Southwark, Church of the Most Precious Blood

Though the mission is of recent foundation, the neighbourhood abounds in some interesting Catholic memories of post-Reformation times. In Kent Street (now Tabard Street) stood in 1767 'a popish Mass-house' where, on February 17 of the same year, the Rev. John Baptist Moloney was arrested for exercising his ecclesiastical functions. [...]

In the early part of the last century, schools for boys and girls were opened in Glasshouse Yard, Gravel Lane, and Price's Street, Southwark Street. These schools were afterwards removed to Great Guildford Street, and finally to Brent's Court, off the Borough(1872). The foundation-stone of the Church was laid by Bishop Butt of Southwark, Saturday, September 27, 1891, and the building was opened in 1892. The style is Early Italian, both the interior and exterior being very plain. The side buttresses are pierced to admit of a passage way round the church.

Dimensions, 130 ft. by 42 ft. ; accommodation for about 700 ; cost of church, site, and presbytery, £11,000 ; architect, F. A. Walters, Esq. The congregation is estimated at about 3,000. [...]

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