The Catholic Church in Balsall Common (continued)

When Father Dennis Manion came back to the Parish as Parish Priest it became evident, with the rapid growth in the population, that a larger church was needed. Sufficient land had been kept for a new church, presbytery and hall if necessary. There was a large field adjacent to St Philomena’s. This had been leased initially to Balsall Parish Council and subsequently to Berkswell Parish Council for recreational purposes. Originally of course it had been hoped this would be the site of the school.

In 1988, Father Anthony Maguire, a former White Father, (1988-2001) arrived and plans to build a new church began in earnest. An application was made for a building on the ‘playing field’, but due to opposition from some local residents and Solihull MBC, it was rejected. Apparently a church in a pleasantly designed rural landscape is not an acceptable incursion into the Green Belt. What a pity.

Our excellent architect John Holmes from Leamington Spa, whose church at Monks Kirby we had much admired, drew up further plans for a church on the land occupied by St Philomena’s, the site to include space for three house plots which would be sold to help pay for the new church. Eventually the Archbishop decided to retain one of the plots for use as a presbytery to be built at no cost to the Parish. A bungalow was built and initially became the home of Father Christopher Thornton, who although officially retired regularly celebrated or concelebrated mass for us.

The last mass was celebrated in St Philomena’s in March 1994 - a sad day filled with memories for many of those present. Very soon after this the inside of the church was stripped of its contents. The statues, Stations of the Cross and the tabernacle were taken away and restored to their former splendour for installation in the new church, while the altar and benches were given to another parish in the Archdiocese. The building was then demolished and the builders, J Guest, began to erect our new church.

On 4 November 1994 the Most Reverend Maurice Couve de Murville, 7 th Archbishop of Birmingham, came to bless the foundation stone. He expressed his delight at seeing ‘a church which looked like a church’. The work was completed in time for the first mass to be celebrated on Christmas morning, a day of great joy and more tears, this time of pleasure. At the end of mass messages of goodwill were read from our friends in the other local churches, a reminder of the many years Christian fellowship we have shared in what we now know as ‘Churches Together in Balsall and Berkswell’.

As in St Philomena’s, many items in the church have been donated by parishioners and well-wishers, several in memory of loved ones. The remembrance of St Philomena’s lingers on with the statues, stations, tabernacle and above the altar the crucifix that has been part of our worship since 1948.

Although we had hoped to be able to celebrate the life of a local saint, there was not a little surprise when the Archbishop informed us that the name of Blessed Robert Grissold had been selected. Surprise gave way to admiration when we learnt more of this good man born only six miles from Balsall Common and who had been prepared to accept martyrdom, together with the priest Father John Sugar, at Warwick on 16 July 1604.

The Grissolds were a well-known Warwickshire Catholic Family and the name appears very frequently in the Recusant Rolls. Robert Grissold, who was born in nearby Rowington between 1550 and 1560, was fined £80 in 1593 and £60 in 1594 for not attending the services of the Church of England. On 8 th July 1603, when the Grissold house was raided by the pursuivants, Robert helped Father John Sugar to escape and with him was arrested on the highway. In Warwick prison, the layman showed his respect and love for the priest by refusing the opportunity of making his escape unless Father Sugar could escape with him.

Robert Grissold was a simple agricultural worker with little education but he resisted all attempts to persuade him to give up his religion and never wavered in his faith. In court, during his trial, one of the justices shouted at him in exasperation, ‘Grissold, Grissold, go to church or else thou shalt be hanged’. On the scaffold he said that he died ‘not for theft nor for felony but for conscience’. Without flinching he watched the cruelties inflicted on Father Sugar and then calmly offered himself to the hangman.