War memorial located to the rear of the Roman Catholic Church of St George

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Overview

War memorial, erected in 1921. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1438745
Date first listed:: 28-Feb-2017
List Entry Name:: War memorial located to the rear of the Roman Catholic Church of St George

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1438745
Date first listed:: 28-Feb-2017
List Entry Name:: War memorial located to the rear of the Roman Catholic Church of St George
Location Description:: located in the Garden of Remembrance to the rear of the Roman Catholic Church of St George, Sansome Street, Worcester.

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Worcestershire
District:: Worcester (District Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SO8510555178

Summary

War memorial, erected in 1921.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial located to the rear of the Roman Catholic Church of St George in Worcester is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Historic interest: it has strong cultural and historical significance within both a local and national context as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifices it made in the First World War; * Architectural interest: an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a calvary cross; * Group value: with the Roman Catholic Church of St George (Grade II*).

History

The great age of memorial building was in the aftermath of the First World War. This war memorial was erected in 1921 to the south-west of the entrance to the Roman Catholic Church of St George, and is shown in this location on the 3rd (1928) and 4th (1940) edition Ordnance Survey maps. In 2005-6 it was relocated to the rear of the church in the Garden of Remembrance.

The inscription on the war memorial includes the initials A. M. D. G. which stands for Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (‘For the Greater Glory of God’) and is the motto of the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits were responsible for the parish until it was handed over to the Archdiocese of Birmingham in 1990.

Details

War memorial, erected in 1921.

MATERIALS: constructed of stone with a copper statue of Christ.

DESCRIPTION: located to the rear of the Roman Catholic Church of St George (Grade II*) the war memorial comprises a stone calvary cross surmounted on a pedestal, with an open triangular pediment above. The whole is set on a four-stepped, square base. The copper sculpture of Christ is on the south face of the cross, and above is a copper scroll inscribed with the initials ‘INRI’. This stands for Iesus Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm and translates as Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

On the south face of the pedestal is the inscription:

A. M. D. G. / HONOUR AND PRAY FOR / THE CATHOLIC / SOLDIERS AND SAILORS / OF WORCESTER WHO FELL IN / THE GREAT WAR, 1914 – 1918 / (NAMES).

The inscription includes the names of a major and two captains. To the other faces of the pedestal are the names of the 22 Catholic servicemen who died in the conflict.

On the south face of the third step of the base is inscribed the biblical reference:

AS CHRIST LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US SO THEY LAID / DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR THE BRETHREN 1 JOHN III 16.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 6 March 2017.

Sources

Websites
Roll of Honour, accessed 16 January 2017 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Worcestershire/WorcesterStGeorge.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 6 March 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/193256
War Memorials Register, accessed 6 March 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/32216
Worcester Catholic Soldiers and Sailors, accessed 16 January 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/32216

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

The listed building is shown coloured blue on the attached map. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), structures attached to or within the curtilage of the listed building (save those coloured blue on the map) are not to be treated as part of the listed building for the purposes of the Act.