A church Bourne to be a success

THANKS TO her sister, Winifride, I have been reading a short illustrated history of the Church of St John Vianney, West Green Road, London, N15 by the late Margaret Pond.
The history was published to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of St John Vianney's Church, which has seen great changes in its coneregation since the year when the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Godfrey, laid the foundation stone on April 26 1958. It was Cardinal Bourne who decided to build a church for the 300 or so Catholics of West Green and Harringay in 1925.
Mr Pond, the father of parishioner daughters, Pat, Winifride and Margaret was one of the original parishioners to welcome the arrival of Cardinal Bourne in 1927, to the temporary church which is now the church hall.
The first resident parish priest, who arrived in 1937, was Fr Henry Bryant. Prior to this the Canons Regular of the Lateran served the parish. By the time of its Silver Jubilee the parish had a Sunday Mass attendance of 2,200.