THE Carmelite Church in Church street, Kensington, is built of plain
brick and stone and covered with slate, and though plainly treated and of
simple and almost severe design, is nevertheless a good specimen of
modern early English church-building. The east front (the church stands
east and west) is the principal feature externally. It contains a fine
rose window and double entrance doors; those doors open into a lobby to
the right and left. The inside is certainly very good, and reminds one a
great deal of the style of the Pro-Cathedral, but slightly more decorated
and ornate, though not so large. It has a fine effect of height, and the
roofs are handsomely decorated—between the rafters having gold stars on a
blue ground. The plan of the church is simple; a nave and aisles, and
the west end is treated as an apse, in which stands the high altar, very
fine and richly decorated, with crocheted canopy, pinnacles, and niches.
The nave arcade requires to be finished, and the plaster arches present a
very poor effect. It is to be regretted that such a substitute has been
employed. The church has a number of chapels, altars, confessional
boxes, &c., usually found in Roman Catholic churches. The floors of
passages are paved with tiles, and the nave is occupied with simple
pewing. The pulpit is very plain, almost ugly. Some good stained glass
fills the windows of the apse and some of the aisle windows, but we do
not admire the red glass of the clerestory.
The Church of the Carmelite Fathers was opened six years ago, having been
erected at a cost of 5,000_l._, after the design of Mr. Pugin, architect,
of Ramsgate, by Mr. Smith, builder, of the same town. The organ, which
is a very splendid instrument, built by Cavaille and Co., of Paris, and
which is equally remarkable for its soft and powerful tones, cost
2,000_l._ The altars, furniture, confessionals, &c., cost about
3,000_l._ more, so that there is here represented an outlay of at least
10,000_l._
The fathers, who occupy the monastery adjoining, and serve the church
only—having no parish work—are at present five in number. The prior is
the Rev. Stanislaus Viney; and the second and following priests are,
Signors Lignori, Eschewiria, Felix Rizzo, Hillarion Berger, and Edmund
Sharples—four Italians and one Englishman. There are services every hour
from seven A.M. to eleven; and on Sundays vespers at half past three P.M.
Sermon and benediction, high-mass at eleven A.M. There are two
confraternities—that of St. Peter and the Arch-confraternity of
Thanksgiving. In connexion with the first was established in 1863, at
the invitation of Cardinal Wiseman, “nocturnal adoration” of the
sacrament. Each active member—who can only be a male person—has to watch
once a-month one hour at night—a bed being provided for him in the
monastery the remainder of the night. Fourteen members of this
confraternity are summoned for every Wednesday, and attend at ten P.M.,
the “Service of Exposition” and prayers, after which all but two retire
to the dormitory. These two then commence the “Adoration of the
Sacrament.” Ladies are admitted as honorary members only, and their
privileges are to partake with the others of the “merit of the
adoration,” to be allowed to “forward their intentions to be prayed for,”
and to pay a subscription of 2s. 6d. annually.
“The Arch-confraternity of Thanksgiving” has for its special objects to
render thanks for gifts, and above all for the “gift of God—the
Eucharist.” “To make up for the frightful ingratitude of the greater
number of men.” For all benefits, but especially for Jesus, “Who is
really present on our altars in the Divine Eucharist as pontiff and
victim. For the Eucharist is not only the gift of God to men, but the
sacrifice of men offered to God.” The sole obligation of the brothers
and sisters is to “recite every day as a thanksgiving for all men, three
_Our Fathers_, three _Hail Marys_, and _three Glorias_.” The rewards
promised to this confraternity are _special plenary indulgences_—