St Aloysius' was founded as the
Jesuit (Society of Jesus) parish of central Oxford. The building was funded by £7,000 donated by the Catholic convert
Baroness Weld.[1] Completed in 1875, the building of St Aloysius' was an important step in the ongoing refoundation of a Roman Catholic presence in Oxford. The parish was served by notable members of the society for many years, including
Gerard Manley Hopkins (December 1878 – September 1879). The church also housed a notable collection of relics bequeathed by
Hartwell de la Garde Grissell, many of which were destroyed in the 1970s.
In the 1980s, the Jesuits left the church and the parish was taken over by the
Archdiocese of Birmingham. In 1990, the
Archbishop of Birmingham invited members of the
Birmingham Oratory to take over the running of the parish and found a new Oratorian community in Oxford. Two priests from Birmingham arrived in September 1990 and, in 1993, the Oxford Oratory was established as an independent Congregation.
Fr Robert Byrne then served as
provost from 1993 to 2011.[2] From 2011 to 2019, Fr Daniel Seward served as provost.[3] The incumbent is the Very Rev. Fr Nicholas Edmonds-Smith.
Liturgy
It is part of the tradition of the Oratory in England to ensure that the
liturgy is celebrated in a dignified and worthy manner. In the Oxford Oratory most
Masses are celebrated in English, but on Sundays and Holydays a
non-Tridentine Solemn Mass is sung in
Latin. Latin is also used in the
TridentineLow Mass also celebrated on Sundays and Holydays, while the Parish Mass is sung in English.[4]
Organ
The organ was enlarged between 1998 and 2004 by Matthew Copley. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[5]
Building
The church was designed by
Joseph Hansom in a
Gothic Revival style.[6] Much of the original interior decoration was painted over in the 1970s, and the
altar moved forward. The building is being gradually restored as part of the Oratory's "Reaffirmation and Renewal" campaign, which commenced fundraising in 2007.[7]
^Harris, Penelope, "The Architectural Achievement of Joseph Aloysius Hansom (1803–82), Designer of the Hansom Cab, Birmingham Town Hall and Churches of the Catholic Revival", The Edwin Mellen Press, 2010,
ISBN0-7734-3851-3