{Next to the emblem of the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae, (Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary).
The Belgian connection The Scheut Fathers
The Congregation of The Immaculate Heart of Mary known as Scheut Fathers is a missionary order from Belgium.
They came to London after the 1st World War and settled in Camden Town.
They built a small chapel (the little hut) in 1922. It was the first catholic church in the immediate area and was soon bursting at the seams, particularly as the Irish became the dominant migrant group in Camden Town.
By 1933 they commissioned the Irish architect Wilfred Mangan, to design and build a place of worship for them that would reflect it's {sic} Belgian origins. The church was opened in 1933.
In 1982 all the remaining Belgian Fathers but one were recalled to Belgium, and the Diocese of Westminster took over the running of the parish.
The Belgian connection is kept alive by regular pilgrimages to Hal and the Scheut Fathers. The Hal Chapel also houses a memorial to Albert 1st King of the Belgians.
Site: Our Lady of Hal (2 memorials)
NW1, Arlington Street, 165
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
