Thursday, July 16, 2009

To Douai


I have to go to Douai Abbey today, to a meeting of the Historic Churches Committee to present the plans for the restoration of our church.
The HCC is the body that is supposed to stop the wonton destruction of historic churches and oversee alterations to them. They were sorely necessary in the 80s when so much damage was done to our Catholic heritage.
Apparently the presentation is in front of 25 experts from English Heritage and diocesan bodies, it sounds a bit intimidating, fortunately it is our architect Diedre Waddington doing the presentation.
Say a prayer our plans are accepted.

Diedre transformed the church in Crawley from this

7 comments:

George said...

Good luck with your presentation Fr Ray - our prayers go with you.

'Experts' from English Heritage...

Well you know what they say about ex-perts - an EX is a 'has been' and a SPERT (spurt) is a drip under pressure! :-)

Actually English Heritage are a good bunch and I'm sure your Architect will carry the day (with the Holy Spirit's assistance of course).

Crux Fidelis said...

Re Crawley: Although the pic doesn't show the former sanctuary too clearly I think I prefer it the way it was.

Moira said...

Prayers and thoughts with you

nickbris said...

Best of Luck Father Ray.Any chance of them coming up with some dosh?

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

Bit of an irony, wot, that it's being held at Douai, with its bizarre hybrid church that looks as if some giant postmodernist architectural behemoth from space had flown down and eaten half a gothic church.

Et Expecto said...

Very nice pictures of Crawley. By thr way, the name is spelt Deirdre.

Stephen Davis said...

Crux Fidelis

The sanctuary at Crawley was a complete mess before the recent work. Behind the alter was what at one time would have been the friars' choir. The choir stalls had been removed and the place carpeted.

The directly behind the altar was a folding wall, the sort one finds in conference centres. In all the time I've been attending Mass there I've never seen this closed however.

And the tabernacle was at the back of the former choir attached to the right hand wall, placed on breeze blocks!

Hardly preferable I'm sure you'll agree.

As a side note I have the pleasure of being married in this church during August - so I have a lot to thank Deirdre for!

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