On 17th and 18th June 2023, the Parish of St Francis de Sales, Tottenham, celebrated the 128th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone by Cardinal Vaughan in 1895.
On Saturday 17th, parishioners, led by Parish Priest Fr David Lucuy Claros, made a pilgrimage tracing the history of the parish to each of the three chapels which preceded the current church building.
On Sunday 18th, continuing the commemoration, Bishop John Sherrington presided at a Mass of Thanksgiving for the parish. Fittingly, the opening hymn of the Mass was 'Christ is made the sure foundation'.
In his homily Bishop John remarked that ‘it is important to remember our beginnings, our history and those men and women whose generosity has provided the Church and buildings which we enjoy today.’
There has been a Catholic presence in this part of North London since 1793, while Tottenham was largely a village a few miles from the city, surrounded by farms and market gardens.
First Chapel 1793
The first Mission was founded by Fr Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus, an exile from the French Revolution, ‘full of zeal to spread the gospel and serve the Church’, who arrived in North London in 1793. The Mission ministered to all Catholics in the area, mainly populated largely by Irish workers. The chapel, fittingly, was called The Upper Room and dedicated to Our Lady and St Joseph.
Second Chapel 1827
After the closure of this first chapel, a second chapel, also dedicated to St Mary and St Joseph and serving as a school, was built in a yard called Chapel Place, White Hart Lane, in 1827. From the 1860s Archbishop, later Cardinal, Manning preached annually at the chapel, in aid of the school.
Third Chapel 1881
The building that is now the parish hall was built in 1881 both as a three-room school during the week and the church on Sundays. It served a congregation of 900, all of whom were poor.
Bishop John compared these beginnings to the story of the people of Israel in the first reading of the Mass (Exodus 19:2-6), ‘who lived in tents and wandered in the desert for forty years, the parish chapel moved about before this church was built. The people trusted in God and grew into a parish community.’
St Francis de Sales Church 1895
The foundation stone for the church was laid on 19th June 1895 by Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. The new church was built between the school and High Road, at the south corner of Brereton Road.
In the same year, the Marist Sisters arrived from Bethnal Green to run the school.
Living Stones
Recognising the contribution of all who had gone before, Bishop John affirmed, ‘Whilst we give thanks for the building of the church, at a deeper level we give thanks for the men and women, the families, priests and religious, who handed on the Catholic faith, often facing opposition, hostility, and sometimes violence. Their faithfulness, commitment, perseverance and generosity are the reasons why we can gather and celebrate the Mass here today. They, with you, are the living stones which make up the spiritual temple of the Lord.’
Reiterating this sentiment, Fr David wrote in the order of service: ‘This is our history, and we celebrate it rejoicing with all our brothers and sisters today, and honour the memory and work of so many people who have worshipped and celebrated the sacraments, worked and served in our church throughout the centuries up to date. We pray to our Lord and God to help us to continue building up the Kingdom of God in his Church upon Christ Jesus our Lord, the corner stone of our lives.’
The parish now looks forward to 2025, when the 130th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone will be celebrated during the great Jubilee Year.
