Parish History
St Augustine’s is an active parish of nearly 1300 people at Mass every Sunday, along with those Catholics in our area who do not worship with us regularly. It is a very mixed community, across every age range. There are many residential and nursing homes in the town, and we are delighted to have many elderly parishioners, plenty of whom are still very active in the parish. There is also a large number of young families: at Mass most Sundays there are well over 200 children under 11, as well as nearly 200 teenagers. Tunbridge Wells is also far more socially mixed than many outsiders would think true of a town such as ours. St Augustine’s parish covers far more than the town of Tunbridge Wells. Its southern boundary is the Kent/Sussex border, and it reaches from the outskirts of Pembury to Ashurst. Our parish includes the villages of Fordcombe, Penshurst, Speldhurst, Rusthall, Langton Green and the Kent part of Groombridge.
The story of St Augustine’s begins in 1838 when Jesuits arrived to start a small mission. They built the first St Augustine’s Church on the corner of Hanover Rd and Grosvenor Rd, where Tesco’s now stands. Although there were only 50 Catholics within walking or riding district, they had the foresight to build a church big enough for 250 people. Jesuit priests nurtured the small community until 1866, when they handed it over to Thomas Grant, the first Bishop of Southwark. The first diocesan priest at Tunbridge Wells was Father (later Canon) Joseph Searle. There was little money in the small Catholic community, but the people were prepared to walk long distances to Mass. Canon Searle did great work until his death in 1899.
The story of St Augustine’s begins in 1838 when Jesuits arrived to start a small mission. They built the first St Augustine’s Church on the corner of Hanover Rd and Grosvenor Rd, where Tesco’s now stands. Although there were only 50 Catholics within walking or riding district, they had the foresight to build a church big enough for 250 people. Jesuit priests nurtured the small community until 1866, when they handed it over to Thomas Grant, the first Bishop of Southwark. The first diocesan priest at Tunbridge Wells was Father (later Canon) Joseph Searle. There was little money in the small Catholic community, but the people were prepared to walk long distances to Mass. Canon Searle did great work until his death in 1899.
His work was continued by Father Charles Stapley (1900-1905) and Canon James Keating (1905-1923). Father Herbert Evans, sent to St Augustine’s in 1923 to take care of the parish while Canon Keating was ill, died tragically after just two months, before the Canon himself. During this time, Corpus Christi church at Tonbridge was opened and was served from Tunbridge Wells, and eventually became a separate parish. Assisted by numerous fine curates, further parish priests led the community forward: Father George Boniface (1923-1940), Father (later Canon) Edward Fennessy (1940-1945), Father Arthur Dudley (1945-1949) and Father John Stevenson (1949-1967). In 1950 a Mass centre was opened in Southborough, which eventually became the separate parish of St Dunstan’s. In subsequent years, Mass centres in Ramslye, Penshurst, Sherwood and Rusthall came and went.
In 1959, Father Bill Howell came to St Augustine’s as assistant priest, but he soon took over care of the parish when Father Stevenson fell ill, and became parish priest himself when Father Stevenson died. The major change in Fr Bill’s time was the closure of the old church in 1967. It was in bad repair, with serious damp problems, and was too small for the growing congregation (it was built to seat 250, whereas congregations of over 350 were and are very common). The site in Hanover Road was sold to Tesco. Mass was celebrated for a time at Sacred Heart School (Beechwood), and then in the hall above the newly built Tesco’s (St Tesco’s!) until the new church was built on the present site. Building began in 1974, and the church was opened in October 1975.
Fr Bill served the parish with tremendous dedication for 36 years, 28 years as parish priest, building a thriving parish community which went from strength to strength. He moved on from Tunbridge Wells in 1995 to be parish priest of Cliftonville. He retired from there to various nursing homes and eventually died in 2008 at St George's Retreat Burgess Hill. He is fondly remembered by all those who knew him. He was succeeded as parish priest by Canon Michael Evans, (who subsequently became Bishop of Norwich) Bishop Michael died in July 2011, and Fr Peter Stodart became parish priest of St Augustine’s in 2003.
Anyone who would like to read further can buy a copy of our parish history, One Cog by Ted Marchant, from the parish office or the parish shop for 50p
In 1959, Father Bill Howell came to St Augustine’s as assistant priest, but he soon took over care of the parish when Father Stevenson fell ill, and became parish priest himself when Father Stevenson died. The major change in Fr Bill’s time was the closure of the old church in 1967. It was in bad repair, with serious damp problems, and was too small for the growing congregation (it was built to seat 250, whereas congregations of over 350 were and are very common). The site in Hanover Road was sold to Tesco. Mass was celebrated for a time at Sacred Heart School (Beechwood), and then in the hall above the newly built Tesco’s (St Tesco’s!) until the new church was built on the present site. Building began in 1974, and the church was opened in October 1975.
Fr Bill served the parish with tremendous dedication for 36 years, 28 years as parish priest, building a thriving parish community which went from strength to strength. He moved on from Tunbridge Wells in 1995 to be parish priest of Cliftonville. He retired from there to various nursing homes and eventually died in 2008 at St George's Retreat Burgess Hill. He is fondly remembered by all those who knew him. He was succeeded as parish priest by Canon Michael Evans, (who subsequently became Bishop of Norwich) Bishop Michael died in July 2011, and Fr Peter Stodart became parish priest of St Augustine’s in 2003.
Anyone who would like to read further can buy a copy of our parish history, One Cog by Ted Marchant, from the parish office or the parish shop for 50p