The Parishes of Saint Francis of Assisi, Nailsea and Saint Joseph's, Portishead.

 

Clifton Diocese consists of the city of Bristol and the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. The first Bishop of the diocese when it was restored in 1850 was Joseph Hendren OFM. He was responsible for the completion of the Pro-Cathedral and the purchasing of The Catholic cemetery at Arnos Vale. Our present Bishop is Bishop Bosco MacDonald.

 

Both Nailsea and Portishead share the fact that they were both originally served by the Franciscans. Portishead was served by The Conventual Franciscans (Sometimes called the Greyfriars) and Nailsea was served by The Friars Minor from Clevedon. This all came to be when religious orders were being driven out of France. The Friars Minor were also in the city of Bristol at Saint Bonaventure’s until the parish passed to the diocese in 1981. Clevedon remains a Franciscan parish and friary, but with a much-reduced community. Apparently, there were 37 friars in Clevedon in its early days.

 

The Franciscan Order came to England in Saint Francis’ own lifetime, arriving in Dover in 1224 led by Blessed Agnellus of Pisa. The reformation saw communities broken up. The 3 principal groups of Franciscan men are The Friars Minor (Observants) who came to Clevedon, The Friars Minor Conventual who came to Portishead and the Capuchins who were founded some three hundred years later. Before the reformation there was a conventual friary in Lewins Mead in Bristol. Famous Franciscans include Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Bonaventure, Blessed John Duns Scotus, Saint Maximilian Kolbe and Saint Padre Pio.

 

The female branch of The Franciscan Order is the Poor Clares, their most famous being Saint Clare herself and Saint Colette, The Poor Clares live a life of enclosure. For many years they were in the Clifton Diocese at Woodchester near Stroud.

 

In 1881, a community of Conventual Franciscans expelled from France were given refuge by Bishop Clifford in the empty Dominican convent premises in Park Place, Bristol, adjacent to the old pro cathedral. In return the friars assisted in helping with the local missions. One such work was to travel each Sunday to Sharpness to offer Mass there in the little chapel of Our Lady Star of the Sea which had been built at the expense of Mrs Mary Clifford. Mrs Clifford offered to build a house for the friars if they would serve the mission permanently, but they declined on the grounds that they were already planning to start a mission in Portishead. It was here, at West Hill, in two houses named Claremont and Belle Vue that the Portishead mission was founded in 1883. Simultaneously, other friars were building up a friary and parish in Clevedon, under the leadership of Fr. Celestine Mary Sant O.F.M.

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Bishop Clifford blessed the new Portishead friary on Sunday December 2nd, 1883. In his diaries the bishop recalls that the chapel was full for the occasions. Most in attendance were Protestant as there were only eight known Catholics in the town at the time. The following day the bishop confirmed two parishioners. Some idea of the rapid growth of the parish may be gained from the news that when the bishop visited saint Joseph’s again in 1886, he confirmed 30 converts.

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The present church of Saint Joseph was dedicated by Bishop Clifford on March 19, 1887. The foundation stone was laid by the Conventual Franciscan Provincial, Fr. Chrysostom O.F.M.Conv. The architect was Canon Scholes. Shortly afterward in 1888, the friars withdrew to Clevedon, where they had already established a large friary. However, they continued to serve the parish until 1906, and a Friar walked from Clevedon to say Mass having fasted from the night before! {It is a notable aside that in these early years two canonised Saints were in the Clevedon Community – Theodric Balat and Andre Bauer. Both volunteered for the China Mission and were killed during the Boxer rebellion in 1900} For about a year Fr. (later Bishop) William Lee served Portishead from the bishop’s residence at Leigh Woods. In 1907 the Conventual Franciscan friars came back to Portishead and on June 16 of that year they were formally welcomed by Bishop Burton. This was the first friary of the Conventual Franciscans in Britain since the reformation. Frs. Roger Azzopardi OFM Conv. (1910) Bonaventure Scaeberras OFM Conv, and Vincent Meyer OFM Conv. Were the pioneers who reestablished The British Province.

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In 1906 the sisters of the Congregation of La Sante Union des Sacre Coeur founded their school in Rose Hill, close to Saint Joseph’s. For many decades this served as a fine Catholic primary school. The town’s Catholic school is now on The Bristol Road and the former school and convent have been sold.

In March 1910 Father Roger Azzopardi O.F.M., Conv. arrived from Malta to help in Portishead. Soon after, he was asked to take on responsibility for the Mission of Saint Bernard’s in Shirehampton

The house named Kenfield Adjoining the church was purchased in 1936 and became the friary. In 1938 a Mass centre was established in the grounds of Ham Green Isolation Hospital and in 1956 a site for a chapel was purchased in Springfield Road, just off the main Bristol Road. Until the chapel was completed Mass was celebrated in Pill Memorial club in the village. Bishop Rudderham blessed the new chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua on November 10th, 1959. The chapel lasted until it was sold off 1986 due to falling numbers.

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During the interwar years marble altar rails were added along with an organ from America. In 1953-54 Saint Joseph’s church was upgraded and the sanctuary area reordered by architects Whitmarsh-Everiss & Smithies of Bristol. External sacristies were also built at this time.

In recent years the gallery has been extended to allow for more seating and the narthex has been greatly improved. A new confessional is a welcome addition. The Friary no longer exists and there is a bungalow presbytery opposite the Church which is let out. The Parish Priest lives in Nailsea. The grounds are neatly landscaped and provide a fine view of the Severn Estuary. There is a small car park at the rear of the church.

 

The Franciscans eventually withdrew from Portishead in 1985, the last friar being Fr. James Scott O.F.M., Conv. The new diocesan parish priest was Fr. (later Canon) William O’Callaghan. Statues of Saint Francis and Saint Anthony remain in the church reminding people of the Franciscan heritage of the parish. Somewhat unusually, both saints are depicted in grey habits, as is the habit of the Conventual Franciscans who ministered there.

 

Franciscan Priests from Clevedon had served the village of Nailsea since the 1930s.In the early days Mass was celebrated at the Butchers Arms and also at some stage in The Sawyers and The Royal Oak. The first two parishioners were Mr. Whittard and his housekeeper who lived at Backwell. The first Priest to look after Nailsea and the surrounding Villages was Fr. Gregory Fehrenbach O.F.M. (The friars also started a Mass centre in Yatton at around the same time) In 1954 a temporary chapel was erected dedicated to Saint Francis, at a cost of £821 under the leadership of Fr. Pacificus O.F.M. The temporary building was to be in use for around 30 years. During these years the people worked very hard with fundraising.

Parishioners raised money to buy shale for a much-needed carpark and a group of men from the parish worked on that project.

 

Among the regular Priests saying Mass in those years were Fr. Ferdinand Ford O.F.M. who would travel on a bike fitted with a small motor. Other

Priests would have included Fr. Cornelius Smith O.F.M. who learned to drive when the friars were allowed cars from 1966 onwards. Fr. Anthony Rickards O.F.M., and Fr. Phelan O’Leary O.F.M. who joined others in the physical work of keeping the hut in good order. Fr. Lucian Hunt O.F.M. and Fr. Dunstan Baker O.F.M. helped with catechism for the children.

Plans for a school gathered pace when Fr. Herbert Derbyshire O.F.M. was made the Guardian of Clevedon Friary. The original plan was to have a school in Clevedon and a site was earmarked, but in the end the decision was made to build in Nailsea. Sadly, Fr. Herbert left Clevedon having developed cancer and died aged 49. He was succeeded by Fr. Reginald Clancy O.F.M.

 

Saint Francis’ Primary School was built in 1979 and Mass was then said in the school hall. 1985 saw the building of the new Church. In 2000 the old Wooden chapel (Sometimes called “The Hut” was demolished.

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Between 1958 and 1968 The Claretian Order had its novitiate at Backwell Hill House. A chapel was built to accommodate 100, but sadly neither vocations or a congregation ever materialised.

Nailsea grew at a great pace, so that in 1982 it became a parish. A new Catholic school was built in Station Road and a new church was opened and dedicated on February 2nd, 1986, by Bishop Mervyn Alexander. The church was built by Stone and co and the architects were John Webster of Holford Associates. In 2000 a matching hall was built alongside the church and presbytery. The first Parish Priest was Monsignor Gabriel Leydon in 1982, followed by Fr. Graham Gillman in 1987.

The last Franciscan to care for Nailsea was Fr. Julian Kennedy O.F.M. and the first diocesan Parish Priest was Monsignor Gabriel Leyden. Fr. Julian died in Clevedon some years later and is buried in the main cemetery in Portishead.

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We are delighted to have Canon Richard Dwyer from Portishead as a Priest of Clifton Diocese. Richard was ordained in Portishead on July 5th, 1980. Peter Rose was Ordained as a Permanent Deacon in October 1998 and died in August 2012.

 

 

 

St Francis' Nailsea

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History of St Francis of Assisi Parish 1982 - current 

 

Prior to the establishment of the parish in 1982 we had been served by the Franciscans from Clevedon with Mass being celebrated in various venues since the late 1940s, transferring to a hut erected on the present site in the 1950s and then to the school hall when the school was completed in 1979.

 

In March 1982 the Bishop confirmed that Nailsea and Backwell would become a parish in its own right and in September 1982 Fr. Gabriel Leyden arrived and resided in a house purchased for him in Ash Hayes Drive.  There was an immediate drive by the parishioners for a proper church, and a working party was formed.  After much research the Diocese appointed Stone & Co. Ltd and the architect John Webster to come up with a design.  The requirement was for a parish family home with multi-purpose use.  The design for the present church was commissioned which included screens to partition off the sanctuary area so that during weekdays the church could be used for social and community use.  Building commenced on 9th January 1985 to be completed by the end of the year.  We took possession before Christmas were able to have an Open Day when anybody could visit and see what had been achieved and we were able to celebrate Christmas Mass in our new church.  The Church was officially opened and blessed by the bishop on 2nd February 1986.

 

The land on which the church is built had been purchased by the Franciscans in the 1950s and was generously donated to the Diocese/Parish.  The part of the site on which the church is built had for years been used as allotments.

 

The cost of the building was £300,000 and with the sale of the priest’s house and grants and donations the balance of £200,000 was financed with a loan from the Diocese over 15 years.  Due to the generosity and dedication of the parishioners we were able to repay the loan 3 years early at the end of 1997.  The Church was finally dedicated by the Bishop on 2nd February 1998.

 

There was a desire to build a proper Church Hall to replace the old hut which had previously been used for a Playgroup.  A design was drafted and approval given by the Diocese at a cost of approx. £200,000 and again a loan granted by the Diocese of £120,000 the balance having been found from the regular savings of offertory from the parishioners.  Building commenced on 4th January 2000 and in due course the old hut which had served us so well was demolished to provide for more car parking space and all social/community use was transferred to the new Hall.  We were able to accommodate many requests from the local community for use of the Hall fulfilling our wish to serve community as well as parish.  Later on the screens in the church were removed since the multi-functional use of the church was no longer required.

 

In September 2000 Bishop Mervyn came to celebrate Mass and confer a Papal Knighthood (KSG - Knight of St. Gregory) on a parishioner for services to Diocese and Parish which was a first for the parish and an honour and privilege for both the parish and the recipient. A celebration was held afterwards in the new Hall.

 

From the early days the parish has supported many causes the first of which was Ashadam, a community in Goa, India and for many years 2.5% of the offertory was automatically sent to them. We have continued always to be an extremely supportive and generous parish to causes in the outside community and abroad.  At all times we have been blessed with huge commitment from parishioners and their families.  Indeed, we are very blessed to have a team of volunteers who meet every week to maintain the grounds and do whatever minor works they can achieve.  They save us many pounds and we are grateful to them for their commitment.

 

We have been served by many Parish Priests.  Fr. Gabriel Leyden, Fr. Graham Gillman, Fr. Michael McAndrew, Fr. Sam Ofia, Fr. Thomas Dubois, Fr. Richard Elson and now Fr. Frank Wainwright.  We have also been blessed with two Deacons who have now retired after long service but remain parishioners.

 

We have a small Memorial Garden where the ashes of some parishioners are interred and where the writer hopes to find a place in due course.

 

The parish was very supportive during COVID lockdown and mass was said online by our parish priest giving much support during a very difficult period.  We are extremely fortunate that our church is open all day, every day for personal private prayer and contemplation in front of the Blessed Sacrament in addition to our normal weekday services.

 

We welcome Fr. Frank who joined us in September this year and look forward to a blessed and bright and welcoming future under his stewardship.

 

 

 

St Joseph's Portishead

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History of St Joseph's Parish

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Following more than 100 years of service to the Parish of St. Joseph’s in Portishead, the Franciscans left the Parish in 1985, leaving behind many fond memories and with the gratitude of all parishioners for their legacy of devoted and faithful service through many generations.

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A new chapter in the history of the Parish began when Father William O’Callaghan (later to be Canon O’Callaghan) took up the reins as the first diocesan priest to arrive.

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Canon O’Callaghan remained as the Parish Priest for a number of years, continuing to serve the parishioners even beyond the normal retirement age of 75. Following a period of ill-health, he retired in 2001 and shortly afterwards in 2002 we welcomed Father Gerry Walsh as the new Parish Priest. During this time the Parish continued to grow and welcome new members and the fabric of the Church buildings was adapted to meet the needs of the congregation and to provide facilities to support the Parish.

In 2006, the present hall was built beside the church with a lobby connecting the two. The grounds were landscaped, a new car park was laid out and a new west door inserted.

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The Parish grounds also incorporated a memorial garden with views out over the Bristol Channel, a tranquil place where the ashes of a number of Parishioners are interred. There is also a memorial board with the names of a number of people that will be familiar to many long-standing parishioners. People who faithfully and diligently served the Parish through the years with their quiet service and who all contributed faithfully to what the Parish is today.

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Father Gerry was replaced by Father Tom Dubois and this coincided with the decision for one priest to cover both the Parishes of Nailsea and Portishead.

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At this time, it was identified that more space was needed in the church and a fund-raising project was launched to raise money to expand the capacity within the church. The unusable and limited gallery space was increased to include gallery seating and a new staircase was built. Numerous other changes were made to the aesthetic of the building whilst still maintaining the character of the original church.

Another key initiative for the joint Parishes of Portishead and Nailsea was the successful recruitment and appointment of a children’s, youth and family worker.

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After more than 10 years’ service which included the very challenging time of the COVID lockdowns, Father Tom was replaced by Father Richard Elson in 2021 who served the Parish for three years before the arrival of Father Frank Wainwright in 2024.

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Throughout the parish history, the relationship with St. Joseph’s School has been integral to the life of the Parish. At the time of the handover from the Franciscans to the diocese, the school  was still attached to the Convent on West Hill and led by the Sisters of La Sainte Union. Sister Marie was the Head and Sister Dominic one of the long-standing teachers at the school.

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The trusteeship of the school was transferred to Clifton Diocese in 1995 and the school moved to new, modern premises in 2003.

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Many current parishioners and school staff are former pupils and the relationship between the school and parish still remains strong.

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Throughout the history of the Parish, whilst many things have changed there remains a continuous thread of faithful service to inspire each new generation which is something to be cherished and celebrated.