St Monica's Church, Hoxton

In August 1864, Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman invited the Order of Saint Augustine to start in a mission for the local Catholic community. 18 Hoxton Square was bought by Charles Walker for £1609 as a site for the building of a church. On 20 September 1864, the foundation stone of the church was laid by the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Westminster, Edward Hearn. The church was designed by E. W. Pugin and built by Mr Oxborn of Clapton. In late March 1865, a concert was held in the sanctuary and part of the nave of the incomplete church. On 4 May 1865 the church was opened by the Bishop of Southwark Thomas Grant. At the opening the sermon was done by Henry Edward Manning. After its opening, the church was extended, and a priory was built next door for the Augustinians. On 4 May 1866, the feast of St Monica, the completed church was opened.[2]

In 1875, a reredos by Franz Mayer of Munich was installed. In 1880, a lady chapel was added to the church, it was designed by John Young, the son of the architect John Young.[2] From 1903, the Augustinian friars started going out to Hammersmith to serve the Catholic community there, eventually building St Augustine's Church in 1916.[3] In 1907, the school next to St Monica's Church was demolished and replaced with a new one that was opened on 4 July 1908 by Archbishop of Westminster Francis Bourne.[2]