History
NEW OUTREACH PROPOSAL - BRANDHALL HUB & PANTRY
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The Great White Cross on the Hill
By Bob Edwards
By Bob Edwards
Foreword
"I have received a great deal of assistance in the writing of this short account of the church of Our Lady and Saint Hubert. Among those helpful people have been Mr. David Bryant of the Smethwick Local History Society and his son, Mark, both of whom are architects by profession. Others are members of the Library Service of Sandwell M.B.C., especially Mrs. Maureen Waldron of Smethwick Library. Another invaluable source, particularly with regard to the early years, was the history of Warley Hall and Warley Abbey, called A PLACE IN TIME, by D.E. Yates and J.D. Halvorsen. Last but by no means least, were the reminiscences of Miss Philippa Jordan who also read the text of my work". Bob Edwards |
The history of the church of Our Lady & Saint Hubert, short as it is, is interwoven with that of Wariey Abbey, now unhappily demolished. That residence, which older members of the parish will recall as having been situated in Wariey Park, was built in 1820 as a home for the Qalton family -incidentally on land thought to have been formerly held as a grange by Halesowen Abbey prior to the Reformation.
After the dissolution of the monastic houses during the years 1536 to 1539 the manor passed through various hands including (hose of Amy Rpbsart, the ill-fated wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth the First's great friend. Eventually the Wariey Hall Estate, as it had become known, was conveyed to Samuel Galton by the then owner, William Russell. Samuel Galton was a gun maker in Birmingham, whose son, Hubert, built Wariey Abbey.
Hubert and his wife lived at Wariey Abbey for twenty years during which time three of their four children died. Although the land and buildings remained in the ownership pf the Gallons, they themselves never returned there, the property being rented to a number of prominent tradesmen and industrialists during a period of about sixty years.
In the mid-nineteenth century the Gallons had converted from Quakerism to Roman Catholicism, the inspiration behind this being Cardinal Newman. It has to be remembered that parts of Warley came within the ambit of a mission that was opened by the Oratory Fathers; in fact the present parishes of Saint Philip and Saint Gregory owed much initially to the priests of the Birmingham Oratory, among who was Father Caswall, the poet and hymnologist,
According to the terms of the will of Major Howard Gallon (his full name was Hubert George Howard Galton), a grandson of Hubert, a parcel of land was offered to the diocese for the building of a church at the corner of Park Road and Wigorn Road, Bearwood, but, not unreasonably, the diocesan authorities argued that the site was too restricted. Major Gallon was disappointed at this polite refusal of his offer, but nevertheless in a codicil dated the 21st August 1928 he planned to apply proceeds of a sale of land towards the building of a church and other structures at a site to be approved by the trustees of his will. The trustees were also invested with power to consent to any variation or alteration in design, which they considered to be desirable.
After the dissolution of the monastic houses during the years 1536 to 1539 the manor passed through various hands including (hose of Amy Rpbsart, the ill-fated wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth the First's great friend. Eventually the Wariey Hall Estate, as it had become known, was conveyed to Samuel Galton by the then owner, William Russell. Samuel Galton was a gun maker in Birmingham, whose son, Hubert, built Wariey Abbey.
Hubert and his wife lived at Wariey Abbey for twenty years during which time three of their four children died. Although the land and buildings remained in the ownership pf the Gallons, they themselves never returned there, the property being rented to a number of prominent tradesmen and industrialists during a period of about sixty years.
In the mid-nineteenth century the Gallons had converted from Quakerism to Roman Catholicism, the inspiration behind this being Cardinal Newman. It has to be remembered that parts of Warley came within the ambit of a mission that was opened by the Oratory Fathers; in fact the present parishes of Saint Philip and Saint Gregory owed much initially to the priests of the Birmingham Oratory, among who was Father Caswall, the poet and hymnologist,
According to the terms of the will of Major Howard Gallon (his full name was Hubert George Howard Galton), a grandson of Hubert, a parcel of land was offered to the diocese for the building of a church at the corner of Park Road and Wigorn Road, Bearwood, but, not unreasonably, the diocesan authorities argued that the site was too restricted. Major Gallon was disappointed at this polite refusal of his offer, but nevertheless in a codicil dated the 21st August 1928 he planned to apply proceeds of a sale of land towards the building of a church and other structures at a site to be approved by the trustees of his will. The trustees were also invested with power to consent to any variation or alteration in design, which they considered to be desirable.
Mr. George Drysdale, a senior partner in the London firm of Leonard Stokes and Drysdale, designed the church. The architect was a Catholic and head of the Birmingham School of Architecture. It is a distinguished building set out in the Basilican style with wide processional aisles and campanile. Brown and purple bricks were laid to form a pattern with some stone dressings and a green slate roof. The interior of the church is rough plastered with mixed Hornton (the contemporary report in the local paper called it Horton) stone -from the quarries of that name in Oxfordshire - used for piers and altar.
There are those in the parish who have always expressed an interest in the artefacts of the church, especially in the art-deco symbols of the four evangelists on the facade of Saint Hubert's. It is a pity that no record of the artist has been discovered, but there is a possibility that Hardman's of Bearwood were commissioned by George Drysdale to carry out the work. Certainly they were engaged on contract at the architect's other church of Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Therese of Lisieux at Saltley. What is known is that in 1949 Hardman's received a commission to apply a mosaic background to the della Robbia plaque, which is above the main door. The actual work was carried out by P. Cecconi and Son of Birmingham.
On Saturday the 3rd November 1934 the church was dedicated by the Archbishop of Birmingham, Doctor T. L. Williams. The dedication to Our Lady and Saint Hubert is believed to have been inspired by that of Major Gallon's church at Hadzor near Droitwich. A large congregation attended the Mass, which was celebrated by Father Morgan of the Oratory. In his sermon Archbishop Williams drew attention to the spread of pagan ideas brought about by education without any religious content in the curriculum. He was unequivocal in his view that the Church must be prepared to challenge these errors in modem society. Among the congregation were representatives of the Galton family, but sadly not of Major Gallon's own immediate family all of who were dead by the end of 1928, he himself being the last to die. The church was consecrated on the 18th June 1935.
On Saturday the 3rd November 1934 the church was dedicated by the Archbishop of Birmingham, Doctor T. L. Williams. The dedication to Our Lady and Saint Hubert is believed to have been inspired by that of Major Gallon's church at Hadzor near Droitwich. A large congregation attended the Mass, which was celebrated by Father Morgan of the Oratory. In his sermon Archbishop Williams drew attention to the spread of pagan ideas brought about by education without any religious content in the curriculum. He was unequivocal in his view that the Church must be prepared to challenge these errors in modem society. Among the congregation were representatives of the Galton family, but sadly not of Major Gallon's own immediate family all of who were dead by the end of 1928, he himself being the last to die. The church was consecrated on the 18th June 1935.
It has sometimes been said that prior to the arrival of the first secular priest at Saint Hubert's, members of a religious order were to have come to Warley to serve the parish. According to one clerical source the order was that of the Redemptorist's. No record of this has been found, however, and it begins to appear very likely that some confusion has arisen with Major Gallon's parish at Hadzor where the Divine Word Missionaries have been in occupation of a house for very many years.
In the wake of that incident a strong rumour circulated that the Luftwaffe were seeking the tower at the University of Birmingham, the intended target being the laboratories where atomic research was said to be taking place. That rumour suggested that the navigator of the aircraft possibly mistook the tower of the church for that of the university. Before it is dismissed as nonsense it must be borne in mind that in the night bombing raids on this country during the autumn of 1940 and the following winter, defences in aerial warfare were at a very early stage of development and German aircraft operated - certainly not with impunity - at a much lower level and for the most part in much clearer conditions than did the R.A.F. in their later heavy raids on Germany.
Before continuing with accounts of those parish priests who succeeded Father Cooke, a brief mention should be made of some of the curates who served the parish during the years from 1938 to 1960. There was Father C.V. Burrett, a great singer of the liturgy, and Father James Lillis who was trained by the Maynooth mission for service in China. As he could not travel there at the time (1946) because of civil war, it was felt that he might be of use here in this country. Then there was the Dutchman, Father C. Faber, a priest described as being very sociable. One of his activities was using a converted hearse in transporting children from their homes to Saint Hubert's school. At Christmas he organised the decoration of the church by threading garlands of holly on twine between the piers in the nave. Tiny sprigs of holly were also attached, by means of sticky tape, to the pillars and to the wall at the back of the altar. The pulpit ledges were outlined with prickly leaves. Today this may not sound particularly exciting, but at that period of the war (1943) it tended to draw minds away from the continued fighting in Russia, the Far East and in Italy. The air war, too, over Germany had still not reached a decisive stage.
From time to time other priests came to Saint Hubert's especially the Sacred Heart Fathers from Droitwich. Father Waddoups in particular was a much-loved figure. He was so modest that it was hard to credit that he had spent over twenty years teaching in the Holy Land. An eminent scriptural scholar, Father Waddoups could also speak seven languages. Whenever he was at Saint Hubert's (between 1960 and 1980) he would fling open the doors of the church very early in the morning and leave them like that until the evening. Considering his intellectual background one would have thought that his sermons would have been somewhat recondite in character, but nothing could have been further from the truth. They were models of simplicity and delivered in such a way that one wanted to hear more. Another Sacred Heart Father was Father Terence O'Malley, a very charming Irishman. He is now a missionary in Thailand and keeps in touch with several members of the parish. There was also Father Hugh Montgomery who was a convert to Catholicism and a relative of the famous Field Marshal. He is remembered as preaching long sermons and the congregation always knew what to expect whenever they observed his shiny red exercise book tucked under his arm as he entered the pulpit.
In 1946 Father Thomas F. 0' Doherty became parish priest at Saint Hubert's and enjoyed a long stewardship of thirty-one years. That was a period during which many changes took place not only with especial regard to Saint Hubert's, but also within the Church generally. For example, the late war seemed to have changed attitudes towards seat rents. In 1948 there were still a few in existence here and within four years they had disappeared altogether. According to the records of those early post-war years attendance at the three Masses held at Saint Hubert's varied between fifty and sixty per cent of the parish numbers up till and during the time of the Second Vatican Council. At that juncture, too, there were reported to be four young men from the parish who were studying for the priesthood, but only one is known to have been ordained - at least in this diocese. That was Father Michael Jordan whose ordination took place at the Oratory on the 12th June, 1955 and celebrated his first Mass at Saint Hubert's on the following day. |
Another change which took place about that time was that Catholics living in the Quinton area of the parish, who had had their own chapel of ease at Ridgeacre, now found themselves part of the newly-created parish of Our Lady of Fatima. The consequence of this was a fall in the number of parishioners in Saint Hubert's from the high point of 1,900 to about 1,250, at which figure it has since more or less remained.
In 1964 a decision was taken in the parish to adopt a new form of offertory collection known as direct giving, which meant that parishioners should pledge a certain portion of their income to the church. A statement of account was produced showing the nature of the parish's expenses, some of the items listed coming as a surprise to many of those who perused 'rt. It was apparently overlooked that priests have to live on a daily basis as everyone does. The campaign was adjudged a modest success, but its long-term purpose was to some extent confounded by the subsequent reluctance of priests to press for increases in contributions as the costs in running the parish soared, especially during the years of high inflation. Of course this did not just apply specifically to Saint Hubert's, for it was the general experience throughout the English province. In fact the average offering per Catholic family nationwide was reckoned to be 1/8d per week, or roughly 9 pence in today's currency. That was very low when one considers that almost everyone was in employment in those days (the level of unemployment in 1964 was low - about 250,000).
In 1964 a decision was taken in the parish to adopt a new form of offertory collection known as direct giving, which meant that parishioners should pledge a certain portion of their income to the church. A statement of account was produced showing the nature of the parish's expenses, some of the items listed coming as a surprise to many of those who perused 'rt. It was apparently overlooked that priests have to live on a daily basis as everyone does. The campaign was adjudged a modest success, but its long-term purpose was to some extent confounded by the subsequent reluctance of priests to press for increases in contributions as the costs in running the parish soared, especially during the years of high inflation. Of course this did not just apply specifically to Saint Hubert's, for it was the general experience throughout the English province. In fact the average offering per Catholic family nationwide was reckoned to be 1/8d per week, or roughly 9 pence in today's currency. That was very low when one considers that almost everyone was in employment in those days (the level of unemployment in 1964 was low - about 250,000).
The arrangement of the direct-giving campaign was timely because only two years afterwards Father 0'Doherty undertook extensive improvements to the church. These consisted of a sound reinforcement installation, a new lighting system, internal painting, the adding of acoustic insulation boards to the existing wooden ceiling of the nave and similar boarding fixed to the ceilings of the aisles. An attempt was also made to improve the heating of the church, but without much success. It had been recommended that the nave ceiling be lowered but Father 0'Doherty demurred because he felt that such an alteration would not be in keeping with the design of the church.
In the wider world of the Church, momentous changes were about to take place in the lives of Catholics. Following the deliberations of the Second Vatican Council work was set in train to meet the new liturgical requirements. In many churches the tabernacle was moved to a side altar, but in the case of Saint Hubert's church the architects considered that it was inappropriate. They argued cogently that the design of the building concentrated attention on the apse, a fact emphasised by the stone linings to the existing walls and the decorated tester, or canopy, over the high altar. The architects expressed the view that to remove the high altar and the tabernacle would have left a pronounced void. It was therefore suggested that the high altar be cut back by re-using the decorated stone front to form a ledge to support the tabernacle, which would be approached by a predella of three steps. In addition, the original painted crucifix, which was suspended beneath the tester, was to be replaced by a more elaborate three-dimensional one. With regard to the altar of sacrifice, this was intended to be a substantial work with the plinths, slab, face and mensa of polished Portland stone. Finally a small section of the altar rail was cut away and a carpet laid extending the full length of the sanctuary. Such was the nature of the work that began in 1967. |
The last ten years of Father O'Doherty as parish priest were uneventful and he retired in 1977, up to now the only one to do so. Father Thomas Whittle, another Irishman, who came to Warley from a parish in Coventry, succeeded him. Matters had tended to drift during the last years of his predecessor, much though the parishioners had respected Father O'Doherty. Father Whittle began to build up the parish again and in a very short time had restored a degree of confidence and enthusiasm. In the opinion of some he was a very fine preacher and was unusual in telling people that they were better than they thought they were! This endeared him to his congregation. There is no doubt that he was an active but restless man and he returned to Ireland somewhat prematurely in 1979. It may come as a surprise to many that during the Spanish Civil War he was a volunteer with the Irish brigade on the side of the Nationalists under Franco, Father Whittle also served as a chaplain with the British Army. It was during his time at Saint Hubert's that the conference room was built.
In 1979 Father James Holland was appointed parish priest here. He had a deserved reputation for being totally dedicated to Our Lady and every year went on pilgrimage to Lourdes, a manifestation of his devotion to the care of the sick and the severely handicapped. One of his favourite means of travel to Lourdes was by jumbulance organised by 'Across'. Being a keen cyclist it was a marvel that he survived a number of accidents brought about largely because of his very poor eyesight. There was one occasion when he went camping - he was ever the Boy Scout! - in Scotland with several youngsters from the parish and lost his glasses whilst swimming in a loch. He telephoned a member of the parish who gained access to the presbytery and found another pair of glasses, which were immediately posted to Father Holland. In the meantime the boys, aged about fourteen to fifteen years; had driven the ten miles or so back to the campsite in the priest's car under his instructions.
In 1979 Father James Holland was appointed parish priest here. He had a deserved reputation for being totally dedicated to Our Lady and every year went on pilgrimage to Lourdes, a manifestation of his devotion to the care of the sick and the severely handicapped. One of his favourite means of travel to Lourdes was by jumbulance organised by 'Across'. Being a keen cyclist it was a marvel that he survived a number of accidents brought about largely because of his very poor eyesight. There was one occasion when he went camping - he was ever the Boy Scout! - in Scotland with several youngsters from the parish and lost his glasses whilst swimming in a loch. He telephoned a member of the parish who gained access to the presbytery and found another pair of glasses, which were immediately posted to Father Holland. In the meantime the boys, aged about fourteen to fifteen years; had driven the ten miles or so back to the campsite in the priest's car under his instructions.
At other times this good priest engaged in traffic control at the Wolverhampton Road / Bleakhouse Road intersection whenever there was a road accident. A generous man in every other way Father Holland practiced parsimony on himself and if any jobs needed attention, that is decorating the exterior of the presbytery or parts of the interior of the church, he would set about doing them supported always by a number of the parish lads. Some will probably recall that he was a keen railway modeller and others his epic cycle ride from Land's End to John O'Groats. Father Holland's ministry was nothing if not whole-hearted and quite apart from his untiring solicitude for the less fortunate in society, he was also the diocesan director of the Association for the Propagation of the Faith. Using his bicycle to save costs for the A.P.F., he delivered most of the mission magazines by hand to parishes in and around Birmingham and Kidderminster.
It was during Father Holland's ministry at Saint Hubert's that a considerable parcel of land was sold to Servite Homes Limited for the building of what eventually became George Simmons House. That project was completed in 1985. It was a good decision in that the original garden of the presbytery had become utterly neglected over a period of many years, for there were few in the parish who could summon the will or the energy to tend on a regular basis what was after all a very large extent of land.
It was during Father Holland's ministry at Saint Hubert's that a considerable parcel of land was sold to Servite Homes Limited for the building of what eventually became George Simmons House. That project was completed in 1985. It was a good decision in that the original garden of the presbytery had become utterly neglected over a period of many years, for there were few in the parish who could summon the will or the energy to tend on a regular basis what was after all a very large extent of land.
Father Paul Orchard arrived at Saint Hubert's in 1989 and everyone soon became aware that a man of a very different stamp had taken over the parish. An ex-Anglican monk and a graduate of Cambridge University, Father Orchard was an academic and of a retiring disposition -though, it must be said, hardly one to shrink from problems. At times he could appear preoccupied and distant, yet he was undoubtedly a man of profound spirituality. He did not cultivate favouritism and disliked ceremony. His sermons were models of clarity in expounding the essential link between the Old and the New Testaments. Father Orchard was gifted with many ideas about his ministry, but it was his misfortune that he was never able to bring any of them to the conclusion that he would have wished. He hardly ever left the presbytery and he was always ready for those such as the sick and the dying, who needed him. The common touch, so to speak, always escaped him, yet the manner of his violent death in 1998 certainly affected not only the Catholics in the area but also the wider community, as many parishioners will testify. Sadness is still expressed by people who have no connection whatsoever with Saint Hubert's.
Parishioners can thank Father Orchard for having had the new form of heating installed in the church, for at last it was possible to sit comfortably through the services without feeling that one was in an ice box! Another task that was undertaken shortly after he came to St Hubert's was the re-painting of the white crosses on the campanile. The way in which it was carried out, however, appeared distinctly unsafe, for the workmen were rather precariously held by rope? which were suspended from the belfry.
The days of Father Orchard were certainly coloured by incident. It will suffice to recount just one. There was a day when after a funeral service had been held at Saint Hubert's, Father Orchard went to the cemetery with the party of mourners and left the elderly server to lock up the church. This was the acknowledged drill and it was always understood that the server would then place the keys through the letterbox of the presbytery. Now it has to be said that unlike any of his predecessors, Father Orchard never committed keys to the care of parishioners, so that with hindsight one could easily envisage the situation arising which in fact came about. On that particular day the good priest had left his second set of keys in the house. It was about an hour later that the server happened to be walking past the presbytery when he saw Father Orchard looking rather lost. Little imagination is required to see what occurred next. The server became an accomplished house-breaker by smashing a window at the rear of the premises and squeezing himself - fortunately he was rather thin - through the small space he had made available. Having proceeded that far the 'felon' had overlooked the height from the window sill to the floor beneath and landed very heavily at the foot of the steps at the end of the hall in the presbytery. Afterwards the server boarded up the window he had damaged. So far as the priest and the server were concerned it had been a VERY long funeral!
The days of Father Orchard were certainly coloured by incident. It will suffice to recount just one. There was a day when after a funeral service had been held at Saint Hubert's, Father Orchard went to the cemetery with the party of mourners and left the elderly server to lock up the church. This was the acknowledged drill and it was always understood that the server would then place the keys through the letterbox of the presbytery. Now it has to be said that unlike any of his predecessors, Father Orchard never committed keys to the care of parishioners, so that with hindsight one could easily envisage the situation arising which in fact came about. On that particular day the good priest had left his second set of keys in the house. It was about an hour later that the server happened to be walking past the presbytery when he saw Father Orchard looking rather lost. Little imagination is required to see what occurred next. The server became an accomplished house-breaker by smashing a window at the rear of the premises and squeezing himself - fortunately he was rather thin - through the small space he had made available. Having proceeded that far the 'felon' had overlooked the height from the window sill to the floor beneath and landed very heavily at the foot of the steps at the end of the hall in the presbytery. Afterwards the server boarded up the window he had damaged. So far as the priest and the server were concerned it had been a VERY long funeral!
We have now reached the year 2000 and, like so many other parishes in the Western world, numbers attending Mass at Saint Hubert's have fallen sharply from the levels commonly experienced forty years ago. Nevertheless with active and enthusiastic priests like our present Australian incumbent, Father Gary Mantle, numbers are increasing especially among the younger families of the parish. This is very encouraging, as they are the future of the church.
Our Australian priest was dynamic and popular. In spite of the heavy expenditure on improvements both to the presbytery and the church, this was offset to a large extent by increased social activities, which also involved the wider community, and second collections being earmarked for reduction of debt. Very successful endeavours were a flower festival, concerts and everyone may well recall the Christmas draws that included great prizes -the winner taking all.
Gary Mantle's successor was Father John Batthula, an Indian national, who left a thriving parish in Coventry to come to Saint Hubert's. While some considered that Father Mantle would be a difficult man to replace, Father John soon made his mark by gathering round him those he wished to help him in preparing children for their first communion and instructing parents who wanted to have their children baptised. He was very good in delegating tasks to those he judged to be reliable, and ensured that the large debt remaining was reduced as quickly as could be managed - a task he broadly achieved. The only major expense incurred during Father John's time was the installation of a new audio system in the church.
Parishioners can attest to the care Father John extended to those who were sick. He was very prayerful and studious, being among the first in this country in post-Reformation times to obtain a master's degree in Canon Law from an English university - Heythrop College, London. It was interesting to learn that Father John, his parents and other members of the family were converts from Hinduism. He had a great regard for all of them and travelled home at least once every year. Eventually he returned to India in July 2005 with the object of furthering his studies and, among his other priestly duties giving attention to the orphanage he had established in his local diocese. Several parishioners have visited the orphanage at Father John's invitation, whilst others have contributed towards its support. He also arranged for two visits to Rome with some of the altar servers and their parents in company with other members of the parish. Quite apart from the fascination of Rome itself, his intention was to impress upon the young people in particular the importance of the City in the life of the Church and the lives of its adherent
In September 2005 Father Peter Blundell arrived here after having spent eleven years at a parish in Stoke-on-Trent. Like all of his predecessors Father Peter has his own very definite characteristics. One can never ignore his presence, for his height and voice command attention. He is always ready to express an opinion on almost any subject, but in one sense he is unusual as that his delight in the outstanding design of Saint Hubert's church. Like Father John he is punctilious in his care for the sick, of which there are at present many in the parish, and visits them regularly. In short, Father Peter is very attentive to the needs of his parishioners and is prepared to extend assistance to any who should require it.
As under the two previous incumbents, cake sales continue to take place every month though, sad. to relate, our principal "baking expert, Cath Stait, died very recently. Fairtrade has now become a feature of parish life in raising funds for CAFOD, and money is also raised from the regular sale of marmalade. These funds are used exclusively for the purchase of flowers for the church.
Within the next few months work will probably commence on major alterations to the fabric of the church, which will include a new toilet block. Father Peter is confident that the plans will constitute a pleasing enhancement to the appearance of Saint Hubert's and will not in any way detract from the austere magnificence of the exterior of the building. In the meantime small improvements have already been carried out to the sacristy new heaters installed in the cloister and another fixed over the main door in the porch. Noteworthy among the tasks undertaken since Father Peter came to Saint Hubert's has been the closing of the window at the side of the piety stall, which for years had simply been stuffed with paper in an attempt to prevent draughts - this with no very great success. The vast improvement has been duly appreciated by those serving the stall.
It is now seven years since the short account of Saint Hubert's church, THE GREAT WHITE CROSS ON THE HILL, was produced. The foregoing paragraphs represent a continuance of the life of the parish during that time. No doubt the next few years will witness yet more changes, not least in the realm of improvements and repairs, for no sooner is one task completed than another requires attention.
Our logo is derived from Saint Hubert who lived in the 8th Century in Belgium. Little is known of his early life. He is said to have been the first bishop of Liege. The famous episode of his conversion while hunting on Good Friday through seeing an image of the crucified Christ between the antlers of a stag, is borrowed from the acts of Eustace and is unknown before the 14th Century.
It is with great thanks to Bob Edwards, and member of our parish, that we have this comprehensive history of our parish.
Our Australian priest was dynamic and popular. In spite of the heavy expenditure on improvements both to the presbytery and the church, this was offset to a large extent by increased social activities, which also involved the wider community, and second collections being earmarked for reduction of debt. Very successful endeavours were a flower festival, concerts and everyone may well recall the Christmas draws that included great prizes -the winner taking all.
Gary Mantle's successor was Father John Batthula, an Indian national, who left a thriving parish in Coventry to come to Saint Hubert's. While some considered that Father Mantle would be a difficult man to replace, Father John soon made his mark by gathering round him those he wished to help him in preparing children for their first communion and instructing parents who wanted to have their children baptised. He was very good in delegating tasks to those he judged to be reliable, and ensured that the large debt remaining was reduced as quickly as could be managed - a task he broadly achieved. The only major expense incurred during Father John's time was the installation of a new audio system in the church.
Parishioners can attest to the care Father John extended to those who were sick. He was very prayerful and studious, being among the first in this country in post-Reformation times to obtain a master's degree in Canon Law from an English university - Heythrop College, London. It was interesting to learn that Father John, his parents and other members of the family were converts from Hinduism. He had a great regard for all of them and travelled home at least once every year. Eventually he returned to India in July 2005 with the object of furthering his studies and, among his other priestly duties giving attention to the orphanage he had established in his local diocese. Several parishioners have visited the orphanage at Father John's invitation, whilst others have contributed towards its support. He also arranged for two visits to Rome with some of the altar servers and their parents in company with other members of the parish. Quite apart from the fascination of Rome itself, his intention was to impress upon the young people in particular the importance of the City in the life of the Church and the lives of its adherent
In September 2005 Father Peter Blundell arrived here after having spent eleven years at a parish in Stoke-on-Trent. Like all of his predecessors Father Peter has his own very definite characteristics. One can never ignore his presence, for his height and voice command attention. He is always ready to express an opinion on almost any subject, but in one sense he is unusual as that his delight in the outstanding design of Saint Hubert's church. Like Father John he is punctilious in his care for the sick, of which there are at present many in the parish, and visits them regularly. In short, Father Peter is very attentive to the needs of his parishioners and is prepared to extend assistance to any who should require it.
As under the two previous incumbents, cake sales continue to take place every month though, sad. to relate, our principal "baking expert, Cath Stait, died very recently. Fairtrade has now become a feature of parish life in raising funds for CAFOD, and money is also raised from the regular sale of marmalade. These funds are used exclusively for the purchase of flowers for the church.
Within the next few months work will probably commence on major alterations to the fabric of the church, which will include a new toilet block. Father Peter is confident that the plans will constitute a pleasing enhancement to the appearance of Saint Hubert's and will not in any way detract from the austere magnificence of the exterior of the building. In the meantime small improvements have already been carried out to the sacristy new heaters installed in the cloister and another fixed over the main door in the porch. Noteworthy among the tasks undertaken since Father Peter came to Saint Hubert's has been the closing of the window at the side of the piety stall, which for years had simply been stuffed with paper in an attempt to prevent draughts - this with no very great success. The vast improvement has been duly appreciated by those serving the stall.
It is now seven years since the short account of Saint Hubert's church, THE GREAT WHITE CROSS ON THE HILL, was produced. The foregoing paragraphs represent a continuance of the life of the parish during that time. No doubt the next few years will witness yet more changes, not least in the realm of improvements and repairs, for no sooner is one task completed than another requires attention.
Our logo is derived from Saint Hubert who lived in the 8th Century in Belgium. Little is known of his early life. He is said to have been the first bishop of Liege. The famous episode of his conversion while hunting on Good Friday through seeing an image of the crucified Christ between the antlers of a stag, is borrowed from the acts of Eustace and is unknown before the 14th Century.
It is with great thanks to Bob Edwards, and member of our parish, that we have this comprehensive history of our parish.