Page 17 - Oundle Life Feb 2021

“All seats are free.
All are invited to worship. All are welcome.”
held this inscription “To the glory of God and in memory of many that have gone before,
this Church, dedicated to the ever blessed
name of Jesus, is hereby set apart for the use
of inhabitants of Oundle. All seats are free.
All are invited to worship. All are welcome.” The dedication plate was rediscovered in
recent years and can now be seen above the holding cell upstairs in the Oundle Museum. Although the area served by the church is now considerably wider, the welcome remains to this day.
Prior to the building of the ‘Jesus Church’, the site was one of significance known as Chapel End. A Pre-Reformation chapel dedicated to
St. Thomas of Canterbury occupied this important site with its position at the apex of three roads into and out of Oundle. By the time of the building of ‘Jesus Church’, the site was occupied by a house built within the remains of
the chapel.
It was used at an Anglican Church until
around 1960 after which it stood unused for
a few years. Around 1971, it was sold to the Catholic Diocese of Northamptonshire for £1 and was the first church sold by the Anglicans to the Catholic Church. The name was changed to ‘Most Holy Name of Jesus’ and the vestry
at the southwest corner was added, closely matching the 19th century work. In 1994 Most Holy Name of Jesus Church was selected, by
the Oundle International Festival, to house an impressive 2-manual and pedal organ built by Richard Bower of Norwich. It is used for Mass as well as for recitals and concerts and for organ lessons.
The church continues to serve the vibrant and growing Catholic community of Oundle and the surrounding villages.
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