English Martyrs' Catholic Church, Goring-by-Sea
Church in Worthing, West Sussex, England
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English Martyrs' Church is in Compton Avenue, Goring-by-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex, England. It is an active Roman Catholic parish church in the diocese of Arundel & Brighton and the Worthing deanery. Hand-painted by Gary Bevans over five and a half years, English Martyrs' Church has the only known reproduction of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling,[3][4] which has been described as "a marvel"[1] and "astonishing".[4]
| English Martyrs Catholic Church, Goring-by-Sea | |
|---|---|
The church from the northeast | |
 English Martyrs Catholic Church, Goring-by-Sea | |
| 50.8158°N 0.4277°W | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | english-martyrs |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | English Martyrs |
| Consecrated | 1970 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church, utilitarian[1] |
| Completed | 1968 |
| Specifications | |
| Width | 13 metres (44 ft)[2] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Southwark |
| Diocese | Arundel & Brighton |
| Deanery | Worthing |
| Clergy | |
| Priest | Fr Liam O'Connor |
| Deacon | Gary Bevans |
Reproduction of Sistine Chapel ceiling
Following a visit with his wife and children to the Sistine Chapel in Rome for the beatification of the English Martyrs in 1987, sign-painter Gary Bevans was inspired to paint a copy of the Sistine Chapel frescoes on the ceiling of English Martyrs' Church.[5] The frescoes painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from 1508 are regarded as one of the major artistic accomplishments of human civilisation.[6][7] Bevans realised that English Martyrs' Church is the same width as the Sistine Chapel in Rome, and slightly shorter in length.[5] Bevans had already produced works of art for the church. These included images of two of the English Martyrs - St Thomas More and St John Fisher, and a painting of the Last Supper which unusually includes Mary on Jesus' left, a young child and a Yorkshire Terrier.[8]
Having secured the backing of the parish priest he received permission from the bishop of Arundel and Brighton, Cormac Murphy-O'Connor[9] and began work later in 1987. Bevans completed the painting of the ceiling in 1993, five and a half years later. Bevans completed the works by himself, working in the evening and at weekends, in addition to his full-time job. The medium used for the painting is acrylic, on a white ground, applied to a vaulted wooden ceiling fixed to the church roof.[4]
The church also has a stained glass west window, by Annie Goodman, installed in 1990, as well as Irish coloured glass in the clerestory.[1]
Adjoining barn
Next to the church lies the barn that is used as a church hall. Built in 1771 for George Jupp, a local farmer, the barn with its outbuildings was designated as a Grade II listed building on 31 January 1989.[10] In December 1937 the barn was in a derelict state when it was bought with adjoining land and turned into a chapel, with priests from St Mary of the Angels in the centre of Worthing saying mass. When the new parish was created in 1952 the barn was used as a church until it was replaced by the present church building.[11]