Holy Cross Church is run by the Dominican friars, the Order of Preachers, whose presence in the city stretches back to the 13th century.
The foundation stone of the current church was laid in 1929, and the choir, transepts, and high altar were completed by 1931. The rest of the church was finally completed and consecrated on 14th May 1958. You can find out more about the history of the Dominicans in Leicester here.
The church is dedicated to the Holy Cross, and celebrates its feast day on the 14th September, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The church houses a relic of the true cross, kept in a tabernacle at St Helena’s altar (south transept, far right as you look at the High Altar). It is taken out for veneration on the 14 th September and on Good Friday.
There are numerous statues of the saints and sites of devotion around the church, including important Dominicans such as St Dominic, St Thomas Aquinas, and St Catherine of Siena.
