The Church Index / A Book of Metropolitan Churches and Church Enterprise: Part I. Kensington

by William Pepperell

THE CARMELITE CHURCH, KENSINGTON.

The Carmelite Church in Church street, Kensington, is built of plain brick and stone and covered with slate, and though plainly treated and of simple and almost severe design, is nevertheless a good specimen of modern early English church-building. The east front (the church stands east and west) is the principal feature externally. It contains a fine rose window and double entrance doors; those doors open into a lobby to the right and left. The inside is certainly very good, and reminds one a great deal of the style of the Pro-Cathedral, but slightly more decorated and ornate, though not so large. It has a fine effect of height, and the roofs are handsomely decorated—between the rafters having gold stars on a blue ground. The plan of the church is simple; a nave and aisles, and the west end is treated as an apse, in which stands the high altar, very fine and richly decorated, with crocheted canopy, pinnacles, and niches. The nave arcade requires to be finished, and the plaster arches present a very poor effect. It is to be regretted that such a substitute has been employed. The church has a number of chapels, altars, confessional boxes, &c., usually found in Roman Catholic churches. The floors of passages are paved with tiles, and the nave is occupied with simple pewing. The pulpit is very plain, almost ugly. Some good stained glass fills the windows of the apse and some of the aisle windows, but we do not admire the red glass of the clerestory.

The Church of the Carmelite Fathers was opened six years ago, having been erected at a cost of 5,000l., after the design of Mr. Pugin, architect, of Ramsgate, by Mr. Smith, builder, of the same town. The organ, which is a very splendid instrument, built by Cavaille and Co., of Paris, and which is equally remarkable for its soft and powerful tones, cost 2,000l. The altars, furniture, confessionals, &c., cost about 3,000l. more, so that there is here represented an outlay of at least 10,000l.

The fathers, who occupy the monastery adjoining, and serve the church only—having no parish work—are at present five in number. The prior is the Rev. Stanislaus Viney; and the second and following priests are, Signors Lignori, Eschewiria, Felix Rizzo, Hillarion Berger, and Edmund Sharples—four Italians and one Englishman. There are services every hour from seven a.m. to eleven; and on Sundays vespers at half past three p.m. Sermon and benediction, high-mass at eleven a.m. There are two confraternities—that of St. Peter and the Arch-confraternity of Thanksgiving. In connexion with the first was established in 1863, at the invitation of Cardinal Wiseman, “nocturnal adoration” of the sacrament. Each active member—who can only be a male person—has to watch once a-month one hour at night—a bed being provided for him in the monastery the remainder of the night. Fourteen members of this confraternity are summoned for every Wednesday, and attend at ten p.m., the “Service of Exposition” and prayers, after which all but two retire to the dormitory. These two then commence the “Adoration of the Sacrament.” Ladies are admitted as honorary members only, and their privileges are to partake with the others of the “merit of the adoration,” to be allowed to “forward their intentions to be prayed for,” and to pay a subscription of 2s. 6d. annually.

“The Arch-confraternity of Thanksgiving” has for its special objects to render thanks for gifts, and above all for the “gift of God—the Eucharist.” “To make up for the frightful ingratitude of the greater number of men.” For all benefits, but especially for Jesus, “Who is really present on our altars in the Divine Eucharist as pontiff and victim. For the Eucharist is not only the gift of God to men, but the sacrifice of men offered to God.” The sole obligation of the brothers and sisters is to “recite every day as a thanksgiving for all men, three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys, and three Glorias.” The rewards promised to this confraternity are special plenary indulgences—

1. On the “usual conditions, on the day aggregation.”

2. At the point of death.

3. On the second Thursday of each month.

4. On the Thursday of Corpus Christi.

5. On the 8th of September, the feast of the “Immaculate Conception.”

6. One of seven years and seven quarantains; whenever an hour of adoration is made before the sacrament.

7. One of 300 days attaching to the reciting of three “Our Fathers,” three “Hail Marys,” and three “Glorias.” All these indulgences are further declared to be “applicable to souls in Purgatory,” and subjects of them are exhorted to use prayer especially for this object. All this is enforced by the following reflection: “Association tends rather to pay our debts to heaven than to acquire new personal gifts. Would not this end be sooner attained by placing in the merciful hands of the Virgin the suffrages obtained by the exercise of our gratitude, so that she may dispose of them as she pleases in favour of the poor suffering souls who are still waiting for their deliverance from the expiatory flames? Heaven would thus be opened for the souls whom Mary loves best.”

Such is Popery, in the very heart of West London! The church is capable of holding about 800 people; but the congregation is usually not full. There is no preacher of any note, but the English priest, E. Sharples, is represented to be the best and most acceptable. There are three side altars on each side of the church, besides the High Altar, and an equal number of confessionals, and the church is open all the day. A quiet midweek afternoon was the occasion of our visit. It was very warm; and here, at this confessional or altar and the other, was a lady or a girl, bending in silence.