St Tarcisius Church, Camberley

St Tarcisius Church
St Tarcisius Church from the front
St Tarcisius Church Location in Surrey
OS grid reference	TQ 25699 70492
Location	Camberley
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	CBParish.co.uk
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Tarcisius
Consecrated	26 June 1926
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	3 March 2005
Architect(s)	Frederick Walters
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	12 September 1923
Completed	18 November 1924
Construction cost	£13,500
Administration
Province	Southwark
Diocese	Arundel and Brighton
Deanery	Woking
Parish	Camberley & Bagshot
Clergy
Priest(s)	Father Paul Turner
Deacon(s)	Deacon Simon Tierney

St Tarcisius Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Camberley, Surrey. It was built between 1923 and 1924 and was designed by Frederick Walters. It is situated on the London Road, to the north of the town, next to The Atrium Shopping Centre. It is a Grade II listed building.

History

Foundation

In 1869, a priest, Fr Thomas Purcell would come from Aldershot, to say Mass for the local Catholic population in various people's houses. For the next four years, Catholics would travel to St Joseph's Church, Aldershot for Mass. On 25 January 1873, a site was bought for £120 for a school. In 1874, a priest, Fr McKenna, was permanently appointed to serve the Catholics in Camberley. In 1879, Lady Southwell gave a plot of land, the present site, for the construction of St Tarcisius Church. In 1884, a temporary iron church was built to accommodate the congregation. In 1888, the priest's house was built and in 1896 the school was expanded.

Construction

View of the east side of the church

In 1906, Fr Patrick Twomey came to Camberley and started to plan to build a new permanent church. On 12 September 1923, the foundation stone of the church was laid by the Bishop of Southwark, Peter Amigo.

On 18 November 1924, the church was opened. The church was designed by Frederick Walters as a War Memorial for fallen British Catholic military officers in the First World War. It served as the chaplaincy for Catholics at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On 26 June 1926, the church was consecrated by Cardinal Francis Bourne. In 1935, stained-glass windows, designed by Paul Woodroffe, were installed in the church.

Architecture

Exterior

There is a tower on the north west side of the church and the church is made of Bargate stone. The top of the tower is crenellated and there is a porch under the tower. There is a traceried window above the entrance. The transepts are gabled and also have traceried windows. Above the chancel is a five-bay traceried window.

Interior

There are memorial plaques made of marble in the porch. The nave has a pine ceiling. The arcade in the nave and the arches inside the transepts are made of Bath stone. The original pews, made of oak, that were installed when the church was built, are still present.

Gallery

• 
  The high altar
• 
  The altar in a side chapel
• 
  Side chapel
• 
  The pulpit
• 
  The baptismal font
• 
  View down the nave to the entrance
• 
  View up the nave to the altar
• 
  Memorial plaques in the porch
• 
  Plaque in the porch
• 
  Plaque in the porch

Parish

Since 2007, the church has been part of the parish of Camberley & Bagshot along with Christ the King Church in Bagshot and St Peter & St John Church in Old Dean, so the Mass times of the churches do not conflict. St Tarcisius Church has Sunday Mass at 9:15 am, Christ the King Church has its Sunday Mass at 11:15 am and the Sunday Mass for St Peter & St John Church is on Saturday afternoon at 5:30 pm.

See also

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton

External links

• Camberley and Bagshot Parish site