In the early 1920s Welling was very much a country village. To the north of Bellegrove Road were fields and heathland, and to the south were some orchards.

There were very few Catholics living in Welling, and those who did would walk to St. Benet's Church in Abbey Wood to attend Mass. House-building began in a modest way at this time due an acute shortage of housing following the 1914-18 war. The parish priest of St. Patrick's, Plumstead, Rev. Daniel McCarthy, could foresee the development of house building and brought this fact to the attention of Bishop Amigo. The bishop instructed Fr. McCarthy to negotiate the purchase of a site and build a church. The site chosen was between Welling Corner and where Novo Gym stands today (formerly, for many years, Woolworths). At the time, this area was not built upon, but opposite there was a row of houses and a single building which housed a small library. There was also a drinking fountain and a small hall behind it which was a non-conformist church.