Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St Cuthbert

52°08′13″N 0°27′46″W / 52.136979°N 0.462904°W / 52.136979; -0.462904

St Cuthbert's Church
Polish Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus & St Cuthbert
Map
CountryEngland
DenominationRoman Catholic
ChurchmanshipPolish
History
StatusParish church
DedicationSacred Heart
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Groundbreaking1846
Administration
ProvinceWestminster
DioceseNorthampton
DeanerySt. Francis (Bedford)
Clergy
Priest(s)Rev. Grzegorz Aleksandrowicz

The Polish Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus & St Cuthbert is a Roman Catholic Church serving the Polish community in Bedford, England. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

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There have been religious buildings on the site since the eighth century, but the current church building was originally constructed as an Anglican church in 1846–7 in a neo-Norman style, and was known simply as St Cuthbert. The architect for the north and south aisles, which were added in 1865, was Francis Penrose.[2] The north transept porch was constructed in 1907. Declared redundant by the Church of England in 1974, the church was subsequently purchased by the Harpur Trust who presented it to the Polish population of Bedford, whereupon its name was changed.

Parish

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In addition to serving the Polish community, the church also hosted a regular Tridentine Mass said by the priests of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter for a few years, but this later moved to other locations in the Diocese of Northampton before returning to another church in Bedford.

References

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  1. ^ "Polish Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St Cuthbert, Bedford". British listed buildings. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  2. ^ British Listed Buildings