Parish and Community No. 39: Piux X, Hartcliffe, Bristol BRISTOL

suffered heavily from enemy bombs during the war and, like many similar cities, it afterwards spread rapidly in the course of housing its homeless.
Four miles to the south of the city centre lies the three-milelong and 800 ft high east-west ridge of Dundry Hill. Four square miles of agricultural land at the foot of this ridge became the scene of a massive operation of building skyscraper flats and an enormous housing estate.
This expansion drive engulfed the existing communities of Biihopsworth and Highridge in a sea of new roads and houses and established virtually anew the populous communities of Withywood and Hartcliffe. Within a few years the four square miles teemed with young families and became one of the many "mission" areas in England. Within this setting the parish of St Pius Xth has grown. At first the Catholic community, served by Fr Gerard Carroll, was technically a subsidiary part of the adjoining parish of Holy Cross, In May, 1955, it got its own Church in Hartcliffe at the eastern end of the new suburb but the westerly communities were nearly two miles away. The problem for these people of attending Sunday Mass was solved through the kindness of the proprietor of the local Elm Tree Inn in Bishopsworth.
There, in the lounge bar, Mass was celebrated for two years until the construction of the parish school of St Pius Xth. This Junior and Infant school in Withywood provided an alternative venue for the next decade.
The 1960s were a period of great increase in numbers in the parish, and early in that decade a parish social club was built, named the Sartan Club. Even at this early stage it was becoming obvious that the school was not really able to accommodate the large numbers of children seeking entry, and for a while two classes were situated in the new social club.
This club has since undergone quite a few extensions and is now smart and comfortable, the focus of much social life and always a generous benefactor to the parish. Ultimately the necessity for extending the school became more than obvious, and this was completed in 1967. Financially it meant quite a struggle, and this was the period which saw the inception of summer fairs, Christmas bazaars, bingo drives, etc. The St Vincent de Paul Society found much to do in this fastgrowing suburb, while the Union of Catholic Mothers, the Legion of Mary and the Ladies' Guild all played their part in the spiritual growth of the parish. Appropriately enough the first Rosary Circle of the Association of Our Lady of Mount Carmel began in the parish. Pius Xth was a saint dedicated to the Holy Eucharist, and this is the chief aim of the association.
The arrival of Fr Matthew Hayes in 1968 ushered in a new phase in the development of the parish. A new Mass Centre, St David's, was built on land ad joining the school. Apart from the roof, which was put on professionally, the whole structure was built by the people of the parish, with quite a deal of help from many non-catholics.
Bishop Rudderham opened and blessed the centre in 1971. It has a chapel dedicated to St Joseph the Worker, and besides serving the needs of the parish it also serves the social needs of the local community. In 1975 Fr Hayes was replaced by Fr Patrick O'Donovan. Under his guidance the parish is reaching maturity.
M. F. Madelin and A. Grady