Church of the Sacred Heart, Hove

Roman Catholic worship was prohibited in Britain between the time of the English Reformation and the late 18th century. At that time, some Acts of Parliament were passed to remove some of the restrictions. The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1791 allowed Roman Catholic churches to be built for the first time. In Hove's neighbour, Brighton, a community quickly established itself and built a permanent church, St John the Baptist's, in 1835. Hove's community took longer to become established; by the 1830s they were meeting secretly in a chapel established in a private house, but there had been no thought of building a permanent church. The first plans were made in the 1870s, when the former priest…

The church is built of limestone with rock dressings. including his last work, and local firm Cox & Barnard designed a single window in 2001. It depicts Saint Francis and is in the centre light of the three in the west window.

The Church of the Sacred Heart was designated a Grade II Listed building on 15 September 1999. There are three Masses on Sundays (and an evening Vigil service on the preceding Saturday), daily Masses during the week and three services on Holy Days of Obligation. The Sacrament of Penance is offered on Saturdays. The 9.30am Mass on Sunday is a family service with contemporary worship music by the Sacred Heart Youth Choir. The Sunday Mass at 11.30am (Missa normativa) is celebrated in English and Latin, and the music includes both Gregorian Chant and the Polyphony of the Renaissance. On most Sundays, the choir sings plainsong and is accompanied by the congregation. Settings used from the…