According to its designer, Brentwood Cathedral, the first classical cathedral to be built in England since St. Paul’s, has received a prestigious distinction that demonstrates a shift in public opinion toward “serious classical architecture.”
The Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St. Mary and St. Helen, as it is known officially, was founded in 1991 and is now recognized by Historic England, the government agency in charge of safeguarding England’s historic structures, as a “particularly important building of more than special interest.”
Known architect Sir Christopher Wren’s designs served as an inspiration for Brentwood Cathedral.
About 30 miles to the east of London, in Essex, is where the rebuilt cathedral is located.
It was declared a Grade II* structure on July 14 and is regarded as revolutionary for its unconventional application of classical design.
The distinction is significant: Heritage listed buildings are formally recognized by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport as Grade I, II, or III, with 5.8% of listed structures receiving this distinction.
Brentwood Cathedral is regarded as innovative because it used classical architecture to establish a focal place of worship.
It was the first classical cathedral to be erected in the nation since the renowned Anglican cathedral of St. Paul’s London.
The cathedral features a surviving portion of a Gothic church that was constructed between 1860 and 1861 using designs by renowned Catholic architect Gilbert R. Blount.
It also has a prominent classical expansion that was constructed between 1989 and 1991.
Quinlan Terry, the building’s architect, expressed his joy over the cathedral’s Grade II* listing.
We can see that the perception of serious classical architecture has significantly changed when we look at the history of my design, which was rejected for planning permission and only approved after an appeal about 40 years ago.
Father Martin Boland, the dean of the cathedral and the pastor of the St. Mary and St.
Helen Parish, also expressed his appreciation for the news.
On July 14, he released the following statement: “We are happy that Brentwood Cathedral has obtained a Grade II* classification and that Quinlan Terry’s distinctive vision has been recognized.
His design is a great example of how tradition and modernity can coexist.
The listing also acknowledges the contribution of the Catholic community to Essex’s history and the Cathedral’s significance as a haven of refuge for so many.
A second church (dedicated to St. Helen) was built in 1861, replacing the first church, which had been a Catholic church on the cathedral site since October 1837.
The original church thereafter served as a school, parish hall, and Cathedral Hall.
The church was renovated in 1917 when it was named the cathedral of the newly founded Diocese of Brentwood, and in 1974, John Newton’s plans were implemented to expand it to accommodate 1,000 worshipers.
Bishop Thomas McMahon approved the plans to reconstruct the cathedral thanks to the generosity of an unnamed patron in the late 1980s, who hired the architect Quinlan Terry to carry out this new design.
While Terry mixed traditional Italian Renaissance architecture (the main expanse of the church resembles an Italian Renaissance Court) with the English Baroque of Sir Christopher Wren, Bishop McMahon requested the unusual arrangement of a central altar to maximize congregational participation.
The number eight, which stands for both the “eighth day” of the new creation, the order of grace established through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, and the “seven days” of material creation, is a reoccurring motif throughout Terry’s ideas for the cathedral.
On May 31, 1991, the renovated cathedral was inaugurated.
The Rt Rev Thomas McMahon, Bishop Emeritus of Brentwood, made the following comment in a statement issued on July 14: “My decision to select a classical design for Brentwood Cathedral—one of the first cathedrals to be completed after the Second Vatican Council—was influenced by a variety of factors.
This style of church construction had a long history in Europe. Cardinal Vaughan’s choice to construct Westminster Cathedral in a different architectural style from Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral so that each could be evaluated on its own merits had a significant impact on me.
I was a huge admirer of Christopher Wren’s churches in London and the way he customized each one for the location and available space.
In the same way, I believed that such a style could be modified for the Vatican II-revised liturgy and provide a sublime simplicity.