Holy Trinity

The city of Bath was "blitzed" in reprisal raids by the Luftwaffe on the nights of 25/26th and 26/27th April 1942. More than 400 people were killed, and much destruction was caused. On the first night Holy Trinity was hit by a high explosive bomb and badly damaged. At 7 o'clock on the morning of the 26th April, a Sunday, two priests and two laymen met at the church and consumed the Blessed Sacrament ; they also removed some of the small ornaments which were undamaged and to hand. That night the church was destroyed by fire , together with the ajoining school buildings and hall. The area around the Rectory in Marlborough Lane was also heavily bombed. The two houses on either side of the Rectory were completely destroyed, and the Rectory itself was severely damaged.

The Church had now nowhere of its own in which to meet for worship and fellowship.

The Vicar and Churchwardens of St. Paul's, built in response to the purchase of the Holy Trinity advowson by followers of the Oxford Movement, kindly offered the use of their church for services every Sunday. This was of course accepted by Fr. Hammond, and a Sung Mass with full ceremonial was held at 9.30 am each Sunday, and was well attended.

Fr. Hammond retired from the living of Holy Trinity on 6th February 1943. It remained vacant until the very last moment. It was offered to Fr. Christopher Leech, Curate-in-Charge of St. Peter's, East Twerton, who accepted it by telegram. This was to stop the living passing into the hands of the Crown. Bishop Francis Underhill of Bath and Wells had died and the Archbishopric of Canterbury was vacant; this necessitated quick action to be taken by the patrons, the Society for the Maintenance of the Faith.

Fr. Leech was inducted as Rector of Holy Trinity, on 16th October 1943. As the ruins of the blitzed church were still standing, the ceremony took place in the painstakingly cleared Sanctuary, with the congregation amidst the rubble.

Fr. Leech continued as Curate-in-Charge of St. Peter's. Both congregations worshipped together on Sundays and at weekday services. St. Peter's had enjoyed a Catholic tradition for some years; the Blessed Sacrament was reserved , but incense was not used regularly. The latter factor, and objections to "having to to cross the river", became a barrier to harmony, and led to Holy Trinity people failing to attend services.

At the end of 1946 Fr. Leech decided to offer himself for work in the Mission field and he resigned as Rector of Holy Trinity.

On Ascension Day, 15th May 1947, Fr. Harold Edwin Sheen was instituted to the living of Holy Trinity in the Church of the Ascension, South Twerton, and inducted in the ruins of the old church.

The Rectory had been rebuilt by Bath City Corporation, which then mistakenly put tenants into the house without the permission of the Church. The Churchwardens took up the case and had the premises released as a rectory dwelling. This episode had occurred before Fr. Sheen's Induction.

One of the first things he did was to fit up a chapel in the Rectory. This allowed Mass to be said there on Mondays and Saturdays; on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at St. Paul's; and on Thursdays at St. Peter's.

The following unusual events may seem to us now almost comic, but they were certainly not amusing to those confronted with them at the time. With the intention of obtaining a temporary church building to be placed within the ruins of Holy Trinity, a farm building had been viewed, found suitable, and bought. But it disappeared before it could be removed from its site for re-erection. The cheque had been made out to the farmer's son, who was getting married. It came to light that he had used the money for the expenses of his honeymoon.

Fr. Sheen embarked on Court action. But the money was recovered "out of Court" when it was found that the then Ministry of Works had removed the hut (it being their property) as they had never been paid for it. Notwithstanding the trouble this caused in the first months of Fr. Sheen's ministry, the outcome was for the best, as we shall now see.

After much negotiation, and through the kindness of the Revd. Jack Ramsey, Vicar of St. Paul's, their hall in Monmouth Street was made available for hire to Holy Trinity. (This attractive building, at present housing the Robins Cinema, still bears the words "S Paul's Parish Hall" and "S Paul's Church House".) The offer was on condition that the Admiralty, which had used it during the war, would release it. The Bishop arranged for this to take place, and a period of three months was allowed for the Admiralty to vacate the hall; in fact it took six months. The congregation rallied round and the building was fitted out as a temporary church. It soon became home for them and for the "Rector without a Church", as Fr. Sheen was known. The hall was formally opened and licensed as a Church by the Bishop on 20th December 1948; it was also licensed for marriages.

This development gave back to the people of Holy Trinity and St. Peter's their own identities.

The first Mass, a Requiem, was offered for Fr. Lionel Richards Lewis, who had died on 18th December. As we have seen, he had been Rector of Holy Trinity between 1932 and 1940. He was present at the Institution and Induction of Fr. Sheen.

The Blessed Sacrament was reserved again, while the traditional pattern of Sunday services was resumed. Holy Trinity was worshipping in its own way and in its own space, once more. Yet even better things were to come.

The diocesan authorities had drawn up plans for pastoral reorganisation in the light of the Sheffield Report. These plans included the transfer of St. Paul's Church building whenever its Vicar might leave the parish. This happened in 1951. If those present when St. Paul's was consecrated in 1874 could have foreseen what was now to happen, they would have had to acknowledge, as we must, the mystery of God's purpose: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways". It was agreed that Holy Trinity should take over St. Paul's.

Thus ended ten years of wandering for priests and people. The Wilderness Years were over.

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