Plymouth church engraving underlines Christ is the King

Latin for 'thy kingdom come' is inscribed over the main entrance

Christ the King – November 25

- WCR photo by Ted Fitzgerald Plymouth's Christ the King Church bears the inscription above its door 'thy kingdom come.'

By TED FITZGERALD
Special to the WCR
Plymouth, Enland

There can be little doubt about the dedication of the compact Plymouth City Centre Church at the entry to the famous Hoe. Dramatically stated above the main entrance is the inscription "Adveniat Regnum Tuum ," that is "thy kingdom come," a direct excerpt from the Lord's Prayer, the supplication given us by Christ himself that directly assigns to God the title of king.

The church, facing north onto Notte Street but bearing a more prestigious address on adjacent Armada Way, is noted for its popular noon Mass, an occasion that daily sees upwards of 100 city residents crowding the narrow nave. Christ the King is not a parish church, but rather a chapel-of-ease attached to Plymouth Cathedral, originally designed to welcome visitors to the city from outlying areas.

Historic port city

Plymouth, on the boundary between Devon and Cornwall counties in England's West, is one of the country's best known, busiest and historic port cities. Centred around boulevarded Armada Way, many historic sites are close to the chapel of Christ the King.

Christ the King, built in 1962, is one of five churches in the metropolitan city area associated directly with Saint Mary and Saint Boniface Cathedral as part of the City Centre Group.

The cathedral was constructed in 1858 as the mother church of the Diocese of Plymouth.

Evolution

Following Catholic Emancipation in 1820, and after several reorganizations, Plymouth Diocese was fixed in 1850 to include more than 130 churches in the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. Since 1965, it has been a suffragan to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Southwark.

The Church of Christ the King, built thanks to the generosity of an anonymous benefactor, is of neo-Gothic design and seats 200 people. Its warm sandy-coloured simple brick nave and bell tower complement the open, green park areas of adjacent Armada Way.

The interior is noted for some expensive furnishings provided by the people of the diocese, including oak pews and ornate chandeliers. The Lady Chapel is a focus of attention, while the main Vatican II altar is shaded by a simple, modern baldachino (a canopy of state over an altar) and backed by a huge curtain displaying a large crucifix.

The feast of Christ the King, a liturgical festive office, is celebrated on the last, or 34th Sunday of Ordinary Time, in late November preceding the first Sunday of Advent.

King of Kings

This last week before preparation for Christmas is traditionally devoted in the Church to end-times, the final judgement and the domination of the King of Kings. Readings for the feast day reflect these themes.

At the dedication of the Plymouth chapel and the associated Pontifical High Mass of Christ the King, the homily was based on the Psalm ". . . for God is the King of all the earth."

The bishop presiding hoped that many outside of the Catholic faith might attend services here, recognizing Christ as God and King, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and encouraged all present to pray, in the words of the festive preface, that all "will submit their hearts to the sovereignty of Christ Our Lord and King."

Most visitors to Plymouth and the chapel find their way a few blocks east to the Barbican Maritime Village on the shores of Sutton Harbour. There they can search the narrow old streets for fantastic seafood eateries and actually stand on the historic Mayflower Steps, from where the famed colonizing ship set sail for the New World in 1620.

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