St Alban-on-the-Moors Church
St Alban-on-the-Moors Church, Splott, also known simply as The Cardiff Oratory or St Alban's Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Splott, Cardiff, Wales. Since 2019, the church is administered by the Fathers and Brothers of the Cardiff Oratory.
History
Original building
The initial church was an iron church finished in 1891, with parts from other churches. This was rebuilt as St Joseph's Church in Gabalfa when the new St Alban's building was finished.Current building
The current building was designed by the Newport architect F. R. Bates. The presbytery was completed later.St Alban's became a Grade II listed building in 1997.
Cardiff Oratory
In May 2019, the Archbishop of Cardiff transferred the administration of the church and its parish from the Rosminians to the Cardiff Oratory. The priests there moved to St Peter's and St Joseph's, the two other Rosminian parishes in Cardiff.Since the Oratorians' arrival, the church has seen extensive restoration works, commensurate with the increase in attendance at Masses and other liturgies. The Oratorians have expanded the available Masses and devotions offered at the church.
In May 2020, a wedding was held during a national COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, allegedly against Welsh Government guidance. It was also reported that the wedding was illegal because the required notice had not been given. In the end, no citations or other action were taken by police in response to allegations of violating government guidance.
In June 2021, in conjunction with the parish's patronal feast day, the Oratorians arranged for a first-class relic of St. Alban to be solemnly enshrined in the church by the Abbot of Farnborough.