The Holy Name of Jesus Church in the Parish of Our Lady of Kirkstall, Leeds, was forced to close just before Easter 2025 due to health and safety concerns. It was able to reopen fully on Easter Sunday, this year thanks to significant grant from three organisations who support place of worship with grant funding.
The church’s interior columns were suffering ‘Concrete Fatigue’ and showed visible signs of deterioration, which without attention put the church structure at risk of collapse.
There is no consistent UK-wide Government support available to keep churches in good repair. It is local people who bear the burden of ensuring a local church can stay open and in use – and this takes a toll on those who use the building. But in this case hope was not lost.
Thanks in part to a grant of almost £10,000 from the National Churches Trust, £9,200 from the Benefact Trust and £7,000 from the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, urgent repairs have taken place. The church opened in time for the most important Feast of the Christian year and can continue giving practical help to the local community through various activities and groups, including support for local asylum seekers, and people living in poverty and economic hardship.
Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, said: ‘The National Churches Trust is delighted to be able to support The Holy Name of Jesus Church to enable them to carry out urgent repairs to their beautiful building. This will enable them to reopen the building and continue serving local people. Whether seeking quiet reflection, access to community services or a place to worship, the National Churches Trust helps hundreds of churches each year and with the support of local people, keeps them thriving today and tomorrow.’
Clergy and parishioners at Holy Name are grateful and delighted. Speaking on behalf of the parish Fr Sean Elliott said:
“At Holy Name there is a strong culture of regular giving to support the church’s mission. Whilst we have a ‘rainy day fund’, the essential building works put real strain on our finances. Closing the church just before Easter last year was heartbreaking. I have witnessed parishioners coming to pray at a church that is open every day, only to peer through the windows. The closure also prevented our school children from visiting for the Mass they ordinarily attend during the week. Being unable to welcome parishioners of all ages highlighted how important our building is – not just as a practical space, but as a privileged place of encounter with the living God.
We often say the Church is the people of God, and so it is, but buildings matter too. Holy Name is held close to the hearts of many parishioners and the wider community who celebrate life’s joyful and sorrowful moments here. Thanks to the grant from the National Churches Trust, we can once again offer that sacred space where people can lift their hearts and minds to God.”
The Holy Name of Jesus opened in 1953 and was extended in 1979. A distinctive feature of the church is the raised centre gabled bay, which features a depiction of the Crucifixion. There is also some beautiful Dalle de Verre glass along the north and south aisles, which feature colourful scenes from the New Testament.
As one of three busy and family-oriented parishes that merged into the parish of Our Lady of Kirkstall in 2007, the Holy Name can now get back to ‘normal’ with these repairs which give the much-loved building a sustainable future.
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