A Short History
Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church was designed in the late 1930s by the architect P.D. Hepworth, who was educated in Paris and Rome and who worked in South Wales in the 1930s..
The foundation stone was laid on 16th April 1939 by Archbishop Mostyn; he never lived to see the completion of the Church. Our Lady of Peace was erected through the generosity of Mrs Walter Roch of Llanarth at a cost of about £17,000.
The Church is of a tall basilica style with an attached campanile style bell tower. Also attached is a single storey wing, housing the Sacristy, and leading on through to the Presbytery. The interior is striking for its simplicity. It is rendered and mostly white painted, with colour to the roof panels. The unusual plan has an arcade and passage leading into the Church from side.
The main body of the Church is divided by a tall plain Chancel Arch. The Nave is lit to the side by plain tall round headed windows, and to the rear by a high roundel with similar roundels high on each side of the Chancel. There is no window over the altar, but there is a Crucifix set within a tall blind arch. The rear Narthex and Baptistry, with its small windows, are divided off by a metal screen.
The Church was solemnly opened on Sunday, 10the December 1939 by the Bishop of Menevia, Rt. Rev. Daniel Hannon, but was not consecrated until 1952. During the World War II years it was painted to camouflage it from enemy planes.
It did, originally, have a blown air heating system that was coal powered which, as the cost of coal increased, became more and more expensive over the years. Because of its continental design it has been able to keep a lot of heat out. One heating engineer said that this Church design would be found in warmer areas of the continent to keep the heat of the sun out. He added that it had exactly the same effect in the valley! It has never been known as a warm Church!
In the 1980s some work was done to repair the tower, which needed painting and to replace or remove some of the wooden stages affected by water. The interior was also changed. The high altar and pulpit were removed and an altar was built at the head of the nave on some staging. This was removed in the year 2000 and a renovation is being planned which will restore the Church to its original state.
The Church has a normal congregation of about 50 people. It is expected that this figure will increase as renovation advances and the Church is not quite so cold in Winter! There are various organisations which work within the Church and community and it is hoped to build on these and, as well as renovation the bricks and mortar, to renovate the activity of the Church and its mission in Newbridge.