The Church Construction History
St. Dominic’s Church building is wonderful. Overhead is a shallow tent, all pale prefabricated concrete, on beams that radiate from a sort of lantern in the centre to rest lightly on top of, not in, the circumference wall. Here, between the beams, are only open plain panes of glass such that an open circle at the eaves level runs right round the church lighting up the tent ceiling.
The tops of trees and shrubs show green at the level, but other views outwards from the circle are prevented by black slats instead of windows so ones eye is drawn upwards to the roof, it just seems to float.
The floor is pale, slopes from the west door down to the altar at an angle apparently similar to the roof slope. The altar design is asymmetrical. These touches give a subtle irregularity to the interior and make the circle change shape as you go around. In St. Dominic’s the architectural composition of space, form and colour tones is quite amazingly balanced.
St. Dominic’s Church building is wonderful. Overhead is a shallow tent, all pale prefabricated concrete, on beams that radiate from a sort of lantern in the centre to rest lightly on top of, not in, the circumference wall. Here, between the beams, are only open plain panes of glass such that an open circle at the eaves level runs right round the church lighting up the tent ceiling.
The tops of trees and shrubs show green at the level, but other views outwards from the circle are prevented by black slats instead of windows so ones eye is drawn upwards to the roof, it just seems to float.
The floor is pale, slopes from the west door down to the altar at an angle apparently similar to the roof slope. The altar design is asymmetrical. These touches give a subtle irregularity to the interior and make the circle change shape as you go around. In St. Dominic’s the architectural composition of space, form and colour tones is quite amazingly balanced.
St. Dominic's, to God be glory!! (Joan Ross, 2009)
Before you came to birth, I knew you. When
they wanted to abort you. I fought for your life.
I was one of the very few Founding Members,
I wanted the Church as I lived one mile away.
I can honestly say that I helped Fr. Taylor to make
his “dream” come true. I was, if I may say so, the
“driving force and back-bone” of the funds raised
to build St. Dominic's, 1966 to 1978.
While the Church was being built, thanks to
the Methodists, Fr. Taylor started a morning
Mass at the Hawthorne Methodist Church..
I was present at the laying of the Corner Stone,
May 10, 1972, the first Mass, March 4, 1973
at 7:30 a.m,.the Blessing April 26, 1973.
The Sunday Masses were, Saturday Vigil 6:30 p.m.,
Sunday 7:30 and 10:00 a.m., and 6:30 p.m..
I was an elected member of the Parish Council,
and was on the finance committee, also treasurer.
Fr, Taylor was the first Parish Priest.The Parish staff were a parish assistant, organist, gardener, a half day house-keeper and a church cleaner.once weekly.
The average Sunday Offertory Collection was $325.00 -$500.00, visitors to the Island were the greater part of the congregation. A mini-bus was rented to bring people to the Church from Gall Hill and Silver Hill.
I must say thanks to my dear late husband, for
allowing me to do all that I did. May God bless you!
Jesus, I trusted in You !! (Joan Ross, 2009)
they wanted to abort you. I fought for your life.
I was one of the very few Founding Members,
I wanted the Church as I lived one mile away.
I can honestly say that I helped Fr. Taylor to make
his “dream” come true. I was, if I may say so, the
“driving force and back-bone” of the funds raised
to build St. Dominic's, 1966 to 1978.
While the Church was being built, thanks to
the Methodists, Fr. Taylor started a morning
Mass at the Hawthorne Methodist Church..
I was present at the laying of the Corner Stone,
May 10, 1972, the first Mass, March 4, 1973
at 7:30 a.m,.the Blessing April 26, 1973.
The Sunday Masses were, Saturday Vigil 6:30 p.m.,
Sunday 7:30 and 10:00 a.m., and 6:30 p.m..
I was an elected member of the Parish Council,
and was on the finance committee, also treasurer.
Fr, Taylor was the first Parish Priest.The Parish staff were a parish assistant, organist, gardener, a half day house-keeper and a church cleaner.once weekly.
The average Sunday Offertory Collection was $325.00 -$500.00, visitors to the Island were the greater part of the congregation. A mini-bus was rented to bring people to the Church from Gall Hill and Silver Hill.
I must say thanks to my dear late husband, for
allowing me to do all that I did. May God bless you!
Jesus, I trusted in You !! (Joan Ross, 2009)
Thank you's (Joan Ross, 2009)
I should like to offer sincere thanks to Mrs. Milicent Maitland who told us the land was for sale. Mr. Kenneth Gardiner, Architect, who gave his service free. Mr. Ian Morrison and Mr. Derek Williams, construction, Mrs. Gilda Thiebaud Nassief, Artist, who donated the Stations of the Cross, Mr. Robert Binning, who made the Altars, Lectern, Baptismal Font and the Tabernacle door, for a small charge, he donated the Font in memory of his wife. M/s Lorette Boissonneault, Sculptor, the statue of St. Martin de Porres, donated by Mrs. Jessamine Moses. Mr. John Niccolls for the lettering on the board above the Altar. M/s Barbara Cole for painting the figure of Christ rising, hanging on the wall of the porch. A Canadian visitor, who donated the Madonna and Child in memory of his Jesuit brother. Some of these have gone to the great beyond, may God grant them eternal rest, may they rest in peace. May God richly bless the remaining ones. The old Corpus of Christ was bought from fund raising money. Fr. Taylor saw it in England. (Joan Ross, 2009)
St. Dominic's church (Paul Foster, 2009)
There were ten founding members of St.Dominic’s Church. Six have passed on, one resides in Canada and today I find myself as one of three surviving Founding Members living in Barbados. The other two are Mrs. Phyllis Knight and Mrs. Joan Ross. The formation meeting was held nearly 45 years ago.
Fr. Taylor arrived in Barbados in March 1965. As he came to know the St.Patrick’s parishioners and where they lived, he saw the need for a church in the Maxwell area.
The first meeting of a group of St.Patrick’s parishioners from this area took place in the mid 1960s on a vacant piece of grass land in Dover next door to the home of Mrs. Knight. The area was developing rapidly into housing and more hotels along the coast were being constructed. One of the founders, Mrs. Maitland, who operated an hotel along the Dover playing field told the group that the land on which St. Dominic’s now stands was for sale. Later in 1966 we bought the land – one and a half acres – for $18,000.00.
The construction of the church was to have started in 1968, but was delayed due to Town Planning approval and negotiations with our first resident Bishop who arrived in January 1971. He did not approve of building another church. He felt that at this time we had enough Catholic churches in Barbados. In due course however another half an acre of adjoining land was purchased to widen the front bordering the highway from 98 to 146 feet. But not without a series of heated meetings led by Joan Ross. Joan was eventually able to show in writing that the Police had given permission to operate Bingos and have car raffles - AND for the proceeds to be used to build a church at Maxwell and not for anything else. Because of the wording of the Police letter, the impasse was broken and approval was given to proceed with the building of the church. Later, we tried to purchase a third piece of land - another half an acre with a house on it, but this was turned down by the Bishop and his committee.
Construction began in 1972 and the Corner Stone was laid on May 10th. There is a plaque outside in the porch confirming this. The first Mass was said at St.Dominic’s on March 4th 1973 and Bishop Dickson blessed the building at a concelebrated Mass on the evening of April 26th 1973.
While the church was being built Fr.Taylor started the St.Dominic’s Parish worship with morning Sunday Mass at the Hawthorne Methodist Church in Worthing, with the kind permission of the Methodist community..
Fund raising was in the hands of Fr. Taylor and Joan Ross. The most profitable fund raiser was Bingo which was described as our main and most contentious fund raiser. In addition three cars were raffled and made nearly $46,000.00. Forecast to complete payment was seven years. The debt in fact was cleared in less than five, in December 1977 and we had $315.00 in the bank.
As we look around this morning and admire our church that was built in1972, I wish to emphasize in the strongest possible manner that there would have been no St.Dominic’s Church had it not been for the Herculean efforts of Fr. Taylor and Joan Ross. And by the way next month Fr. Taylor, God willing, will be 50 years a priest. (Paul Foster, 2009)
Fr. Taylor arrived in Barbados in March 1965. As he came to know the St.Patrick’s parishioners and where they lived, he saw the need for a church in the Maxwell area.
The first meeting of a group of St.Patrick’s parishioners from this area took place in the mid 1960s on a vacant piece of grass land in Dover next door to the home of Mrs. Knight. The area was developing rapidly into housing and more hotels along the coast were being constructed. One of the founders, Mrs. Maitland, who operated an hotel along the Dover playing field told the group that the land on which St. Dominic’s now stands was for sale. Later in 1966 we bought the land – one and a half acres – for $18,000.00.
The construction of the church was to have started in 1968, but was delayed due to Town Planning approval and negotiations with our first resident Bishop who arrived in January 1971. He did not approve of building another church. He felt that at this time we had enough Catholic churches in Barbados. In due course however another half an acre of adjoining land was purchased to widen the front bordering the highway from 98 to 146 feet. But not without a series of heated meetings led by Joan Ross. Joan was eventually able to show in writing that the Police had given permission to operate Bingos and have car raffles - AND for the proceeds to be used to build a church at Maxwell and not for anything else. Because of the wording of the Police letter, the impasse was broken and approval was given to proceed with the building of the church. Later, we tried to purchase a third piece of land - another half an acre with a house on it, but this was turned down by the Bishop and his committee.
Construction began in 1972 and the Corner Stone was laid on May 10th. There is a plaque outside in the porch confirming this. The first Mass was said at St.Dominic’s on March 4th 1973 and Bishop Dickson blessed the building at a concelebrated Mass on the evening of April 26th 1973.
While the church was being built Fr.Taylor started the St.Dominic’s Parish worship with morning Sunday Mass at the Hawthorne Methodist Church in Worthing, with the kind permission of the Methodist community..
Fund raising was in the hands of Fr. Taylor and Joan Ross. The most profitable fund raiser was Bingo which was described as our main and most contentious fund raiser. In addition three cars were raffled and made nearly $46,000.00. Forecast to complete payment was seven years. The debt in fact was cleared in less than five, in December 1977 and we had $315.00 in the bank.
As we look around this morning and admire our church that was built in1972, I wish to emphasize in the strongest possible manner that there would have been no St.Dominic’s Church had it not been for the Herculean efforts of Fr. Taylor and Joan Ross. And by the way next month Fr. Taylor, God willing, will be 50 years a priest. (Paul Foster, 2009)