St. Mary’s Catholic Church – or to give it its full title Our Lady of the Assumption – celebrated its bi-centenary in 1993. The church has the distinction of being the oldest post-Reformation public place of worship in Wales.

This is not to say that (post-Reformation) Catholic worship is only some 200 years old in this area. Indeed, Catholicism survived to the extent that, by the middle of the 17^th century, Monmouth had the second highest proportion of Catholics in the country. Holy Mass continued to be said in private houses and chapels and in pubs and open air venues.

In 1778 the Penal laws against Catholics were relaxed and consequently a group of local Catholics petitioned Monmouth magistrates for permission to erect a 'Public Catholick Chapel in the town of Monmouth’. Amongst the petitioners was Michael Watkins, landlord of the Robin Hood Inn, where a room had served as a Mass centre.

The magistrates granted permission for a new building on three conditions –

• That the building should not look like a church e.g. no steeple
• That it should not look onto the highway
• That worshippers should arrive at the chapel one at a time.

These conditions reflected the fact that there was still a great deal of suspicion of Catholics.

In 1793, the chapel was built but, to comply with the rules, the North East aspect is that of a house complete with chimney pots.

The original chapel is now the area of the present sanctuary and sacristy. The beautiful stained glass window, depicting Our Lady, is indicative of Georgian Gothic style of the time. Where the church tower stands today were three small cottages that hid the chapel. At the centre of these three cottages was a swing door, through which people entered.

The year 1829 brought full Catholic Emancipation. Shortly thereafter, the chapel was extended, with the completion of the chancel and sacristy and a burial vault that extended to approximately half of the present church. The vault was used for several burials, including in 1847, that of Thomas Grafton OFM, a priest who had helped nuns escape from Bruges during the French Revolution. The initial extension was achieved by the Rev. Mr. Thomas Burgess, Missioner in charge at Monmouth. St. Mary’s was known as a ‘Mission’ until the turn of the 19th/20th century.[Back to top]

Transformation of Chapel to Church 1852 – 1888

• The sanctuary and sacristy, which is the area of the original chapel, as has already been described.
• The different styles of windows in the main body of the church, which denote the two later stages of expansion.
• The baptismal font, with its serpent around the pedestal, the confessional box and sanctuary lamp. These were paid for by the Royal Monmouthshire Militia, commanded by Colonel Vaughan of Courtfield, whose Catholic family produced Cardinal Vaughan of Westminster. (The militia had many Catholics in its ranks and was sometimes referred to as ‘The Pope’s Own’!)
• The impressive crucifix over the altar, completed in 1953, which was the work of a Polish sculptor.

Quote from Rev. David Smith 1993

Postscript to 'History of St. Mary's Church, 1793 -1993'

Up to the Present Day