About Us
Who We Are
St Mary's is a Roman Catholic Church located in the Preston Village area of Brighton, East Sussex, adjacent to the wonderful Preston Park grounds. Our Parish is a community of Christians of the Roman Catholic tradition of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.
Originally founded in 1910, our church is honoured to serve our Parish community to this day.
We are:
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A people called by Jesus Christ to be a caring and compassionate family
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A people called to extend Christ's love to all who come to Him in Faith, Hope and Love
Our mission is to share the love of God with all, making disciples of Jesus and serving the community after his example.
We are part of Divine Renovation UK movement, focused on evangelisation, hospitality, following the prompts of the Holy Spirit.
Simply put, everyone is welcome at St Mary's.
Our Mission
If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re looking for a church. We’d love for you to be part of our community at St Mary's Preston Park Parish.
Whether you’re struggling to understand what you believe or are looking for a Gospel-focused and grace-saturated church, you can find a home with us here.
You matter to God and you matter to us. You are of infinite worth. And we’re so glad you’re here. Our Parish community is made up of real people, living real lives, making mistakes, experiencing joy, doing the best we can with what we have, taking our next steps toward Christ and helping others do the same.
A lot of things have changed since we were founded in 1910, but some things never have: connecting with God and each other through groups, events and sacramental life and weekly gatherings.
We prioritize simple and clear opportunities to help people take their next steps toward Christ...together.
We are wholeheartedly obeying Christ to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).
This is a radical commitment to be equally focused on reaching those who are yet to know Christ, and on equipping those who already believe for ministry.
If you would like to join us as a new parishioner, download our form below.
Construction & History of St Mary's
St Mary's Church was originally designed by Percy Aiden Lamb, a student of Edward Goldie, and is a Grade II listed building. In 1907, the site for the Church was bought from the lands of Preston Manor. Catherine and Denis Broderick gave money for the building of the church. The foundation for St Mary's was laid on 9 August 1910, with the build following the Arts and Crafts style of Gothic Revival architecture.
In 1912, construction was finished and the first Mass was delivered in the church on the 7th of April, 1912.
In 1918, the old high altar was installed in the church. It was from the old Xaverian College in Brighton. The pews in the church were made by the congregation and were inspired by the pews in St Michael and All Angels Church in Harbledown, Kent.
In the 1950s, the interior was renovated. The floor was relaid and the reredos was removed. In 1978, the presbytery was built to the north of the church and the sanctuary was added. It was built in the shape of a polygon and both were designed by Patrick Foley.
In 1979, the stained glass window in the east side of the church was added. It was designed by Cox & Barnard.
In 2004, with funding from Cyril Cassidy and plans by the priest, Canon Oliver Heaney, the construction of a parish centre was proposed. In 2007, the Cassidy Centre was opened by the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, Kieran Conry. It is attached to the east end of the church and designed by Stephen Wright from the Brighton-based Morgan Carn firm.
They also worked on the Divine Motherhood and St Francis of Assisi Church in Midhurst. That year, the stained glass window behind the font was added. It was designed by Caroline Benyon who worked out of the Glass House in Fulham.
Below are some recent images featuring the historic architecture of our beloved Parish Church.
