On the left is the original Invitation , On the right is just a copy to highlight the document.

Short History Continue

It was a familiar sight to see Fr Collins visiting his flock on his trusty bicycle.  He was always out and about getting to know the people.  He became a source of great inspiration to his growing flock and gained the respect of all the local community.  Parishioners banded together and knocked on doors to make a census of the whole of Whitley and the surrounding rural areas.  Each new housing development was visited as soon as it was built.  People were invited to take part in the services and join the many church organisations and gradually the spiritual life of the parish grew.

Great plans for the future were made.  It was not long before some of these plans came to fruition when a temporary church cum hall with an attached flat for the parish priest was built.  The land where this church was erected was already owned by the church and sited half way up Cressingham Road.  The building of the church was the talk of the town because it was built by the people of the area, men and women of many differing beliefs and none, helped in whatever way they could. Skilled and non-skilled, men, women and children, volunteers all, toiled side by side after their own day's work had finished to complete the church in record time.  My sisters and I had a special job, after our mother had sewn up the kneelers we stuffed them and sewed the top, this chore was repeated in the homes of

several parishioners.  We were also allowed to put the wooden floor tiles in place on top of the adhesive; a job which was really hard on the knees! This building was to serve us for many years.

In 1954 it became an annexe to St James's School when two classrooms were opened.  For the first time children from Whitley did not have to travel to St James, in Reading for their Catholic education. These children my brothers, sisters and self included had to travel by bus to St James School during the dark days of the war.  Occasionally we received lifts home on winter afternoons.  Fr Thomas Lane packed as many as ten children into his car and dropped them off at their homes; he worried for their safety in case of air raids.  How wonderful were all our parents who placed their trust in God and His Blessed Mother and felt so strongly about having a Catholic education, that they sent their children so far and during war time. On the day that the bombs fell on Reading it was a dark afternoon and we were let out of school 30 minutes early so had cleared the town centre and missed being caught up in the bombing. Indeed we were blessed.

All of Fr Collins grand schemes had to be funded so the parishioners   pooled   their   resources and many non-Catholic friends helped to plan and arrange several enormous Whit Monday Fetes.  These were held in Hills   Meadow, Caversham. As a child  I remember the excitement when the fetes were advertised by larger than life Disney-type characters processing around the streets of Whitley, the like of which had never been seen before and not since!  These fetes were the first big fund-raising scheme.  Another and even more ambitious scheme was the

football pool which was much more profitable.  I suppose it is right to say that our parish church was built with proceeds from these football pools (gambling in other words!!) which were time consuming to run but there was a dedicated group of people who organised and devoted so much time to raise the funds needed for our church for so many years.

During this time the nuns from St Joseph's Convent continued to give so much to the spiritual life of the parish and supported the Parish of Christ the King in so many ways.  There were no cars available to the sisters in those days and they had to walk from the Convent to Whitley and then around the parish carrying out their good work.  We have cause to be grateful to these sisters for their commitment, support and help in laying such firm foundations in our faith.

In the meantime Fr Collins had a dream and we all prayed hard that plans to purchase the land in Northumberland Avenue and Brayford Road to build our permanent church and later school came to fruition.  Often while taking a short cut through the waste land which was to be our church, Fr Collins could be seen pacing out the land, scattering miraculous medals and saying the rosary.  If we were seen we would be invited to march up and down with him joining in the rosary.  So many prayers were offered up and once again these prayers were answered and dreams were realised.  This time the church was built by an all professional team of builders and the foundation stone of our church was laid by Archbishop John Henry King on 25th October 1958.

I remember, after our Legion of Mary meetings, we poured over the plans and studied catalogues of religious fixtures and fittings with Fr. Collins. The present sanctuary lamp, not to everyone's taste, but the members of the Blessed Sacrament Guild paid for it by donating half a crown (12p) each month. There was not much money in the pockets of the parishioners but they were generous and gave what they could. Great care was taken over choosing the furnishings, the statues, crib figures and Stations of the Cross and you must agree they are really second to none.

It was on 6th December 1959 that the beautiful church of Christ the King, Whitley was consecrated with the Abbot of Douai officiating and we at long last celebrated the first Mass.  The dream of our beautiful, permanent church had at last become a reality and has flourished providing a place of worship, peace and fellowship here in Whitley for half a century.

The  Abbot of Douai opened and consecrated the Church of Christ the King on  6th December 1959.  Archbishop King was unable to perform the ceremony even though it had been scheduled .

Fr Patrick Collins still had more to do; there was a school to build. Again plans were made and approved and eventually on 3rd July 1968 the Primary School of Christ the King was opened

and the children of Whitley at last had their own school within the heart of the parish. It should be noted that when St James School closed down on 28th June 1968 and pupils transferred to Christ the King School only six children dropped out because of the distance they had to travel.

Fr Patrick Collins was truly a man of the people and a man who touched so many lives.  The whole area mourned him when he died suddenly while on holiday in his homeland  Co. Sligo, Eire on 31st July 1970 (R.I.P). We had lost a man who was dedicated to caring for his flock and all came to him whatever their religion for his wise counselling.  A generous man who lived frugally and he gave what he had to those in most need.

For me personally, and I am sure many would agree, he was certainly a man who influenced the lives of so many.  I know that as a child and into adulthood he is one to whom I owe so much in my own spiritual formation and to whom I will be always grateful.  I feel I was indeed fortunate to have known him well and it was a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with him.  We should all be humbly grateful God for giving us such a great, loving and dedicated priest who did his best to unite us in Christian love and lead us closer to God and our eternal home. Fr Patrick Collins always said that should he reach heaven then he would be at the pearly gates to personally welcome all the parishioners from Christ the King in Whitley to their heavenly home.