For those of you who missed it – here is the text of Aline’s talk on Farm Street
THE CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FARM STREET, LONDON
Once upon a time, a girl called Margaret Fletcher from Oxford dreamed of becoming an artist. She studied in Oxford, Bloomsbury, Paris, but her mother died very young leaving her father to look after her 8 siblings. She gave up any hope of an independent career, rose to the occasion and looked after them instead. Her father was a Church of England vicar and her faith was strong. Her thirst to know more led her to read extensively. She was particularly interested by the writings of St John of the Cross, the sixteenth Spanish mystic and friend of St Teresa of Avila. She now wished to know more about Roman Catholicism. She asked a friend who was a catholic priest. He told her to go to London and see the Jesuit priests at the church in Farm Street. She agreed and made the trip. It led to her official conversion to Catholicism on September 9, 1897. In 1906, she was to found the Catholic Women’s League.
So, what about “Farm Street”? To cut a very long story short, the Society of Jesus (or Jesuits) was founded at the time of the Reformation. It became renowned for its apostolate in England during penal times, often paying a heavy price for it. As soon a the laws permitted, the Society started to establish itself in England It opened the first post-reformation catholic church in England, St Mary’s in Fishergate, Preston, in 1761, followed by Stonyhurst college in 1794, Lancashire, and many schools and churches, especially in the north-west.
A series of Acts of Parliament gradually led Britain to adopt religious freedom for all, including Catholics who, by then, were fast increasing in numbers in London, from 10,000 in 1767 to 100,000 in 1851. They were French émigrés, Irish people hit by famine of 1840 – 1850, English people influenced by John Henry Newman and the Tractarian movement at Oxford form the early 1830’s onwards.
In this new spirit, the Society of Jesus looked for a suitable plot to build a church in London. One became available near the Jesuit headquarters in Mount Street, in the fast-developing Mayfair area of the City of Westminster. . The chosen location presented the advantage of being quiet, and far enough from possible anti-Catholic riots. Today, the official address of “Farm Street” is actually 114, Mount Street. Despite this careful approach, the Jesuits built in as bold a way as they would have in a catholic country, although on a much smaller scale. Smaller, but not so small: the church was initially calculated to welcome up to 900 people, but this was a bit too ambitious and was reduced to about half that number by more realistic planning! The flamboyant gothic façade and the gorgeously decorated inside with marble and alabaster have the Catholic stamp all over them. The church we see today has been enlarged and partly rebuilt after a fire in 1858 and a bomb in 1940, but it has essentially retained its original character. It was last re-furbished in 2007, which means that it is currently free of any of the numerous scaffoldings which you see everywhere in Mayfair at the moment.
The new church opened officially on July 31 1849, the feast of St Ignatius. It was called “Church of the Immaculate Conception”, a dogma made official by the pope in 1854 and popularised by Our Lady herself during her apparitions at Lourdes in 1858. “Farm Street” was at the heart of a vast movement of rebirth which saw the building of 45 catholic churches in London in the next half-century. The Catholic hierarchy was restored in 1850 but the Church of the Immaculate Conception did not become a parish until 1966. This means it was not allowed to baptise or celebrate weddings, until its status changed. However, Farm Street soon became one of the best-known churches in London. Its mission was essentially to preach, offer confession, welcome those interested in the Faith and support the poor.
The building itself brings a message of beauty, harmony and peace destined to elevate the souls of its visitors. To achieve the desired effect, the Jesuits followed their own tradition of employing the best architects: J.J. Soles, Augustus Pugin (for the high altar), A.J. Scott after WWII. Post-war stain glass windows [by Evie Hone, Patrick Pollen and the John Hardman trading Cie of Birmingham] provide soft light to the sanctuary. Many statues of saints adorn the walls. A particularly beautiful statue of known as Our Lady of Farm Street came from Mayer of Munich in 1860.
Today, the Jesuit fathers have also promote art by employing a remarkable artist-in-residence: Andrew White came to Farm Street in 2018. Originally a landscape painter from Norfolk, he uses a haunting mix of classical and modern style. Three of White’s religious works adorn the church: a rather dark Pietà in the Calvary Chapel, showing only Mary’s hand on her son’s body; a thoughtful portrait of “Mother Mary” as se says “yes” to the Angel, and an incredible “Last Supper” reminiscent of Caravaggio or George de la Tour with its play on light and darkness. A very strong invitation to contemplation.
The reputation of Farm Street was also built on the quality of its preachers. Among them was Bernard Vaughan (1847 – 1922). Educated at Stonyhurst, he became a Jesuit. Amazingly, his five sisters all became nuns and five of his seven brothers became priests. His eldest brother was none other than Herbert Vaughan who became Archbishop of Westminster, founded the Missionary Society of Saint Jospeh (the Mill Hill Fathers) and started building Westminster Cathedral in 1903.
Masses and confession also attracted and still attract many to the humble street. The church offers three masses on a weekday and 7 Sunday masses. And many people have converted or returned to the Faith partly thanks to the Farm Street fathers, although conversion can be a lifetime process and the Farm Street church itself is rather shy of giving any names in this respect. An article on the subject was less discreet, naming Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, Alec Guinness … and we can add Margaret Fletcher.
In 2022, Farm Street started a Catholic faith helpline (Catholic listeners) described as “compassionate and confidential” (0800 448 0704) which is open three days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays). The church also offers a Landings course of relaxed informal meetings over eight weeks for returning Catholics, led by returners.
The link with artists lives on. The Literature and Theology Group meets regularly to discuss various novels; many conference themes are offered at Mount Street or online, there is a tradition of Slow art Fridays, an opportunity to pray with art in one of central London’s galleries; one is invited to come to pray with icons, with photographs… Special attention is given to LGBT+ people for whom Farm Street is their official parish. Endless opportunities to deepen one’s faith.
Music is not neglected. Until recently, the Organist and Director of Music at Farm Street, David Graham, an internationally famous teacher of organ at the Royal College of Music. Singing at Farm Street is offered by one of the London’s leading professional choirs. Warning: a solemn Mass may take rather longer than usual as a result!
As you walk around the quiet church, the low rumble of the underground Jubilee Line reminds you that you are in London, a vast metropolis populated by the very rich but also with many very poor people.
A strange statue entitled “Homeless Jesus” attracts your attention. It is a life-size bronze statue of a figure huddled under a blanket on a park bench, the work of a catholic Canadian Sculptor, Timothy Schmalz. The statue is not unique: about fifty bronze casts have been installed across the world, from the Vatican City to Capernaum, from Johannesburg to Singapore. 
The Farm Street copy is housed inside the church to hint at the many charitable activities centred around the Church of the Immaculate Conception to help refugees, the homeless, LGBT+, in a web of local, national and international connections.
Indeed, the Jesuits are present everywhere, with India being the country with their largest number (4000). A more modest 100 are said to work in Britain.
An observer once said: “The Church of the Immaculate Conception is one of the most exclusive Catholic parishes in the world but also one of the most inclusive” [Lucien de Guise, Aleteia, 04/30/18]. A great illustration of the mission of the Jesuits, as “contemplative in action”.