The Catholic Community of Streatham Hill was founded in 1904 when Frances Elizabeth Ellis of Clapham Park gave Bishop Peter Amigo, fourth Bishop of Southwark, funds to build 12 churches in honour of the 12 apostles. Miss Ellis and her sister had bought the land from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company. As in all the Ellis foundations, at Sts Simon + Jude there is a monthly Mass 'For all who have ever worshipped in this church'.
The church, designed by Clement Jackson, was opened in 1905 as the Tulse Hill Mission and Father (later Canon) Rory Fletcher, a former surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital, was appointed as the first Mission Priest.
When our church was built, then as now immigrants made a up a sizeable proportion of the population in many inner parts of London.
The site of the Church was a cattle pond fed by a stream, which still runs underneath the church. Almost immediately, this stream was the cause of structural weakness, which has continued to give subsidence problems over the years.
By 1985, the whole property was suffering from subsidence. An extensive programme of underpinning and repair to the whole structure had to be undertaken as a matter of urgency. At the same time, it was decided to modify the church interior. The sanctuary was raised up one metre and a new altar of Ancaster stone backed by an oak dossal and damask hanging was installed. Cheshire sandstone was used for the Tabernacle pillar and the pulpit base. The great Cross and two hand-carved angels which came originally from Poland were gilded. A new Ahlborn electric organ was installed at the side of the sanctuary. A programme to fill the windows with stained glass was undertaken by the artist Andrew Taylor of Devizes in a mediaeval style.
More recently, in 2008, the church exterior was repainted.
Copyright © 2008, St Simon + St Jude. All rights reserved.
