Arendzen, John Peter Rev (1873-1954)

Person

Arendzen, John Peter Rev (1873-1954)

• Rev John Arendzen DD PhD MA

1900-1954

John Peter Arendzen was born in January 1873 in Haarlem, Holland, the eldest of nine and the first of four to be ordained to the priesthood in England. After his education in Holland, John entered St. Thomas' Seminary, Hammersmith and transferred, aged 20, to St. Mary's College, Oscott in March 1893 and ordained there on 21st September 1895.

After a PhD at Bonn University and his DD at Munich University, he graduated at Christ's College, Cambridge with a BA in 1901 and an MA in 1906 . Whilst there he was assigned to the Mission Church in St. Ives. Initially he celebrated Mass at a small wooden chapel, purchased by benefactor George Pauling, but such was his missionary zeal that from a base of no Catholics, by 1902, fifty six were evident and a larger church was required. George Pauling donated £1000 which bought the redundant Church of St. Andrew in Cambridge. This was dismantled, transported by barge to St Ives, and rebuilt on its present site in Needingworth Road, in less than 5 months.

On Sunday 16 March 1902, he laid the foundation stone which included the Latin inscription “AD FIDEM REDEANT ANGLI” ('May the English return to the Faith'). The church was reconsecrated on 9th July 1902 by Bishop Riddell, Bishop of Northampton and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the opening ceremony Fr. Arendzen's brother Leo acted as thurifer, their parents and three sisters were in the congregation.

Fr Arendzen was a tireless, devoted, eloquent and scholarly priest, totally dedicated to his life in the Church, and to whatever role he was assigned. He won a place in the hearts of parishioners, fellow priests, students and all who knew him. He had a reputation as a brilliant orator and was named by one national newspaper as 'one of the preachers of the century', no mean feat given that English was not his native language. He was a prolific author writing many essays, several articles to the Catholic Encyclopaedia in 1913, the Journal of Theological Studies, the Jewish Quarterly and annotations to the Douai Bible. His literary activity included the Catholic Gazette, the Catholic Times and several books, including: 'Ten Minutes a Day to Heaven', 'Heaven Sense: What Scripture and the Catholic Church Really Teach about Heaven'.

He died in London on 21st July 1954 aged 81, his Requiem Mass was held at Sacred Heart Church, Kilburn, across the street from the Arendzen family home.

1900-1903: St Ives

Ketterer, Constantine Rev (-1940) (1903-1909)

P206

RC Diocese of East Anglia Archives

Draft

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