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St Mary Star of the Sea Church, Hastings

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Coordinates: 50°51′34″N 0°35′40″E / 50.8595°N 0.5944°E / 50.8595; 0.5944
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St Mary's Church
St Mary Star of the Sea Church
Map
50°51′34″N 0°35′40″E / 50.8595°N 0.5944°E / 50.8595; 0.5944
OS grid referenceTQ8268209871
LocationHastings, East Sussex
CountryUnited Kingdom
DenominationRoman Catholic
Websitewww.stmarystarofthesea.net
History
StatusActive
DedicationOur Lady, Star of the Sea
Architecture
Functional statusParish church
Heritage designationGrade II listed
Designated14 September 1976[1]
Architect(s)Basil Champneys
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1882
Completed2 July 1883
Construction cost£15,000
Administration
ProvinceSouthwark
DioceseArundel and Brighton
DeanerySt Leonards-on-Sea[2]

St Mary Star of the Sea Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in Hastings, East Sussex, England. It was built from 1882 to 1883 and designed by Basil Champneys. It is situated on the High Street, backing onto The Bourne in the Old Town. It was founded by the Pallottines and is a Grade II listed building.[1] English Heritage describes the church as a "well crafted building of high quality."[3]

History

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Foundation

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A substantial part of the cost of building the church was paid for by the poet Coventry Patmore. In 1875, he and wife settled in Hastings. In 1880, his wife, Marianne, died and he contacted the Pallottines about founding a church in Hastings. The Pallottines bought the site of the church. It was a former farmhouse between the High Street and The Bourne. Patmore decided that he would donate £5,300 to the construction of the church, as long as the remainder of the £15,000 total cost was paid by the church.[1]

Construction

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In 1882, the foundation stone for the church building was laid by Dr. William Weathers, Titular Bishop of Amyela. The architect of the church was Basil Champneys. He was a friend of Patmore.[1] The church was built on top of a crypt. While the church was being built, the crypt was used as a location to say Mass for the local Catholic population. On 2 July 1883, the church was opened. After the church was built, the space beneath the church housed a school until 1955. It was St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School and it moved to Magdalen Lane close to the Church of St Thomas of Canterbury and English Martyrs in St Leonards-on-Sea.[4] In 1891, the reredos and altar of St Mary's Church were dedicated. The cost of the two came to £1,500.[3]

Parish

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The church is still served by the Pallottines. It has three Sunday Masses every weekend: 6:00pm on Saturday, and 10:00am, 11:30am on Sunday. There is a Mass in Polish every first Sunday of the month, at 6:00pm. There are weekday Masses from Tuesday to Saturday at 10:00am.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Roman Catholic Church of St Mary Star of the Sea from British Listed Buildings, retrieved 26 February 2016
  2. ^ Parishes from Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, retrieved 15 February 2016
  3. ^ a b Hastings - St Mary of the Sea from English Heritage, retrieved 26 February 2016
  4. ^ History from St-Mary-Star.e-sussex.sch.uk, retrieved 26 February 2016
  5. ^ Parish details from Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, retrieved 26 February 2016
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