Few people were surprised when, after a prolonged mental struggle, Faber left Elton to follow his hero Newman and join the Catholic Church, into which he was received in November 1845 by Bishop
William Wareing of
Northampton. He was accompanied by eleven men from the small community which had formed around him in Elton. They settled in
Birmingham, where they informally organized themselves in a religious community, calling themselves the Brothers of the Will of God. Faber and his small religious community were encouraged in their venture by the
Earl of Shrewsbury, who gave them the use of
Cotton Hall in
Staffordshire. Within weeks they had begun construction on a new Church of St. Wilfrid, their patron saint, designed by the noted church architect,
Pugin, as well as on a school for the local children. All of this was for a region which had no other Catholics at that point, other than the household of the earl. The exertions took their toll on Faber, who became so ill that he was not expected to live and was given the
last rites of the church. He recovered, however, and was ordained a Catholic priest, celebrating his
First Mass on 4 April 1847. In the course of his illness, Faber had developed a strong devotion to the
Blessed Mother. Prompted by this devotion, he translated
Louis de Montfort's classic work,
True Devotion to Mary, into English.
The Oratory Along with Newman, Faber felt drawn to the way of life of the
Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, with its decentralized authority and greater freedom of life than in
religious institutes. The Earl of Shrewsbury, who had handsomely financed the construction of a new parish for the community, felt betrayed by such a quick departure. Additionally, the Wilfridians, as the Brothers were called, wished to wear a traditional religious habit, upsetting the old Catholic families who had survived centuries of persecution by keeping a low profile. Newman thus proposed that Faber's community settle somewhere other than Birmingham, and suggested London as the best option. Thus in 1849, a community of the Oratory was established in London in William IV Street. On 11 October 1850, the feast of St. Wilfrid, the community in London was established as autonomous, and Faber was elected its first
provost, an office he held until his death. He took ill again, however, almost immediately, and was ordered by his physicians to travel to a warmer climate. He attempted a trip to the
Holy Land but had to turn back, and instead toured Malta and Italy. The community still lacked a permanent home, and in September 1852 a location was chosen at
Brompton. The Oratorians proceeded with construction despite public protests at their presence. ==Last years==