Oxford Oratory (Church of St Aloysius Gonzaga)

History

Founded as a Jesuit parish and completed in 1875, the church was paid for largely by Baroness Weld. Gerard Manley Hopkins served here as a priest in 1878 and 1879. The Jesuits left in the 1980s, members of the Birmingham Oratory arrived in 1990, and the Oxford Oratory became an independent community in 1993. Baroness Weld, a convert to Catholicism, gave £7,000 towards the building.

What to look for

The Gothic Revival interior has a single wide nave with five side chapels, among them the Lady Chapel, a chapel of St Philip Neri and a relic chapel. A shrine to St John Henry Newman was set up in 2010, and two murals by Gabriel Pippet were restored in 2024. The church is Grade II listed. It is a quieter, less visited alternative to the college chapels in the centre.

Music and visiting

Solemn Masses on Sundays and holy days are sung in Latin, with an enlarged organ, which draws visitors interested in sacred music. It is a working parish, so visit quietly. The Ashmolean Museum and the Natural History Museum are each a few minutes' walk away, and Jericho's cafés are just behind.

Highlights

• Gothic Revival church by Joseph Hansom, 1875
• Gerard Manley Hopkins served here
• Shrine to St John Henry Newman
• Sung Latin Solemn Mass on Sundays

Good to know

• It is an active parish church; check service times before visiting.
• Next to Somerville College on Woodstock Road, a short walk from the city centre.

Frequently asked questions