For details on visiting the church to view the ceiling click here

We are blessed in our parish with having the only known reproduction of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling in the world.

History of the Ceiling

The work was started by Gary Bevans, a sign writer parishioner, who is a natural artist with no formal training, early in 1987 after a parish pilgrimage trip to Rome to attend the Beatification of 85 English Martyrs. Following a discussion with Bishop Cormac, Gary’s request to bring ‘the Sistine ceiling’ here was accepted.

It is now completed at 2/3 scale of the original. The colours match the newly cleaned ceiling in Rome.

At the Mass of Thanksgiving, attended by many local dignitaries including the Duke of Norfolk and Countess of Arundel, Gary was presented by the Bishop with the papal cross ‘Pro Ecclesia et Pontifical’.

Thirteen national and international TV companies have filmed the work, including CBS, ABC, BBC, ITV, Australian, New Zealand broadcasters, and recently Nippon Television International. Magazines, including ‘Time’ have covered it.

A labour of love funded by parishioners – a book in a glass case records donors and to whom the panel was dedicated.