Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi R.C. Church, Clifton Nottingham.
Our History
Clifton has existed as a community for many hundreds of years. There has been a church in the village of Clifton for more than 1,000 years and its existence was noted in the Doomsday Book. At the time of the Reformation the village church became part of the Church of England
It was not until 1966 that the Catholic community in Clifton again had a permanent place of worship. Corpus Christi Church was officially opened on 29th March 1966 by Bishop Ellis.
In 1956 Bishop Ellis asked Father McGuinness (now Bishop Emeritus of Nottingham) to form the new parish of Clifton. For the ensuing ten years the parishioners had to worship in many different places. Their first site was a Wimpey builders’ hut which served as a kitchen for the builders during the week. When the hut was burned down by vandals, the congregation moved to a building owned by the Nottingham Co-operative Society and used a billiard table as an altar.
Father McGuinness also celebrated Mass and christenings in a converted garage (see above) in Ruddington Village and in the Blessed Robert Widmerpool School in Clifton.
Work began on the construction of the church in November 1963. Because of particularly difficulty site conditions, the church was built on a reinforced concrete base with a structure of pre-cast concrete frame and beams. In the finished building these give the effect of a vaulted roof. The church has a side chapel, now known as the Lady Chapel in which Mass is offered on weekdays. A Baptistery is housed beneath the Church Tower and in the tower itself there is a single bell. A choir gallery is set at the rear of the church. The gallery also contains the organ. Above and behind the gallery is a fine modern stain glass window.
The architects were Messrs Reynolds and Scott of Manchester and Nottingham who also designed the adjoining Presbytery. The builders were Messrs Varley of Langley Mill.
The Foundation Stone was laid on 24th June 1964 by Bishop Ellis.
The first service in the church was Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 1965 when a congregation of over 600 filled the church.
The occasion was notable for the choir of the day. It was the first time that they had been accompanied by an organ. The first organ in the church came from Birmingham. The second was rescued from the Odeon Cinema in Nottingham. The present organ came from the Mary Ward Teacher Training College when it closed.
The church was consecrated by Bishop McGuinness on 2nd June 1983.
The bell tower houses one bell which was cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough in 1964. It has a diameter of 698 mm (27.5 inches) and weighs 211 Kg (4 cwt 16 lbs). The waist of the bell bears the inscription “MARIA”. The electrically operated bell, thought to have been silent for 27 years, was restored to working order in December 1999 and now calls the faithful to prayer once more.