ST WILFRID’S CATHOLIC CHURCH.

An account of its statues, stained glass windows and other articles of reverence.  

 St Wilfrid’s Church is home to a number of statues, all of which has its own particular history. Such items are looked upon with  reverence and remembrance. For such a small church, St Wilfrid’s has an interesting number of statues, all of which are listed below:  The first statues arrived at St Wilfrid’s, shortly after the arrival of Canon John Corballis in 1936.

 St Joseph

This status was installed by Canon Corballis.  Fashioned from either limewood or mahogany, it was carved by Robert Bridgeman & Sons of Lichfield costing £16, including delivery to Harper’s Studio for decoration. This work cost £3 10s.

St. Wilfrid

 Donated by a Miss Hayne, an early benefactress, also of wood and made according to the design of Mr Walters. Both of these statues were presented to the church, before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

      

 St. Joseph                 St. Wilfrid   
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Our Lady.

To the left of the sanctuary, stands the statue of Our Lady. Carved by Joseph Cribb of Ditchling in Caen stone, it cost approximately £130 including conveyance. It arrived in April 1956, and was the gift of the Union of Catholic Mothers.

The Sacred Heart.

That of the Sacred Heart, also of Caen stone and by the same craftsman, was given by Mrs Yates, and cost £127. 16s. Out of interest, the head is narrow because Mr Cribb thought that the head of Christ as represented on the Holy Shroud was “very narrow”.  Owing to the width of the base of the statues, special corbels to erect them upon, had to be made by Henry Paul’s of Hailsham.

Crucifix above the Altar.

Retired farmer Mr E Moss of Green Farm, Chiddingly, carved the cross of the 4-foot crucifix, of oak.  The body was carved in Austria. It arrived during Father Parker’s incumbency.  It replaced the smaller crucifix which had been in the church since its completion in 1954.  It was installed when Father Parker had the interior re-decorated, sometime during 1964, when at the same time drapes were placed behind the statues of Our Lady and of the Sacred Heart, which previously did not stand out sufficiently against their background.

       

      Our Lady               Sacred Heart                  Crucifix.
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The Stations of the Cross.

New Stations of the Cross, again carved by Joseph Cribb of Ditchling, were also erected during Father Parker’s incumbency. Miss Eileen Walsh of Arlington, who died on December 2, 1964, bequeathed the money. They are in Bath stone, the background was very light blue, the figures were lightly guilded and each plaque measures nineteen and three quarters by fourteen  inches.

Here mention must be made of the two statues, one of Our Lady with child, and the other of the Sacred Heart, that both originated in Belgium.  Originally in the first church, they were later installed in the St Luke’s Chapel at Hellingly Hospital. They had at some period been repainted by a patient, but were unfortunately smashed by a patient in 1970.

Following are five further works, all crafted by the same hand, that of Mr Fernand Berbuto of Hindhead (a former parishioner), are all works of a high standard.

Bust of St John the Baptist.

It stands in a niche above the font of the church in the Baptistery (a memorial to Father Parker).

The prophet Eliseus.

A representation of the prophet cleansing the waters of Jericho over the Holy Water stoupe inside the church.

Our Lady.

The standing figure of Our Lady now situated in the small car park opposite the presbytery.

St Philip Howard.

The bust of St Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, one of the Forty English and Welsh Martyrs.

The Font and Baptistery.

The Font was installed on November 22, 1967.  Round in shape, it has simple Romanesque decoration, and again was carved and designed by Joseph Cribb. He sadly passed away before its installation. Previously, a wooden font had been stored in the confessional and moved down the church as occasion required. During the Bishop’s Visitation in early August 1967, he had approved the providing of a more suitable space for a new font.

The entrance porch was therefore sealed off, and converted into a Baptistery. To compensate for the loss of the old entrance, a new larger  porch was erected at the front of the church.   The total cost for the improvements, was in the region of £2500, parishioners gave two gifts of £150. Architect was Mr Bingham Towner, and appointed builders William Sands & Son of Punnets Town, Nr Heathfield.

The present Altar.

In thanksgiving for the canonization of the Forty English and Welsh Martyrs, on October 25, 1970, it was decided to collect for a permanent altar.  It was to cost about £350, to include the re-flooring of the predella. The altar is of Portland stone and was designed and carved by Mr George Elliott of Herstmonceux.  The numbers 1535 and 1970, represent the years of the first martyrdoms and of the canonization respectively.  Originally there was a Tudor Rose in the centre of the front-piece because the greater number of the martyrs were executed under Tudor Sovereigns; Henry VII and Elizabeth I. This has since been ground away, and there now is a simple cross. It first came into use on May 9, 1971, just in time for the Visitation of the Bishop on Thursday June 3. 

The St Margaret Clitherow Stained Glass Window.

Again it was decided by one of the ladies of the parish, that a stained glass window in honour of St Margaret Clitherow, one of the three women among the Forty Martyrs and patron of the Catholic Women’s League, would be appropriate, and efforts took place to raise the necessary £200 required for the project. It ultimately cost £280.

Situated above the main entrance, the three-panel window took twelve months to complete.  Work was carried out by leading Kent stained glass window artist Mr Kenneth Bunton from Edenbridge. The window was dedicated in a simple ceremony in June 1972, before a large congregation by Father Andrew Beer, Diocesan Chaplain to the Catholic Women’s League.   Father Whatmore gave a detailed account of the Saint’s life.

St George Plaque.

This plaque representing St George and the Dragon was originally carved by Joseph Cribb for an exhibition. Seeing it in Mr Cribb’s workshop, Father Parker immediately fell in love with the carving.  Having no real reason for its purchase, the two men decided to adapt it so it could serve as a memorial to those who fell in the two World Wars. It was bought by the parish and inserted in the Baptistery.

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