Sacred Heart Exeter
About Us
Welcome to the Catholic Parish of Sacred Heart, Exeter! We are delighted to invite you into our community, for the building up of your own faith in Jesus Christ and for the promotion of a Christian way of life in our local community. As a part of the Catholic Church we are dedicated to the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through worship of God, teaching in the faith, and service in the city of Exeter.
A Brief History
Whilst there has been a very small Catholic community in Exeter since the Reformation, the parish of Sacred Heart can trace its roots to Catholic Mission in Exeter based at The Mint, not far from South St. In 1850 after Catholic Emancipation in the UK, the Catholic Diocese of Plymouth was established in South-West England, and in 1873 the waggoners' yard and house on the site of the old Bear Inn were purchased for the building of a new church on South St. Designed by the architects Charles Edwin Ware & Leonard Stokes, the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was formally opened on the 18th November 1884.
The Catholic community in Exeter grew over the years, leading to the founding of a second Catholic parish of Blessed Sacrament in Heavitree in 1932. The Sacred Heart church survived the Blitz during the Second World War and remains a fine example of Victorian Neo-Gothic architecture, as well as a sacred space of prayer, in the middle of Exeter.
The church is usually open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. You are very welcome to come and visit.
Our Parish Pastoral Council
Fr. Petroc Cobb - President
Fr Albert Lawes
Philippa Smallwood - Chair
Coral Saunders-Mortier - Secretary
Michael Quinn
Delian Bower
Martin Overy
Ken Cheek
Monica Overy
Rosalba Villarreal
Eduardo Villarreal
Federico Caprotti
Maria Quinn
Brian Bargent
Maureen Speller
Parish life is about building community. With a variety of different groups, there's something here for everyone.
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Contact Us
It's easy to get in contact, just send us an email, or give us a call.
01392 642389