St Benedict's Church, Warrington facts for kids

St Benedict's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Warrington, England. It is located in the Orford area of Cheshire. This church was first started by Benedictine monks from Ampleforth Abbey. Today, priests from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool look after it.

The Story of St Benedict's Church

Early Days and First Buildings

In 1881, a school was built in the area. Church services, called Mass, were held inside this school building. In 1902, St. Benedict's became its own separate church area. It was the third church in Warrington to be founded by Benedictine monks. The other two were St Alban's Church (from 1755) and St Mary's Church (from 1877). In 1904, a small, temporary church was built. It was made of tin and placed in the school playground.

Building the New Church

Father Oswald Swarbreck became the leader of the church in 1907. During his time, a new house for the priests, called a presbytery, was built. It was finished in 1912. After that, work began on a brand new church building. This new church officially opened on July 11, 1915. A very important church leader, Cardinal Bourne, who was the Archbishop of Westminster, opened it.

Important Events and Changes

The main altar of the church was blessed in 1927. It was built by skilled workers from Italy. In 1931, a new building for community events was added. It was called the Bell Hall, named after a local hero, Blessed James Bell. The church was fully consecrated in 1943. This happened after the church had paid off all its building costs. A social club was also built next to the church in 1965.

The last Benedictine priest left St Benedict's in 1986. After that, the church became part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. A new school building was constructed in 1991. The old school and the Bell Hall were taken down by 1993. In 2018, St. Benedict's joined with other local churches. They formed one new combined church area called Blessed James Bell.