WELCOME TO SS PHILIP & JAMES CHURCH
A major change occurred in June 2007 when the Bishop asked Father Tony Brennan to take on the care of St Philip and St James parish in Brickhill following the retirement of Father Tom Kenny.
The two parishes at Holy Cross and SS Philip & James are now twinned as we continue to forge links for the benefit of both parishes.
Some milestones in the history of St. Philip &
St. James Church
SS Philip & James was built by Thomas Donnelly (A former Mayor of Bedford) and opened in September 1967. Prior to that, Masses had been said in Brickhill School and local businesses. The Parish was served from St Joseph and The Holy Child in Midland Road until 1969 when the first Parish Priest was inducted.
The altar is granite from Ireland and came from the round chapel at Clapham built by the Nuns of the Convent of the Holy Ghost. Whilst the church was being constructed, parishioners attended Mass in the gym at Brickhill Lower School.
To help with the expense of building a church, parishioners had dances, Christmas Fairs in the Community Centre and Garden Fetes around the Church. Every family took part by either owning a stall, making refreshments or selling raffle tickets, etc. They also held barbeques up at Clapham Convent.
Our Lady’s statue on the right of the altar was brought to SS Philip & James by Fr Stan, in 1986, and restored to its present glory.
Since the early 1960s Mass had also been celebrated at Clapham, in various places including the Convent of the Holy Ghost and latterly in the Methodist Chapel in the village. It was a small friendly family congregation but the shortage of priests meant changes had to be made. In 2007, when SS Philip & James was twinned with Holy Cross in Goldington Road, Mass at Clapham was discontinued and the congregation joined either SS Philip & James, Holy Cross or St Joseph and the Holy Child in Midland Road.
The Consecration of SS Philip & James was celebrated on 1st May 2009.
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