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THE EARLY YEARS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN EASTBOURNE
On May 29th, 1867 the Catholic Church returned to Eastbourne in the person of Father Charles King who opened a chapel in the present parish of St Agnes at 42 Ceylon Place. There were then six known Catholics in Eastbourne.
From 1868 until 1890 there was a small church in Terminus Road, but in 1890 a new one was opened in what is now the garage of the Police Station in Grove Road.
St Joseph’s School, next door to St Agnes in Whitley Road, was built in 1895. In 1901 the church of Our Lady of Ransom was opened as the parish church of Eastbourne’s growing Catholic community.
In September 1906 Bishop Amigo laid the foundation stone of St Agnes Church, Whitley Road, and the church was opened on March 6th 1907 and consecrated in 1909.
Canon Corbalis was parish priest in Eastbourne from 1936-1955. He was a man of indefatigble energy and enthusiasm, a first class adminstrator as demonstrated by his successes as Administrator at Southwark Cathedral. In the 20 years that he was at Our Lady of Ransom he instigated a considerable expansion of the Church.
His first action was to 'bring the Mass to Polegate' and in 1938 St George’s at Polegate was opened. In 1922 a small church had been built at Hailsham. The congregation grew quickly and as a result of several bequests and funds from a trust fund the permanent church of St. Wilfred's was built and dedicated on Ascension Day in 1955. Two years later Hailsham became a parish independent of Eastbourne.
After the Second World War, Canon Corbalis, through a series of fund raising efforts, was able in 1953 to purchase Hastings Villas at 106 Brodrick Road as the site for a new church.
On the 15th September 1957 St Agnes was made an independent district with Fr Hugh Donaghey as it’s first resident priest.
In September 1958 the presbytery at 6 Whitley Road, was purchased and in 1959 Fr Donaghey was given an assistant priest.
On July 5th 1959 the first Mass was offered in the Village Hall at Langney, and a week later a similar Mass centre was opened in the Red Cross Hall at Pevensey Bay.
Meanwhile, on the 3rd June 1964 St Agnes had been raised to the status of a parish and the priest-in-charge, Fr Donaghey, was installed as first parish priest on June 11th, in the year of the Silver Jubilee of his ordination.
For the history of Christ the King with The Holy Rood parish click here.
For the history of St. Joachim's click here.