Corpus Christi Church, Boscombe
| Corpus Christi Church | |
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| Catholic Church of Corpus Christi, Boscombe | |
South side of the church
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 Corpus Christi Church
Location of church within Dorset
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| Coordinates: 50°43′38″N 1°49′47″W / 50.727315°N 1.829851°W | |
| OS grid reference | SZ1208991974 |
| Location | Boscombe, Dorset |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | BoscombeCatholics.net |
| History | |
| Founded | 1895 |
| Founder(s) | Baroness Pauline von Hugel |
| Dedication | Body of Christ |
| Consecrated | 8 September 1896 |
| Events |
Extended 1932-34 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Active |
| Functional status | Parish Church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 27 February 1976 |
| Architect(s) | J. William Lunn |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 22 August 1895 |
| Completed | 22 April 1934 |
| Construction cost | £5000 (£15,000 extension) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 800 |
| Spire height | 108 ft (33 m) |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Bournemouth |
| Diocese | Portsmouth |
| Province | Southwark |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Rt. Rev. Philip Egan |
| Priest(s) | Fr Denis Blackledge SJ |
Extended 1932-34
Corpus Christi Church is a Roman Catholic church in Boscombe, on the outskirts of Bournemouth in Dorset. It in the Diocese of Portsmouth and is served by the Society of Jesus. It is situated on St. James' Square, on the corner of Parkwood Road and Christchurch Road. It was founded in 1895 and from its 108ft tall bell tower, it is possible see the Isle of Wight.
The first Catholic place of worship in Boscombe was created in 1887 when the Religious of the Cross moved into the area to make a foundation there. They purchased four and a half acres of land on which John Vertue, the first Bishop of Portsmouth, erected a small public chapel, an iron building bought from Lord Petre. This iron chapel was formally opened on New Year's Day 1888 and was served from Bournemouth by the Jesuit priest there, Father Charles de Lapasture SJ. The building of the convent itself started on 6 September 1888. A year later, a school was built next door, Corpus Christi Primary School.
If Corpus Christi church could be said to have had a founder, it would have to be Baroness Pauline von Hugel. She was the daughter of the Austrian nobleman, army officer and botanist Charles von Hügel (1795-1870) and sister of the theologian Friedrich von Hügel (1852-1925), and anthropologist Anatole von Hügel (1854-1928). With the school being built, there arose the need for a permanent church. The Baroness resolved to build a church that would meet the needs of both parishioners and the nearby Sisters, and to this end bought a property known as 'Holyrood' and two acres of land stretching from Christchurch Road to the Convent garden.
Building work on the church started in 1885. The architect was J. William Lunn from Malvern, Worcestershire who also designed St Catherine's Church in Chipping Campden and St Edmund Church in Southampton. On 8 September 1896 it was opened by Bishop John Vertue. Baroness Pauline von Hugel decided to give the church to the Society of Jesus so that Father de Lapasture SJ became the first parish priest. The church was built to have a height of fifty metres along the nave and could accommodate a congregation of 400 people.
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