ONE of Oxford’s biggest churches has completed the first phase of its major £5m construction project.

And on Sunday, the Archbishop of Birmingham came to visit the Oxford Oratory in Woodstock Road.

One of just three Roman Catholic oratories in the country, the church has completed the construction of a new accommodation block which will also house community facilities.

The Most Reverend Bernard Longley visited the church to bless the new building.

He said: “I was delighted to view and bless the new accommodation, the library and the refurbished parish hall.

“I wish them well with the next phase of the project to provide a new chapel and shrine of Blesses John Henry Newman.”

For details of the project and to donate, visit campaign.oxfordoratory.org.uk.

The block features a new parish office, kitchen and bar with five new bedrooms for priest and guest accommodation on the upper floors.

Wantage-based construction firm Stepnell also converted the former school hall into a new library which will house the GK Chesterton archive and rare autographed manuscripts of St Ignatius of Loyola.

Fr Anton Webb, the parish priest at the Oratory, said: “The new parish centre is a lovely space. We have our parish functions there and we are looking forward to starting a new youth group on Sunday evenings there.”