Beatification Report - The London Oratory Church

The London Oratory was founded in 1849, the year after John Henry Newman established the Birmingham Oratory, by Frederick Faber and some companions. However, it was not until 1854 that the community moved to its present site, then the outskirts of London, described by Father Faber as "The Madeira of London". By contrast, today sees its nestled amongst trendy stores and coffee bars, a quick stroll from Harrods, with the constant bustling of London traffic outside and the rumbling of tube trains beneath. The present church was consecrated in 1884 built to the design of a recent convert, Herbert Gribble, although the facade on the south end was not finished until 1893 and the dome completed in 1895. Building the Oratory cost £93,000 with a further £14,000 spent during the next decade. Until the opening of Westminster Cathedral in 1903, the London Oratory was the venue for all great Catholic occasions in London, including the funeral of Cardinal Manning in 1892. The Oratory is both internally and externally, a splendid building but the decoration we see today owes much to an Italian architect and local resident, Commandatore CTG Formilli who both designed and carried out the work between 1927-1932. The Oratory is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Oratory Church

View of the North Transept and Pulpit

Mater Dolorosa Chapel

S. Philippo Neri Altar

Our Lady's Altar, originally from the Chapel of the Rosary in the Church of San Domenico, Brescia

Central Dome

Sacred Heart Chapel

West End of Nave

St. Peter and Newman Shrine

Arch, Entableture, Nave Window

St. Wilfred's Chapel

St. Wilfred's Chapel

St. Wilfred's Altar

Fr. Faber's Monument

Dome in St. Wilfred's Chapel

Side Altar and Tomb

Funerary Chapel in St. Wilfred's Chapel

Side Altar in St. Wilfred's Chapel

Side Altar of the English Martyrs

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Altar

Towards the Rear

Side view of Our Lady's Altar from St. Wilfred's Chapel