OF ENGLAND
OF ENGLAND
The first building on the present site was a small corrugated structure, founded from St. Peter’s Harborne, and dedicated on 21st September 1904 in honour of St. Faith. Some five years later, the mission church of St. Laurence was built half a mile away in the parish of The Quinton.
By the early 1930’s it became apparent that a new parish would be required to serve the new housing area, and in October 1933, the two mission churches joined forces to become the Parish of St. Faith and St. Laurence.
It was immediately apparent that the existing churches were inadequate. Both had been planned as temporary buildings, and were too small for the growing congregations. The parishioners decided to build the most beautiful church that their means would allow, but it was nearly twenty-
The Second World War prevented the building being completed until 1956, but it was found to be too costly to complete it to the original plans. The Lady Chapel and vestries were completed and dedicated in March 1960.
Pevsner, in the ‘Buildings of England’ ( 1966) wrote: ‘St. Faith and St. Laurence, Balden Road, 1937 by Philip Chatwin. The interior is especially successful, and the proportions are very pleasant, with the contrast between brown brick and whitewashed concrete.’
The chime of eight bells were installed in 1975 after removal from All Saints, Hockley. The original single bell, still in use, was cast from the metal of the bells from the two mission churches, to symbolise the union of the two congregations in the new parish.
The organ was built in 1906 by Henry Willis 11, and was installed in 1980 after renovation by Henry Groves of Nottingham. The organ case was made by students of Warley College of Technology from oak pews obtained from the redundant church of St. Michael in Smethwick.
W.G.Sissions 1937-
Roger Price 1960-
John Anthony Rossington 1968-
Ian Michael 1988-
The Foundation Stone of our church was laid on May 16th 1936 and the church was Consecrated on November 20th 1937.
These are the stories of two important events in the life of our church.
LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE
The Foundation Stone of the church of St. Faith and St. Laurence, was laid
on Saturday May 16th by Lady Anstruther-
The procession to the site was impressive. The Rural Dean read David's song of thanksgiving as a lesson.
The Vicar (the Rev. W. G. Sissions) invited the Bishop to " bless the work to which we have set our hands." The Bishop enquired of the Archdeacon of Birmingham if he was “satisfied that the work here about to be taken in hand is altogether and in every way according to the honour due to our Blessed Lord and His Church.” The Archdeacon replied that he had enquired and was satisfied. After receiving a reply from the churchwardens that they trusted “the people of this place have a mind towards the solemn dignity of this rite, being ready themselves to be builded into a Spiritual Temple for the Lord.” The Bishop invoked blessing upon all “who in any way contribute to its completion; that God will protect from danger those who may be engaged in the building, and that He will send His blessing upon our undertaking.”
The sermon was preached by Canon Lucas, who was Curate of St. Faith's 20
years ago. Canon J.C.Lucas said he was glad to see a dream of many years ago beginning
to come true. Twenty years ago he was Priest-
Then the stone was laid. One of the intriguing things about this, was the burial of documents in the wall. The foundation is of brick, and a small cavity was left where the stone would be laid and the documents laid in, sealed in two little lead cylinders rather like large flash lamp batteries. A slate was fitted over and carefully cemented all round. Then Lady Calthorpe took the trowel and laid cement on the slate and the great stone was slowly levered on to it and so into position.
In the bottle laid by Mr. Collins as Secretary of the Church Council under the stone, there were coins of the Realm, a copy of the Birmingham Post, copies of the Parish Magazine, and a copy of the day's ceremony. The collection amounted to £77 l4S. 6d., evidence that there were a large number of well wishers.
REPORT IN ‘HARBORNE NEWS’ – NOVEMBER 20th 1937
NEW HARBORNE CHURCH
TO BE DEDICATED BY BISHOP
TODAY’S BIG OCCASION AFTER 40 YEARS
Situated in a Harborne area which is growing rapidly, the new church of St. Faith and St. Laurence, at the junction of Croftdown Road and Balden Road is to be dedicated by the Bishop of Birmingham, Dr. E.W.Barnes, today.
The hopes of forty years will be fulfilled; a need which has grown steadily greater as the years have passed will be met; the clergy and laity alike will see the concrete reward of their labours. Harborne will be the better and within the village, there will be a centre around which a new and virile district will grow.
Almost forty years have passed since the question of a Church for the Queen’s Park district of Harborne was first raised, for it was at the end of the 19th century that Canon W. J. Price, the then vicar of Harborne, expressed his concern that there was no place of worship in that developing residential district.
REPORT IN ‘HARBORNE NEWS’ – NOVEMBER 27th 1937
Of the hundreds of people who arrived for the Consecration of the new church of St. Faith and St. Laurence on Saturday, many had to be turned away. Throughout the service many stood in the small entrance hall to the church, and before he delivered his address, the Bishop of Birmingham (Dr. E.W. Barnes) asked them to come forward and sit at the foot of the altar. “I am sure that no one will think it irreverent” he remarked.
The simple lines of the new church are greatly enhanced by the plain manner of the furnishings. The dull brickwork finds its complement in the shining new wood of the pews and doors, the length its match in the height of the edifice.
Clergy present in addition to the Bishop of Birmingham were the Ven.C. E. Hopton, Archdeacon of Birmingham, the Ven. J. H. Richards, Archdeacon of Aston, the Rev. R. D. Richardson, Vicar of Harborne, and the Rev. W. C. Sissons, incumbent of the parish of St. Faith and St. Laurence.
The Holy Table, the Font, the Lectern and the Pulpit having been consecrated in turn, the Bishop directed that the sentence of consecration should be read aloud by the Clerk of the Diocese. The Bishop then ordered that the documents should be enrolled and preserved in the Registry of the Diocese. The consecration, said the Bishop represented at least a third of a century of effort, for it was almost exactly thirty three and a third years ago that the Mission Hall of St.Faith was dedicated by the then Bishop of Lichfield. Harborne belonged to Staffordshire in origin and was formerly part the Diocese of Lichfield.