St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Agatha is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Sparkbrook
in Birmingham
, England
.
Made of brick and decorated with stone, building started in October 1899. It was funded by the sale of the site of Christ Church, New Street
which was demolished the same year to make way for shops and offices - Christchurch Buildings. That site later became Victoria Square
after Christchurch Buildings were demolished in 1970. St Agatha was consecrated in 1901 by the Bishop of Worcester
(Charles Gore
) as Birmingham was in the diocese of Worcester
until 1905 at which time Gore was made the first Bishop of Birmingham
. A parish was assigned to the church in 1902 from Christ Church in Sparkbrook, and St. Paul's in Balsall Heath
. The font and only bell came from Christ Church, along with its foundation stone dated 1805. In 1959, the church hall received a license for public worship.
The building has had an eventful history; the sanctuary end was completely destroyed by a German bomb in 1940 and the entire roof was lost in a fire in 1957. From 1940 to 1960 parts of the building were bricked off and the sense of lightness that the interior now has was temporarily lost.
The church was slightly damaged by the Birmingham Tornado
on 28 July 2005. However the adjoining Ladypool Primary School
was extensively damaged and lost its distinctive Martin & Chamberlain
tower.
Major restoration work took place from 2002–2005, mostly funded by the National Heritage Lottery Board. This included the stabilisation of the tower. The restoration work was designed by Apec Architects. The restored church was officially reopened in January 2005 by HRH Prince Edward
and the Countess of Wessex.
movement. Although situated in the Diocese of Birmingham the church is under the oversight of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Provincial episcopal visitor
and is a part of Forward in Faith
. Until the 1950s there was a ring of similar churches around inner-city Birmingham - the so-called 'Biretta Belt'. Many of those churches have closed but St Agatha's itself remains open despite being in an almost entirely Muslim ward of the city. The church's priest is shared with St Barnabas' Balsall Heath.
at the centenary Mass in May 2001.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Sparkbrook
Sparkbrook
Sparkbrook is an inner-city area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council.-Etymology:...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Background
It was designed by W. H. Bidlake. It is now a Grade I listed building.Made of brick and decorated with stone, building started in October 1899. It was funded by the sale of the site of Christ Church, New Street
New Street, Birmingham
New Street is a street in central Birmingham, England . It is one of the city's principal thoroughfares and shopping streets. Named after it is Birmingham New Street Station, although that does not have an entrance on New Street except through the Pallasades Shopping Centre.-History:New Street is...
which was demolished the same year to make way for shops and offices - Christchurch Buildings. That site later became Victoria Square
Victoria Square, Birmingham
Victoria Square is a pedestrianised public square in Birmingham, England. It is home to both the Town Hall and the Council House, and directly adjacent to Chamberlain Square....
after Christchurch Buildings were demolished in 1970. St Agatha was consecrated in 1901 by the Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
(Charles Gore
Charles Gore
Charles Gore was a British theologian and Anglican bishop.-Early life and education:Gore was the third son of the Honourable Charles Alexander Gore, and brother of the fourth Earl of Arran...
) as Birmingham was in the diocese of Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
until 1905 at which time Gore was made the first Bishop of Birmingham
Bishop of Birmingham
The Bishop of Birmingham heads the Church of England diocese of Birmingham, in the Province of Canterbury, in England.The diocese covers the North West of the historical county of Warwickshire and has its see in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, where the seat of the diocese is located at the...
. A parish was assigned to the church in 1902 from Christ Church in Sparkbrook, and St. Paul's in Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is a working class, inner-city area of Birmingham, England. It is home to a diverse cultural mix of people and the location of the Balti Triangle.-History:...
. The font and only bell came from Christ Church, along with its foundation stone dated 1805. In 1959, the church hall received a license for public worship.
The building has had an eventful history; the sanctuary end was completely destroyed by a German bomb in 1940 and the entire roof was lost in a fire in 1957. From 1940 to 1960 parts of the building were bricked off and the sense of lightness that the interior now has was temporarily lost.
The church was slightly damaged by the Birmingham Tornado
Birmingham Tornado (UK)
The Birmingham Tornado was one of the strongest tornadoes recorded in the United Kingdom in nearly 30 years, occurring on 28 July 2005 in the suburbs of Birmingham. It formed on a day when strong tornadoes were expected to develop across the Midlands and eastern England...
on 28 July 2005. However the adjoining Ladypool Primary School
Ladypool Junior & Infant School
Ladypool Primary School is a Grade II* listed primary school on Stratford Road in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, England. It stands next to St Agatha's Church....
was extensively damaged and lost its distinctive Martin & Chamberlain
Martin & Chamberlain
John Henry Chamberlain, William Martin, and Frederick Martin were architects in Victorian Birmingham, England. Their names are attributed singly or pairs to many red brick and terracotta buildings, particularly 41 of the forty-odd Birmingham board schools made necessary by the Elementary Education...
tower.
Major restoration work took place from 2002–2005, mostly funded by the National Heritage Lottery Board. This included the stabilisation of the tower. The restoration work was designed by Apec Architects. The restored church was officially reopened in January 2005 by HRH Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
and the Countess of Wessex.
Vicars and Priests-in-Charge
- Fr. Charles Wilcox 1889
- Fr. Gerald Vacqueray 1903
- Fr. Thomas Sanders 1910
- Fr. James Talbot 1912
- Fr. George Rosenthal 1918
- Fr. Alban Tilt 1939
- Fr. Eric Hill 1948
- Fr. Bernard Hopper 1955
- Fr. Neville Cox 1968
- Fr. Frederick Bernardi 1971
- Fr. Leonard Boyd 1978
- Canon Fr. John Hervé 1990
St Agatha's as a Church
From its beginning St Agatha's was strongly part of the Anglo-CatholicAnglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
movement. Although situated in the Diocese of Birmingham the church is under the oversight of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Provincial episcopal visitor
Provincial episcopal visitor
A provincial episcopal visitor is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who do not in conscience accept the ministry of women priests....
and is a part of Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith is a movement operating in a number of provinces of the Anglican Communion. It represents a traditionalist strand of Anglo-Catholicism and is characterised by its opposition to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate and, more recently, to more liberal Anglican...
. Until the 1950s there was a ring of similar churches around inner-city Birmingham - the so-called 'Biretta Belt'. Many of those churches have closed but St Agatha's itself remains open despite being in an almost entirely Muslim ward of the city. The church's priest is shared with St Barnabas' Balsall Heath.
Music
The church is noted for its music - supplemented by a recently restored four-manual Nicholson organ - liturgy and diverse congregation, and is well-known beyond the parish and the city.Special Services
Celebrants have included the Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend David HopeDavid Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes
David Michael Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes KCVO PC was the Archbishop of York in the Church of England from 1995 to 2005.-Early career:...
at the centenary Mass in May 2001.
Facilities
The church hall is used by the Birmingham City Boxing Club, providing one of the very few facilities for all ethnicities of youth in the area.Sources
- All About Victoria Square, Joe Holyoak, The Victorian Society Birmingham Group, ISBN 0-901657-14-X
- St Agatha website
- British History Online: Churches built since 1800 - St Agatha, Sparkbrook, A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7, 1964.