The Studley Mission was an act of faith for all concerned. The resolution to build a church here was made as early as 1847 by a small group of local Catholics encouraged by monk missioners from Coughton and Redditch.
Sir Robert Throckmorton, of the Catholic family of Throckmorton, who lived at nearby Coughton Court was contacted. A Catholic Chapel was located within the grounds of the Coughton Court but Sir Robert agreed to a separate church for the village of Studley.
Lady Mary Throckmorton gave a large sum of money and together with funds raised from Catholic families in Studley, Staffordshire and Worcestershire, the next step was to find suitable land for the Church.
Sir Francis Lyttleton Hollyoake Goodrich sold land for the Church, Presbytery and garden to Sir Robert Throckmorton who then presented it to Studley to build the Catholic Church.
The Church, dedicated to St Mary, and the sacristy were built and opened on January 27th 1853. The architect was a Mr Hanson and the building of it had taken two years. The first priest appointed to the mission, as it was called, was the Reverend James Duck OSB, Benedictine from Douai Abbey in Berkshire. (For Canonical and political reasons the English Catholic parishes were called Missions until 1911.) Reverend Duck was at St Mary's until 1856. The presbytery wasn't completed until 1865.
The first Mass was said on the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th 1853. Parish registers tell us that Baptisms and Burials started from March 1853, Confirmations in November 1855, and Marriages not until January 1861.
The Coughton Missioner to Studley has been followed by an unbroken succession of Benedictines who have come from the great houses of Downside, Ampleforth and Douai. In the twenty five years that followed the opening of the church, four came from Downside, two from Ampleforth and one from Douai. Since 1878, seventeen have come from Douai with unbroken continuity. In 1899 the monasteries became autonomous abbeys. As a consequence, the central administration of the English Benedictines was diminished in favour of the individual abbeys. Furthermore, the missions were divided between the three abbeys. Studley became part of Douai Abbey. As an incorporated parish, Studley enjoys the jurisdiction of the Abbot of Douai.
St Mary's School first opened in 1864 and for the first 50 years of its existence, teachers had to battle with truanting and absenteeism. There was much sickness and weakness amongst the poorer children as they were often expected to provide manual labour, and also to work in the fields during the summer months.
Today, a strong link exists between St Mary's Church and St Mary's School based on an active partnership of family, school and Parish. Children from the school make their First Holy Communion here, and in their final year at the school they are Confirmed. Regular Masses are also said in school. Liturgy of the Word for children forms part of the 10.30 am Sunday Mass. Pupils are greatly supported by parishioners, particularly during their sacramental preparation, offering their support and prayers by becoming dedicated Prayer Partners.
In the graveyard at the front of the Church, search out the grave of Austin Sumner and find out when he died to give you ABCD EFGH(DDMM YEAR) and his age JK and then by using these letters in the formula below you should gather the final co-ordinates.
N 52 EJ.(B/D)(K+A-J)A W 001 (F-D)(ABC/JH).DG(J*A)
THe final cache can then be found a nice short stroll across a field behind the Church.
**************************************
For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
*************************************