| Parish History |
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| Written by Fr Sean O'Connor |
| Thursday, 10 March 2011 22:26 |
About UsAfter the Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century there is no record of any public Catholic presence in the Medway area for some 250 years until, in the year 1795, a French émigré Priest - one of many forced to flee France after the French Revolution - began a Mission Brompton.
From that one beginning other churches were gradually opened - St Michael’s in Chatham in 1863 and then into the area then known as New Brompton - an area of relatively new housing built primarily for the workers in the Dockyard. The first priest arrived in the area in about 1888, mainly due to the influence of a family named Arathoon. This priest, Father McMahon, had been ordained in 1885.
The present church complex was started in 1890, probably starting with the house and then the original church/hall/school now named after the first Priest - “McMahon Hall”. The present church dated from 1896. It was opened on 12 May in that year. The second large hall, now called “Scott Hall” after the second Parish Priest, was built during the early 1930s, just before Father (later Canon) McMahon left after over 40 years' service.
Today our parish is made up of many ethnic groups and people from diverse backgrounds,
all brought together to worship the same God.
I wish to welcome you to our website, and indeed to our parish,
I hope you can join us to celebrate in our church,
and that our vision may be fulfilled.
Fr Geoffrey Pointer
Parish Priest
June 2010
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 August 2011 20:03 |