St Anne's Church, Birmingham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Anne's Church
Front Entrance
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OS grid reference	SP 07965 86051
Location	Digbeth, Birmingham
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Active
Founded	1849 (1849)
Founder(s)	John Henry Newman
Dedication	Saint Anne
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	22 March 2021
Architect(s)	Albert Vicars John O'Neill
Style	Gothic Revival
Administration
Deanery	Birmingham (Cathedral)
Archdiocese	Birmingham

St Anne's Church is a Roman Catholic church located on Alcester Street in Digbeth, a part of Birmingham's city centre. It was started by Saint John Henry Newman in 1849. The church moved into its current building in 1884. This building was designed by architects Albert Vicars and John O'Neill from London. They also designed St Hugh's Church in Lincoln and helped with St Peter's Cathedral in Belfast.

The church building is considered very important. It is a Grade II listed building. This means it has special historical or architectural value.

History of St Anne's Church

South side of the church and parish centre

How the Church Started

In 1847, John Henry Newman returned to Birmingham from Rome. He had permission from Pope Pius IX to set up a special religious community called the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in England. By 1849, he had a group of followers. They first started the church in an old gin distillery in an area called Deritend.

This area had many poor homes, like back-to-back houses. It was also mixed with factories and businesses. Many people living there were migrants, especially workers from Ireland.

In 1852, Newman and his community moved to Edgbaston in Birmingham. This was when the Birmingham Oratory was finished. St Anne's Church continued to operate. It has been managed by the Archdiocese of Birmingham ever since.

Building the New Church

The number of Irish people in Birmingham kept growing. More Catholic churches were built to welcome the increasing churchgoers. For example, St Catherine of Siena Church was built in 1874. St Francis of Assisi church was built in Handsworth in 1894.

In 1859, Fr John P. Dowling became the new priest for St Anne's. He provided the land where the church stands today. The new St Anne's church was built on Alcester Street in 1884. It was designed by the London architects Vicars and O'Neill. Cardinal Manning officially opened the new church. The old distillery that John Henry Newman first used became a school.

Did you know that J. R. R. Tolkien, the famous author of The Lord of the Rings, used to attend this church? He lived in Moseley and became a Catholic in 1900.

Who Managed the Church?

In 1903, Canon Villiers took over from Fr Dowling. After Canon Villiers passed away in 1938, a group called the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) started managing the church. They became involved after their leader, Fr Michael Ryan OMI, met the Archbishop of Birmingham, Thomas Williams. The Oblates were looking for a parish to work in, and St Anne's became available.

In 2010, the Oblates handed the church back to the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The Archdiocese continues to serve the parish today.

St Anne's Parish Life

In 1952, the first Birmingham St Patrick's Day Parade took place. This parade goes right through the centre of the parish. It travels along Deritend High Street and up to Digbeth. The parade happens on the Sunday before March 17th. It is one of the largest St Patrick's Day Parades in the world, after New York City and Dublin. Up to 80,000 people come to watch. There are also many floats, groups, and bands in the parade.

The church has a strong connection with the nearby St Anne's Primary School. The school's goal is to help students grow as friends. They learn and pray together, looking to Jesus as their guide. They believe everyone is special and should be respected as children of God.

St Anne's Church holds three Sunday Masses each week. There is a special Mass called a Vigil Mass at 1:00 pm on Saturday. On Sunday, Masses are held at 11:00 am and 6:30 pm.

List of Parish Priests

Here are the priests who have been in charge of St Anne's parish:

More to Explore

• St Catherine of Siena Church, Birmingham
• St Francis of Assisi Church, Handsworth
• Birmingham Oratory
• John Henry Newman
• Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate