St Joseph's Church, Gateshead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Joseph's Church |
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| St Joseph's Catholic Church | |
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| 54°57′51.5″N 1°36′14.4″W / 54.964306°N 1.604000°W | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St Joseph's RC Church Gateshead |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Gateshead |
| Deanery | St Joseph and St Robert of Newminster |
| Diocese | Hexham and Newcastle |
St Joseph's Church is a Catholic church located in Gateshead, England. It has been an important place of worship for the Catholic community in Gateshead for many years.
Contents
The Story of St Joseph's Church
Early Days in Gateshead
Before St Joseph's Church was built in 1859, there wasn't a Catholic church in Gateshead. The famous writer Venerable Bede once lived in Gateshead. He wrote about a special monastery there, led by an abbot named Utta. This monastery existed until a time when many monasteries were closed down.
Later, the land became owned by the Riddell family. Secret church services were held in their home's chapel. Sadly, a priest named Rev. John Ingram was killed there in 1594 for performing his duties.
A Time Without a Church
Priests continued to serve in the Riddell family's chapel for a while. But in 1746, the chapel and the family's home were attacked and burned. For the next 100 years, Gateshead had no Catholic church or priest.
Starting a New Parish
In 1850, a bishop named Hogarth asked Father Betham to start a new Catholic community in Gateshead. Father Betham wrote to local Catholics, asking them to help raise money for a new church. He became the first priest of the new community, which officially began in 1851.
At first, the community was called Our Lady and St. Wilfrid's. Their temporary chapel was on the top floor of a warehouse.
Building St Joseph's
Father Betham left in 1853. After a fire in 1854, services were held in a hotel's assembly rooms. When Father Edward Consitt became the first official parish priest, the community's name changed to St Joseph's.
On May 25, 1858, Bishop Hogarth laid the first stone for the new church. Mr. Archibald Dunn was the architect, and Mr. Hogg was the builder. Just over a year later, on July 5, 1859, Bishop Hogarth returned to open and bless St Joseph's Church. Many important people attended the ceremony.
Growing the Community
Over the years, St Joseph's parish grew. In 1864, St Joseph's School opened. Later, Father Thomas Matthews, the fourth parish priest, built the current house for the priests.
Other priests, like Father Green, were known for helping the poor. Father Newsham built another school, the Blessed Sacrament School. Father Bull built schools at All Saints'. Father Farrow helped deepen the faith of the people.
When St Joseph's first became a parish, there were about 3,000 Catholics in Gateshead. By 1959, when the church celebrated its 100th birthday, there were seven Catholic parishes in the town, with about seven times as many Catholics!
Today
The current Parish Priest of St Joseph's Church is Canon Michael Brown. The church continues to be a central part of the Catholic community in Gateshead.
