book list
In 1973, the Catholic Church in Woodhall Lane (Our Lady Queen of Apostles) was renovated and a family centre built alongside. This booklet was produced for the occasion of the consecration of the Church which took place on December 18th 1973.
The booklet begins with a short early history of Catholicism in Welwyn Garden City, from the Masses held in a house in Meadow Green by the Canossian Sisters from Milan, through to the building of the Church of St Bonaventure's in Parkway in 1926, the convent in 1930, and soon after that the Mater Die Canossian School.
By 1938, the population of the town had risen to 13,500, and under the parish priest Fr. William Horgan, land was acquired in Woodhall Lane for a school and another church. The second war intervened and Mass had to be held in the Woodhall Community Centre which was next to the land which had been acquired.
In June 1953, Cardinal Griffin opened Our Lady's Primary School, which by 1959,
had 540 children attending. The first Mass was said in the newly-built Our Lady
Queen of Apostles Church, Woodhall Lane, on 1st January 1961. A new parish,
Welwyn Garden City East, was erected, and the incumbent, Fr. Cumming, who had
been at St Bonaventure's since 1944, transferred to become the first Priest
of the new Parish. Fr. Haughey followed as his assistant. The Solemn opening
of the new Church was on 4th June 1961 by Cardinal Godfrey.
The next part of the booklet describes the next 10 years of life of the Parish, with the increasing necessity for redecoration of the Church (which had been damaged by ingress of water following the 1963 winter), and also for the building of a Family Centre to further the work of the Church. 400 founder members were recruited, and the build of the Centre was carried out in 1972. Fred Wilson was appointed Centre Manager, but, unfortunately, was ill in hospital during the opening ceremonies, which spread over 8 days from 7th to 14th October, 1972.
"The Constitution of Our Lady's Family Association set out the purposes of the Family centre: (a) to benefit the Catholic people of the parish (b) to add to our worship as a Catholic family by arranging occasions for meeting together and all suitable leisure-time activities (c) to realise funds to pay the debt on the Centre and to give financial help to Our Lady's parish (d) to welcome to the Centre on an ecumenical basis Christians of other churches and our friends in the Garden City generally (e) to promote a friendly and courteous spirit in the Association."
The booklet continues with an account of the alterations and redecorations to the Church which accompanied the building of the Family centre. The booklet is illustrated with 15 b/w photographs, and floor plans for the Church and Family Centre.
(click on the images for a better view)
Canon A. M. Cuming
Fr. D. Haughey
St Bonaventure's Church with Mater Dei Convent
The front of the Family centre
The Mansfield Room (in the Family centre)