St. John the Evangelist in Horsham

From the beginning of the 19th century, Mass was said monthly in the little cottage
between West St. and Springfield Rd., thanks to visiting priests. In 1845 Bishop Poynter
opened a small corrugated iron chapel close to the cottage and here Mass was said
regularly by priests from West Grinstead and elsewhere.

In 1865 Minna, Duchess of Norfolk, built group of churches in Sussex in honour of the
five wounds of Our Lord. One of these was the Building in Springfield Rd. opposite our
present church, which some called ‘The Little Church’.

Our first resident priest was Fr. Edward Ballard, who later became the country’s first
naval chaplain. He was followed by Fr. Philip Munro, who came to Horsham in 1879. He
died in 1901 and is buried at the Fransican cemetery in Crawley. He was succeeded by
Fr. George Leidig, being followed by Fr. John Wallace. Fr. Henry Lawrence came in
1905 and Fr. Bernard Cassidy in 1909.

Fr. Cassidy was Parish Priest for 32 years, resigning in 1941 due to ill health. Fr.
Cassidy was to say the least, the inspiration and founder of what we experience today.
He built the new church through perseverance, energy and monumental belief in what
was required. In spite of the First World War preparations for the new church were not
neglected, and the foundation stone was laid in 1917.

The first Mass was celebrated in the new church at Midnight on Christmas Eve 1919. In
1923 Midnight Mass was once again chosen for the opening of the Sanctuary. As we
see today the 33ft x 27ft addition to the Nave aws built to the highest artistic standards.
.....more.