Talk & Social: The Church That Was Bombed by Hitler

About This Event

Ever walked past SS Mary and Joseph Catholic Church and wondered what’s actually happened on that ground? Fr Keith (former parish priest there) is giving a talk on the history of Catholic churches in the East End during WWII, but this isn’t distant history. The original church stood on that site for nearly a century before being destroyed by Hitler's bombing on 8th December 1940, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass didn’t stop, it moved into a local school while the community rebuilt. The church you see today was part of the Festival of Britain’s “living architecture” project, designed by Adrian Gilbert Scott and shaped by a city recovering from war. What makes this different is how local it all is. The Blitz hit the East End harder than almost anywhere in the country, and yet the faith didn’t disappear, it adapted, moved, and rebuilt. Even today, a cross on Church Green marks where the original high altar once stood. Fr Keith will bring these stories to life, connecting the places we pass every day to the people who kept them going. Come through if you’re into history, want to understand the story behind your church, or just want to meet other young adults after. NB: this is not at the usual location but at St Mary & Michaels Church (see location above).

Event Details

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