New Building

By 1901, the Oratory of St Peter had become too small to accommodate all the Catholics in town and it became increasingly obvious that the many parishioners needed a larger Church. They raised £100 and an anonymous donor gave £400, providing sufficient funds to purchase land and, in 1901, the current site fronting onto the common was selected. Fr Mason began the appeal for funds to build but the response was poor (there were 60 souls in the Parish plus summer visitors, though the summer season was short and there was very little local industry).

"I don’t think this Mission will ever be anything more than a visiting Summer Holiday place.” – Father Mason

A generous benefactress emerged: Miss Amy Auld (Hunt’s Farm, Blythburgh) was a Catholic convert who pledged £100 per year to the Mission in the hope that the donations would amount to a total of £2000 by the time of her death. However, she passed away on 11th August 1912 having enjoyed a short yet happy life as a Religious at East Bergholt. Though her annual donations didn't reach her target, she left a bequest of £3000 for the erection of a Church and £1000 for the endowment of the Mission, totalling an amount equivalent to £1.4 million today. Fr Benedict Williamson, a prolific architect, priest, and writer, commissioned the design of the Church in 1912. Work commenced during the War but was inevitably delayed by the calling-up of men and the commandeering of supplies by the Government. The Church was eventually completed on November 10th 1915 with Fr Mason placing the last stone in the tower. On 22nd June 1916, the feast of Corpus Christi, the first Mass was said in the new Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Southwold.