ON Sunday Bishop Parker of
Northampton blessed and opened Ipswich's fifth Catholic church in modern times: the new church of St, Mark on the Chantry estate. The church has been built in just over six months: work actually began on February 20 this year, and the bishop laid the foundation stone on May 30.
The Chantry estate, which the new church selves, was begun about seven years ago and is now almost complete, having roughly 12,000 inhabitants. There are at present about 100 Catholic households there, and they will be joined at the new church by Catholics from Maidenhall estate nearby.
Their priest in charge is Fr. W. T. Jolly, chaplain to the de la Salle Brothers' school at Birkfield, where local Catholics were allowed to use the chapel for a parish Mass on Sundays.
In the building, full use has been made of modern materials and techniques, while the aim has been to use local craftsmen for the furnishings. Their work has been found very much more economical than more mass-produced work and very much more pleasing. The altar has been made by a young parishioner.