St Thomas of Canterbury

Stratford Road

Wroxton-St. Mary

Oxfordshire 

Welcome to all who visit this special place!

 

The Catholic Church of St Thomas of Canterbury is one of only eight thatched churches in Britain. In 1841, Baroness Susan North married a Catholic Irishman, J.S. Doyle, who changed his name to North and was granted the title through a special Act of Parliament.

 

Under the new Lord North, Catholic services were first held in the Abbey Chapel and then moved to a mission held in the North Arms public house. In 1887, North had the chapel built here and dedicated to St Thomas, so that the village would once again have a proper Catholic place of worship. One of the more interesting features of the church is the stained glass windows. The front windows are original and depict occupations of the locals, e.g. sheep shearers, reapers and sowers. The front and side windows were all salvaged from churches destroyed during World War II. This explains their randomness and also the fact that there are three separate windows depicting the Transfiguration of Christ. This is unique to St Thomas’s.

 

Today, St Thomas is part of the parish of St Joseph’s. Mass is held here every Sunday at 9.00 am. Weddings and baptisms are also celebrated in the church.