Priory, Parish, Shrine
Parish
The parish of Our Lady of the Rosary and St Dominic serves a stretch of north-west London which includes Gospel Oak, South End Green, Belsize Park, parts of Primrose Hill and Chalk Farm.
In our parish we are pleased to welcome people from a wide and diverse range of social and economic backgrounds, uniting in the one Catholic Church.
Priory
The parish has always been served by the Dominican Friars (the Order of Preachers) who first came to serve the area in 1861 and are still here today. The community of Friars lives in St Dominic’s Priory, the building adjoining the church. It is also the residence of the Prior Provincial of the Dominican Friars in England and Scotland.
A group of Lay Dominicans – ordinary lay people who are members of the Order – meets each month at the Priory.
Shrine
From 2016, our beautiful church has been appointed by the Archdiocese of Westminster to serve as the diocesan Shrine of the Holy Rosary. Read more…
The church dates from 1883 and is one of the largest Catholic Churches in London, with a design based on the structure of the Rosary Prayer. Read about our history…
Our Life as a Community
Both friars and sisters serve what is a lively and welcoming parish community, with a weekend Mass attendance of about 650 men, women and children, over 5 Sunday Masses.
We work together to make our Church and Priory a place where
- the praises of God are sung daily
- the sacrifice of the Mass is offered for the needs of the Church and the world
- a place where friends and strangers are welcomed
- where people return to the Church
- and above all, where God’s mercy is preached and lived both in and out of season.
Other Apostolates
Besides the daily work of the Parish and the Shrine, our Friars are also engaged in a wide range of apostolates including:
- school, hospital and university chaplaincy
- adult education and third-level teaching of theology, scripture and philosophy
- writing for publication and post-graduate study
- preaching the Word of God
- ministry to young people
