saturday and 10:00am.[2]
See also edit
- Diocese of Plymouth
Media related to Church of Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis, St Marychurch at Wikimedia Commons
References edit
- ^ Roman Church of Our Lady, Help of Christians and St Denis, British Listed Buildings, retrieved 1 June 2022
- ^ a b Churches from Diocese of Plymouth, retrieved 1 June 2022
- ^ Historic England, Roman Church of Our Lady, Help of Christians and St Denis, retrieved 1 June 2022
- ^ a b Historic England, Torquay - Our Lady Help of Christians and St Denis, Taking Stock, retrieved 1 June 2022