A modern steel-framed church on a square plan, designed by L. A. G. Prichard & Son of Liverpool and built in 1970-71. The exterior has been unsympathetically altered, but the interior retains a number of good original furnishings. 

St Cyngar brought Christianity to Llangefni in the sixth century and Mass continued to be held on Anglesey until Blessed William Davies was martyred at Beaumaris in 1594. The first Mass known to have been held in Llangefni in post-Reformation times was conducted by Fr John Brady from Beaumaris in a local house in 1938. Soon afterwards, a building in Bulkeley Square was used as a Mass centre until 1949, when a building at 64 Bridge Street was acquired. A temporary structure, this soon proved inadequate for the growing congregation. In 1960 a church of portal frame construction, faced in local stone was proposed as a replacement building on the same site. Designed by L. A. G. Prichard & Son of Liverpool, this was later abandoned in favour of a more modern (and cheaper) design by the same architects (the drawings were prepared by Jerzy Faczynski, who had previously worked on a number of important designs for Weightman & Bullen, notably St Mary, Leyland). The main contractors were Watkin Jones and Son Ltd, while Fr James Butler OMI of Amlwch oversaw the project.

The church was opened and dedicated on 2 May 1971 by Bishop Petit of Menevia and consecrated on 10 May by Bishop Langton Fox, Bishop of Maura. Originally it had a large west window in the form of a cross, containing dalle de verre glass by Dom Charles Norris OSB of Buckfast Abbey; however this more recently been removed, the opening blocked and the west elevation rendered.

The church is served from Beaumaris.

Description

The church was built in 1970-71 from designs by Lionel A. G. Prichard & Son of Liverpool. Modern in design, it is square on plan and of steel framed construction with red and buff brick walls, now rendered to the front. The steeply-pitched roof is cross-gabled and covered with pantiles, with flat roofs over the sacristy and parish room to the rear. There is a modern steel-framed fléche surmounted by a cross at the centre of the roof. The windows are double glazed with clear glass and uPVC frames. There are steps and a ramped approach to a projecting flat-roofed porch at the main entrance.

A slate plaque in the porch marks the opening and dedication of the church. The porch leads into the square worship area and the sanctuary is at the east end. The sacristy is beyond the east wall, accessed through a doorway next to the baptistery, while the entrance to the parish room is to the north of the sanctuary. The interior is a single spacious volume, with the steel framing of the roof exposed. The mahogany benches (by Hearne of Waterford) are laid in a conventional west to east layout and the baptistery is in an alcove in the east wall south of the sanctuary. The floor of the worship area is carpeted; the walls throughout are painted brickwork with areas of timber panelling.

The sanctuary is up two steps; its furnishings were provided by Christopher O’Neill & Co. Ltd. of Carrickmines, Dublin. The altar, lectern, tabernacle plinth, and top of the communion rails are in grey Sicilian marble, the sanctuary (and baptistery) floors and the pillars of the communion rails are in Rosa Aurea marble, while there is dove grey marble panelling on the east wall of the sanctuary and on the risers of the steps. The font is in white Sicilian marble with a dove grey marble plinth and wooden cover with cross finial; it is set on castors to be portable. The tabernacle (by Hayes & Finch of Liverpool) is square with a pyramid top and finial cross, it is silvered and hammered. Above the sanctuary is a large painted and carved crucifix.

At the east end of the south wall is a modern hardwood side altar dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, with an inlaid image of the Holy Spirit on the altar front, a carved crucifix of Christ the King, a crown, and plaques with the names of the Martyrs on the canopied reredos. Other furnishings include a pair of timber statues of Our Lady with the Holy Infant and St Joseph with the Holy Infant, on matching Gothic hardwood plinths. The Stations of the Cross are of Linden wood, by G. V. Mussner of Bolzano, Italy. There is a modern polychrome plaster statue of St James the Less, a polychrome plaster statue St Thérèse of Lisieux, a large gold painted plaster bust of St Eugene de Mazenod (founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate), all in the nave, and a modern polychrome wood statue of St Joseph in the porch.

A west window with dalle de verre glass was designed and executed by Dom. Charles Norris OSB of Buckfast Abbey, this has since been removed and the opening blocked.

Heritage Details