St Gerard Majella

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 1 May 2020

As the area of Knowle grew in the nineteenth century Bishop Burton started efforts to create a new church for the parishioners. He first invited the Redemptorists from Kingswood and they suggested this spot at the top of a steep hill. This order dedicated the church to the eighteenth century Redemptorist lay brother Gerard Majella, canonised by Pope Pius X in 1904. However, the gatherings soon declined so the Benedictines of Douai were brought in to help. Father Horrigan took up the first position and rented a shop in a nearby road. Services conducted there were, unsurprisingly, cramped and eventually confessions were held when Fr. Horrigan removed three bricks from his study whilst supplicants went into the store cupboard! By 1909 the foundations stones of this impressive Roman Catholic church had been laid and Fr. Horrigan stayed at his post until 1922. By 1935 the Benedictines handed the church over to the parish. In 1937 a hall was added and in 1953-4 a presbytery was finally built to a simplified design of the original. The church was designed by Pugin and Pugin and is a good example of an early twentieth century Gothic Revival style. Grade II listed.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0