Blessed, opened and consecrated on 30 March 1974 by then Archbishop Launcelot Goody, the original Church building of St Francis Assisi Maida Vale Parish had outgrown the congregation.
Fifty years later on 7 April 2024, the parish community came together once again, this time to celebrate the Church’s 50th anniversary.
In celebrating the Mass, Archbishop Emeritus Hickey was joined by Parish Priest Fr Joseph Rathnaraj, Servite College Chaplain, Fr Albert Anthonysamay and assisted by Deacon Trevor Lyra.
The Maida Vale Parish was originally started in an old packing shed in Maida Vale in 1956 thanks to the generosity of the Smith Family.
Fr Dario Brunetti was officially appointed as the Parish Priest of Maida Vale on 23 October 1956.
After much fundraising by the supporters for the new parish, a block of land was purchased along with a house and garage for the sum of £3,750, on the current site in Lilian Road, and a new Chapel was built from an ex-Army Hut for less than £300.
Archbishop Prendeville officially opened the new Chapel on the 11 August 1957.
Fr Brunetti’s work as the inaugural Parish Priest of Maida Vale gave the Parish a strong foundation for the future years. At the time of his departure there were 130 families, of many different ethnic origins, in the Parish community.
Fr Sean Bredin O.S.Cam (Order of St Camillus) was then appointed the Parish Priest from 1967 to 1974.
Changes were taking place in the whole Catholic Church after Vatican II came into effect.
In 1968, the inaugural Maida Vale Parish Pastoral Council was formed, and the first Planned Giving Program was also started, to help finance the building of a new Church.
More involvement by the laity in the life of the Parish was welcomed, with the many committees of the Parish Pastoral Council undertaking fundraising, social, liturgical and catechetical activities. A choir was formed, church cleaning rosters started, secretarial and sacristan groups were also well supported.
In 1972, Fr Bredin decided it was time to get on with the building a new “bricks and mortar” parish church, so he appointed a local parishioner, Lourens West who was an architect, to design a church.
The building of the church commenced in March 1973.
The impact of heavy rain, a scarcity of materials, and delays by builders meant the new Church was not completed until March 1974. The church was big enough to now hold 350 people.
Fr Bredin’s stewardship and devotion to the Parish is remembered with gratitude.
Many parishioners attended the Mass to celebrate this great occasion, and at the conclusion of Mass, the congregation presented Archbishop Hickey with a gold and red shawl.
After the Mass, Emeritus Archbishop Hickey was able to bless a plaque on the wall outside, and then cut an Anniversary Cake.
Brunch was then served for everyone, along with a piece of the Anniversary Cake.
A new Parish Centre is currently being built and will be opened in early October.
