St Agatha's, Landport

History

Construction

Originally, the site had a small mission church situated in an area of extreme deprivation. The church was built because of the efforts of Father Robert William Radclyffe Dolling, an Irish Anglo-Catholic priest. He worked to alleviate the social ills of the area. At the same time he received donations from the residents of Old Portsmouth to build a new church. Construction began in 1893.

The formal opening of the church took place on 27 October 1895 with a ceremony involving mass being said at the old mission church followed by a procession to the new church, but the nature of the ritual led to a row with the Bishop of Winchester.

Establishment

Dolling's successor, Father Tremenheere, continued to decorate the interior until 1914 when another long-serving incumbent arrived. Work done during this time included the completion of the murals and the addition of a wooden pulpit. until 1954 when the last service was held. In 1964 the church's ladychapel was demolished to allow for road widening.

Traditional Anglican Communion

For the next 40 years it became a naval store until the Traditional Anglican Communion took it over for a form of worship very similar to that originally provided by Dolling. The church survived this time largely intact although the lady chapel was demolished in 1964.

Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham

In 2012 the parish joined the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a canonical structure established in 2011 for former Anglicans wishing to convert to Catholicism, while preserving elements of a "distinctive Anglican patrimony".

Present

The church is now also used for concerts. It has been described as a magnificent building, as having a sumptuous interior, and the "Cathedral of the car parks" in Portsmouth's shopping district.

Following the reception of the retired Bishop of Matabeleland, Robert Mercer, who worshipped at the church, into the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, and other members of the church's clergy, St Agatha's began to be used as a place of worship for the ordinariate. Much of the church's interior furnishing has been sourced from redundant churches. The high altar is originally from Trinity church in Trinity Church Square via St Matthews in New Kent Road.

The church has one Sunday Mass at 11:00 am. It also has weekday Masses at 11:00 am on Monday, Friday and Saturday.

References

References

1. [http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-474935-church-of-st-agatha- Church of St Agatha, Portsmouth] from ''British Listed Buildings'', retrieved 11 February 2015
2. "Portsea Island Churches" Lubbock, R.: Portsmouth City Council, 1969
3. ''Don't touch the holy Joe: Father Dolling’s battle for Landport and St Agatha’s church'' Bryant, R: Hampshire, Ragged Right, 1995 {{ISBN. 1-898269-05-X
4. "The Life of [[Robert Dolling. Father Dolling]]" Osborne, C. E. pp. 60–207: London, [[Edward Arnold (publisher). Edward Arnold]], 1903
5. "The life of Father Dolling" Osborne, C. E.: Nottingham, Arnold, 1903
6. (2018). "The Buildings of England Hampshire: South". Yale University Press.
7. Bryant, Roger. (1995). "Don’t touch the holy Joe: Father Dolling’s battle for Landport and St Agatha’s church". Ragged Right.
8. "Ten years in a Portsmouth slum" Dolling, R. W. R.: London, Brown Langham, 1903
9. Tremenheere's successor, Father C. W. Coles, was to serve the parish through two world wars[http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/churches/st_agathas/pillar.htm War memorial]
10. [http://www.shipoffools.com/Mystery/1999/035Mystery.html 1994-Traditional Anglican Communion]
11. Bryant, Roger. (1995). "Don’t touch the holy Joe: Father Dolling’s battle for Landport and St Agatha’s church". Ragged Right.
12. (2020-01-24). "History".
13. [http://www.hago.org.uk/venue/st-agatha/index.html Architectural Description]
14. ''The Buildings of Hampshire & The Isle of Wight'' Pevsner, N. and Lloyd, D. W.: Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1967 {{ISBN. 0-300-09606-2
15. [https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/659066 Geograph image]
16. [http://www.ordinariate.org.uk/groups/iow-portsmouth.html Portsmouth Ordinariate Group] from [[Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham]], retrieved 11 February 2015