In a second article, CovSoc founder member, Paul Maddocks tells us about Holy Family Church, which the Society visited last month. Paul writes…..
On 24th August we visited Holy Family Church and were shown around by Father Patrick Brennan and Rhys Davies. The first thing you notice is that it is like the ’Tardis’ – is a lot larger inside than it looks from the outside. The church seats about 850 people!
As soon as you walk in you notice the large round stained-glass window with ‘The Holy Family’ in the centre. On the day we were there it was a bright summer day and all the light from the south was shining through and lighting up this amazing window. It is not until you are well in to the church that you notice how light and airy it is. This is due to all the north facing windows behind you, which you don’t see unless you look back. This arrangement is opposite to the new Coventry Cathedral which has its main windows facing south.
Around the walls are the wonderfully carved wooden ‘Stations of The Cross’ which were commissioned in 1990 and carved by Angela Walsh and Anne-Marie Scott, originally local Catholic Girls. (My wife was a nurse with Angela Welsh’s mother and knows the family well). Each panel is three foot tall by two foot wide (915mm x 610mm) but due to the great size of the building they look a lot smaller on the walls.
The Parish of Holy Family was formally established on 1st September 1951. Initially they used a temporary building, known affectionately as ‘The Hut’. This was a black wooden structure similar to those used as army huts. This opened for Midnight Mass in December 1952. The temporary building was also used as two classrooms for 80 children.
The Beake Avenue/Penny Park Lane site was purchased to build a church, church hall, house and primary school. The church is on the junction of Beake Avenue and Penny Park Lane. The parish is spread out containing parts of Coundon, Keresley, Radford, Holbrooks, Foleshill and Longford. Permission for the building of the new church was given by Archbishop Grimshaw in November 1964. Plans were drawn up in 1964 and planning permission obtained in 1965. In 1965, construction began on the new church.
Most of the cost was raised from the parishioners, who also, to save money, gave their time and labour. In pride of place is some wonderfully made furniture. The largest piece is the chair specially made for Pope Benedict’s visit to Cofton Park, Birmingham in 2010. Cardinal Newman School staff made the Alter, Pope’s chair and all the furniture for the occasion. The beautification of Cardinal John Henry Newman was held at the open-air mass and was the highlight of the Pope’s visit to the UK. The altar was made by Roger Fawcett a cardinal Newman teacher and it is now at the school along with the 2010 Cross and other furniture.
In these days of austerity, the Church is a large building to heat and light, and a smaller chapel has been created in the basement area which is used for smaller services. This has the advantage of being next to a small kitchen where we enjoyed a cup of tea, courtesy of the church.
On 31st August 1974 the parish went into a period of great mourning as Father Arthur Diamond was tragically killed in a Road accident. The driving force behind both the church and school he had died too young and Fr Diamond’s body was buried under Our Lady altar in the Church. But he had left a lasting memory with both buildings and we the Coventry Society were very pleased to have shared in the wonderful visits and we have been asked to visit again in the future.
There is more information about the history of the Church and parish on its website.
See a 360 degree panorama of the Church here.
Paul Maddocks, August 2023