St Anne's Church, Blackburn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Anne's Church |
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Front entrance (2005)
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| OS grid reference | SD 67934 27933 |
| Location | Blackburn, Lancashire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | SacredHeartBlackburn.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | Saint Anne |
| Events | Rebuilt in 2004 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Architect(s) | Hill, Sandy & Norris |
| Style | Lombard Romanesque |
| Groundbreaking | 1925 |
| Completed | 24 December 1926 |
| Construction cost | £20,000 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Sacred Heart and St Anne |
| Deanery | Blackburn |
| Diocese | Salford |
| Province | Liverpool |
St Anne's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Blackburn, England. It is a Parish church, meaning it serves a local community. The church was first started in 1848. The building you see today was finished in 1926. It was designed by architects Hill, Sandy & Norris from Manchester.
The church is located in the center of Blackburn. You can find it at the corner of Prince's Street and Paradise Street. It is right next to St Anne's Catholic Primary School. The church was built in a style called Lombard Romanesque. In December 2000, the building was badly damaged by a fire. It was then rebuilt and reopened in 2004.
Contents
History of St Anne's Church
How St Anne's Church Started
St Anne's Church began as a new mission from St Alban's Church. St Alban's was the first Roman Catholic church built in Blackburn. This happened after the English Reformation. In 1773, two small houses on Chapel Street became a chapel. Later, in 1781, a new chapel was built next to them.
Mrs. Mary Hodgson paid £400 for this new chapel. In 1819, a priest named Fr James Sharples came to lead the Blackburn mission. In 1823, he bought land for a bigger church. This church was built between 1824 and 1826. It was a Georgian style building with a Romanesque Revival tower.
In the late 1800s, priests Dean John Newton and Canon Peter Lonsdale planned an even bigger church. The architect for this project was Edward Goldie. On October 13, 1898, the first stone was laid. The Bishop of Salford, Herbert Vaughan, was there. The new church opened on December 8, 1901. It cost £20,000 and was built by John Boland of Blackburn.
Building the First St Anne's Church
In 1848, a new Catholic mission started in central Blackburn. It came from St Alban's Church. That year, a building was put up on Paradise Street. It held both a church and a school. The design was by Weightman and Hadfield. It opened in August 1849.
In 1852, the church was rebuilt. This made it big enough for 500 people. In 1869, more parts were added. These included a new sanctuary, a mortuary chapel, an aisle, and a baptistry.
Building the Current Church
In 1925, the first stone for the current church was laid. This was done by Fr William Shine. The new church was built on the same spot as the 1848 church and school. It was expected to cost £20,000. It could hold 800 people. The design was by the Hill, Sandy & Norris firm. Sadly, Fr Shine passed away a few days after laying the stone.
The next priest, Fr Thomas Henshaw, became the Bishop of Salford soon after. His replacement, Fr Thomas Singleton, finished the building. The church officially opened at midnight on December 24, 1926.
Over the next two years, more features were added inside. These included side altars for the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also added altar rails, a sanctuary lamp, a marble pulpit, an organ, and a baptismal font. In 1932, the main high altar was installed. In 1947, the old 1852 church became a parish hall. In 1966, the presbytery was replaced. Desmond Williams & Associates from Manchester designed the new one.
Rebuilding After the Fire
In 2000, fewer people lived in the town. Plans were made to make the church smaller. In December 2000, a fire badly damaged the church. A campaign started to raise £600,000. The goal was to fix the church and make it smaller. It would then hold about 200 people. The west side of the church was rebuilt. The area in front of the church was also redesigned.
The Parish and Other Churches
Sacred Heart Church
St Anne's Church is now served by priests from Sacred Heart Church in Blackburn. Sacred Heart Church started as a mission from St Anne's Church in 1900. Fr Edward Woods began it. On May 5, 1900, the first stone of Sacred Heart Church was laid. Bishop John Bilsborrow of Salford was present. The church was first located at St Silas' Road and Leamington Road.
On July 14, 1901, Bishop Bilsborrow opened the church. On October 29, 1905, Sacred Heart Church became its own parish. On October 15, 1937, the first stone for the current Sacred Heart Church was laid. Bishop Henshaw did this. On September 30, 1938, the church opened. The first Mass was held there.
Mass Times
St Anne's Church has one Sunday Mass. It is at 12:30 pm. Sacred Heart Church has two Sunday Masses. One is on Saturday at 6:15 pm. The other is on Sunday at 10:30 am.
St Alban's Church is part of a different parish. This parish is called St Alban and Good Shepherd. It also includes Good Shepherd Church on Earl Street. Another church in this parish is Holy Souls Church on Whalley New Road. St Alban's Church has three Sunday Masses. They are on Saturday at 6:30 pm, and Sunday at 9:00 am and 11:15 am. Good Shepherd Church has one Sunday Mass at 10:15 am. Holy Souls Church has two Sunday Masses at 10:00 am and 5:00 pm.
See also
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford
