New spiritual home for Hungerford's Catholic community

Our Lady of Lourdes Church is finally complete.
A group of parishioners helped ‘move in’ by installing furniture and the first mass was celebrated by Canon Peter Turbitt on Palm Sunday, April 13.
Church building committee member Dr Caroline Ness said: “Parishioners are very pleased with their beautiful new place of worship. “There were many comments on the beauty of the building, its lightness and welcoming, serene atmosphere.
“With the architect Jeremy Bell’s talented and thoughtful design combined with the commitment of the parish priest, Canon Turbitt, and the hard work of all involved, we have succeeded in achieving what we set out to build for our community.”
In 1939, the Newbury Weekly News reported: “Hungerford Catholics have a new church this week – courtesy of an anonymous donor who rang up the local priest to offer a building in London. The building was dismantled and brought to Hungerford where it was erected on Hungerford fields.”
However that old church building, which was always intended to be only a temporary structure, ready-made from asbestos cement and corrugated sheeting, was bursting at the seams, with a congregation of more than 100 each week.
In August 2012 it hosted its last Mass.
Meanwhile the Our Lady of Lourdes congregation was given a temporary ‘home’ with the United Reformed Church in Hungerford while the building work took place.
Dr Ness said: “The parish extends its warmest thanks to the ministers and members of that church for making us so welcome.”
An open day to welcome the community of Hungerford and to thank all those within and outside the parish who supported the project will be held on Saturday, May 10. Light refreshments and tours of the new building will be available and all are welcome.
Weekly Sunday masses take place at 9am.
Mass will also be celebrated on alternate Thursdays.
Canon Turbitt can be contacted at the Presbytery, Wantage, on (01235) 762374. For all other enquiries, phone (01488) 682239.