SAVE OUR HISTORIC OUR LADY OF GRACE CHURCH & KEEP OUR 120YR OLD PARISH OPEN

The Augustinians of the Assumption, who own the church site and church buildings (presbytery and church hall), and the Archdiocese of Southwark, who guide our spiritual mission, have been unable to agree a plan to secure the future of OLOG Parish, despite many years of discussions.
Our historic OLOG church and parish are now at serious risk of closure, after the Augustinians of the Assumption issued notice to the Archdiocese to vacate the church building by the 30th of June 2026, and no resolution has been reached yet.

This risks leaving the thriving Catholic community & young Catholic families in Charlton orphaned with no local Catholic church or Catholic community for their spiritual formation.

Our newly formed OLOG Parish Trust has presented a fully costed, thoroughly researched & professionally scrutinised long term plan to repair & keep our church + church premises OPEN, at ZERO cost to either the Archdiocese or the Assumptionist owners.

We therefore now urge the Archbishop to seriously review our plan & actively engage with the Augustinians of the Assumption & our parish OLOG Trust to find a long term solution & accept the gift of the church building from the Assumptionists. This would save our parish community, advance the mission of the Catholic Church in Charlton and keep the parish in its spiritual home that is of exceptional historic and architectural significance.

At a pivotal time in England when the youth are returning to the Catholic church, we urge the Archbishop & the Assumptionist provincial superior to prioritise & not turn away from the spiritual needs of young Catholic families in Charlton and the wider community.

PLEASE HELP US KEEP OUR BELOVED CHURCH OPEN

You can help us keep our beloved church open by donating towards our fundraising efforts for the cost of a coffee -- please consider making a small donation here: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ourladyofgrace

OUR PARISH: A THRIVING & GROWING COMMUNITY

A church is not its bricks and arches, but the people that form the body, soul and future of the parish. Our OLOG Parish is formed of a vibrant, diverse community of around 500 regular Sunday mass attendees living locally. As well as 420+ children attending the OLOG school next door along with their parents and grandparents, many of whom were baptised in the church & have strong emotional and family ties to Our Lady of Grace.

The OLOG Parish has served and enhanced the local community for generations. Today, our Lady of Grace is a DIVERSE parish, comprised of many young and growing families in need of a stable spiritual home which is local to them.

Our older parishioners, who have supported Our Lady of Grace throughout their  lives, also require the security of their local parish for many reasons, including easy access to the church, the sanctuary of feeling part of a local Catholic community, and the companionship of old church friends.

The new riverside development planned at Charlton, which will be one of the largest urban regeneration schemes in London, lies within a mile from Our Lady of Grace church. This new development will bring close to 8000 new homes in the next decade to the local area, many of which will be young Catholic families in need of a church, school and community within easy reach.

As well as being central to our Catholic community life, the Our Lady of Grace Church in Charlton represents a site of exceptional historical & architectural significance, with its development playing a key role in the introduction and growth of Catholicism in the local area.

The church was commissioned by distinguished patrons in 1905, designed by a prominent French architect Eugene-Jacque Gervais, and represents Gervais' most significant ecclesiastical documented work. Our Lady of Grace church employed Neo-Romanesque architecture, rare for Catholic churches in England during this period.

The church is associated with important historical events including on its wider church site & its presbytery, Grade II Listed Highcombe House, which is one of the last surviving Regency villas from the historic Eastcombe estate.

The OLOG church also pioneered the use of reinforced concrete in British ecclesiastical architecture.
For nearly 120 years, it has continuously served the Catholic community, and its preservation is essential for future generations.

A failure to grasp this significant history and heritage, or factor it into ongoing considerations for the future of the church and the wider site by the Augustinians of the Assumption & the Archdiocese, risks losing this exceptional history and heritage forever.


CONSERVATION PLAN 2025

The Trust commissioned a conservation Plan in August 2025, prepared by two senior academics, architectural historian Dr. Nikolaos Karydis and art historian Dr. Cassandra Harrington:
You can watch a short video by Dr Karydis and Dr Harrington here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLanH3dfTw  

PLEASE HELP US KEEP OUR BELOVED CHURCH OPEN

You can help us keep our beloved church open by donating towards our fundraising efforts for the cost of a coffee -- please consider making a small donation here: https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ourladyofgrace

Ways you can remain in touch & stay updated:
Our Trust youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OLOGTrust
Our OLOG Trust website: https://ologtrust.org.uk/home.html