Islweorth churches celebrate 300 years of services

This year will see St Bridget’s, All Saints’ and the Isleworth Congregational Church celebrate a combined 300 years of services, christenings, confirmations, marriages and funerals.

A special service will be held at St Bridget’s this Sunday to mark the triple celebration.

St Bridget’s, in Twickenham Road, will be celebrating 100 years since it opened its doors in May 1909 to the Isleworth Catholic community, which had previously met in a backstreet chapel, in what is now Lion Wharf Road.

The church was opened by the then Archbishop Francis Bourne after it was decided in 1906 by Rector Father Eric Green, that a new and larger building was needed for the Catholic community.

He was supported by three generous ladies, the Misses Saunders who provided the land and a lady known as Mrs Macdonnell, who met the cost of the construction.

The church will be visited by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor on Sunday, May 3, for a special anniversary service.

In June, the independent Isleworth Congregational Church will be celebrating an impressive 160 years since its formation in the modest gothic chapel in Twickenham Road.

Reverend at the church Anthony Ball, who has been at the church for 35 years, said: “It’s lovely to get a free church, an Anglican church and a Catholic church together. In this area we have a very friendly relationship.”

Reverend Anna Brooker, at All Saints’ Church, in Church Street, said: “We join in services through the year as part of Churches Together in Isleworth. It’s something we like to do.”

All Saints’ will be celebrating 40 years since the completion of its reconstruction after the church was gutted by a fire in 1943.

The church, which dates from the 14th century, was severely damaged after being set alight by two school boys, who a few days later set fire to Holy Trinity Church in Hounslow.

The first service in the new church was held at Christmas 1969.

All are welcome to the anniversary service which will be held at 4pm this Sunday.