Our Faith History

Many are drawn here by the spirit of St Francis of Assisi. St Francis was a product of 13th century Italy. Giving up a life of pleasure and affluence, Francis looked upon his fellow human beings in their suffering and saw in them the face of Jesus Christ. In fact, he looked on everything in God’s creation and called them ‘brother’ and ‘sister’.

The Franciscans have served this church since its very beginning. The Friars in Clevedon originally came from Amiens in France, escaping the persecution of religious. Having arrived in Clevedon between 1881 and 1882, they served the Catholics from ‘Portland House’ in Wellington Terrace. The first Mass was said in this friary with a congregation of just five people, being the total Catholic population. Soon a larger house was purchased for the sum of £3800. The ‘Royal Hotel’, as it was originally called, stood on the property now occupied by Friary Close. Masses were held in the bar of this former hotel from February 1883. As the congregation increased, so it was decided to build this church in the grounds of the Friary.

On 16th February 1886 the foundation stone was laid. The first public Mass was said a year later and in July 1887 it was consecrated. The cost of the church was £3000, paid for mainly by the lay members of the Franciscan Order in Amiens. The church itself is in early English style, using local stone and Bath-stone dressing. The remarkably colourful stained glass windows have a variety of images. Many depict Franciscan saints, such as Bonaventure, Bernadine and Duns Scotus, while some show scriptural stories, such as the Baptism of Our Lord, the descent of the Holy Spirit and Veronica wiping the face of Jesus. The two side chapels are dedicated to St Francis and Our Lady.

The French Friars served the people of Clevedon, Portishead, Nailsea and the surrounding villages, until 1902. In this year the French Friars were able to return to their native land and the English Friars were given the responsibility of caring for the Parish of the Immaculate Conception.

Portishead continued to be served from the Friary until 1907, when the new church and parish was given over to the Diocese. In Nailsea a small hut was purchased in 1936 which was used as a Mass centre until the primary school was built in 1980 and then Nailsea became its own parish. The villages of Yatton, Congresbury, Claverham and Wrington continue to be part of the parish. There is a small chapel of Ease in Yatton, dedicated to Saints Antony and Dunstan. This chapel helps to serve part of the surrounding area of our parish.

The Parish Today

Many years after the first Friars arrived in Clevedon, our parish, in partnership with the present Franciscans, continues to seek ways of serving the needs of all those who gather in our church to pray and worship the Lord. As a parish we are committed to responding to the needs of all parishioners: families and single people, those who are widowed and those separated.