Join us for an illustrated discussion about some of the finest Catholic churches in England and Wales and their treasures. We will bring to light hidden gems, highlight the challenges of caring for them, and share photographs of our favourites.
Friday 9 July 2021 18.00-19.00 BST
Ticket price:
£12.50 inclusive of VAT
All proceeds from this event will go to The Tablet's Development Fund.
This event is now closed
This discussion will take place via Zoom. You will need to download the Zoom app onto your device to be able to join the call. Full details of how to join the call will be sent in the days before the event.
Chaired by Elena Curti who worked as a journalist in newspapers, radio and television before joining The Tablet in 2001. She served first as Home News Editor then, for more than a decade, as Deputy Editor. She left in 2016 to go freelance and now specialises in writing about church architecture and conservation. Her book, Fifty Catholic Churches to See Before You Die, was published last October 2020 by Gracewing. If you would like to order a copy of Fifty Catholic Churches to See Before You Die simply Click Here and when asked for a promotional code type in TABLETFIFTYCATHOLICCHURCHES and you will save 10% off the normal price of £14.99 - you'll only pay £13.50!
Sophie Andreae is an architectural historian who has spent her career helping to protect historic buildings and promote them to a wider public. She has been the Vice Chair of the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales since 2002. This Committee, currently chaired by the Archbishop of Cardiff, provides advice and guidance on all aspects of Catholic heritage to dioceses, parish priests and parishioners as well as acting at the link between the Catholic Church in England and Wales and the secular authorities concerned with heritage protection. Sophie is currently co-chair of Historic England’s Places of Worship Forum.
Amongst other projects promoting Catholic heritage, she initiated and project managed the publication of A Glimpse of Heaven: Catholic Churches of England and Wales. This book, authored by Christopher Martin, was the first publication on Catholic churches in England and Wales to be published in full colour.
Craig Hamilton is an acclaimed architect of classical chapels including Christ the Redeemer at Culham Court, near Henley, Oxfordshire. He is dedicated to a modern Classical architecture which is informed by a broad and deep understanding of the Classical tradition. He has a special interest in sacred and monumental architecture and has completed three new chapels and is working on a fourth. He has also completed two mausoleums and is working on a third.
Anne Archer, is the project manager of the award-winning restoration of Ss Peter, Paul & St Philomena’s Church, New Brighton, on the Wirral, popularly known as the “Dome of Home”. In 2011, The Institute of Christ the King were invited to reopen and care for this enormous church, with leaking roofs and badly in need of restoration. Anne Archer volunteered to help the Rector, Canon Montjean with the church admin. With little previous experience fundraising or managing projects, she sought advice to launch funding applications and successfully managed three Heritage Lottery Fund Grants for Places of Worship. Each subsequent project required more ambitious activities to target a wider audience, increase community engagement and culminated in winning the national ‘Marsh Innovative Church Project Award 2018’ for their WWII Audio Tour.