St Jude's Church, Wigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Jude's Church |
|
|---|---|
| St Jude's Church, Worsley Mesnes | |
 |
|
| 53°31′35″N 2°38′51″W / 53.52629°N 2.64746°W | |
| OS grid reference | SD5717303479 |
| Location | Wigan |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St Jude & St Aidan Parish |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | December 1964 |
| Founder(s) | Fr Richard Tobin |
| Dedication | Jude the Apostle |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Architect(s) | L A G Prichard |
| Style | Brutalist |
| Completed | July 1965 |
| Construction cost | £100,000+ |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Jude and St Aidan |
| Deanery | Wigan |
| Archdiocese | Liverpool |
St Jude's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in the Worsley Mesnes area of Wigan, Greater Manchester. It was finished in 1965. The church is a special building because it is listed as Grade II. This means it is an important historical building. It stands at the corner of St Paul's Avenue and Poolstock Lane. St Jude's Church is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool.
Contents
The Story of St Jude's Church
How St Jude's Church Began
In the middle of the 20th century, many homes in central Wigan were taken down. People moved to new housing areas on the edge of town. These new areas included Poolstock and Worsley Mesnes.
To help the Catholic families in these new places, a priest named Father Richard Tobin started a small church in 1959. It was a simple "wooden hut" on St Paul's Avenue.
In 1962, Father Tobin wanted to build a bigger, permanent church. He wrote to the Archbishop of Liverpool, George Andrew Beck. Father Tobin suggested naming the church after St Jude or Our Lady of the Assumption.
Archbishop Beck liked the idea of St Jude. He wrote back, "I like your suggestion of St. Jude as a patron of the new church. We already have a parish in honour of The Assumption but none, so far as I know, to St. Jude." He even made a little joke!
Work on the new church began in the summer of 1963. The architects L A G Prichard & Sons designed it. The ground in the area was tricky because of old coal mining. This meant the church needed very strong foundations. Building the church cost over £100,000. Archbishop Beck laid the first stone in December 1964. The church opened its doors for people to worship in July 1965.
What St Jude's Church Looks Like
St Jude's Church is built from strong concrete and brick. It has a unique fan shape, like a triangle with its corners cut off. At the front, there is a round room called a baptistry. This room is where baptisms take place. Above it are four tall concrete pillars holding a cross.
Inside, you can see a large mosaic of the crucifixion. A mosaic is a picture made from small pieces of colored glass or stone. This one is huge, measuring 17 feet by 9 feet! It was designed by Hans Unger.
The church also has the Stations of the Cross. These are a series of pictures that show Jesus's journey to his crucifixion. At St Jude's, they are beautiful mosaics with gold backgrounds. John Madden and Sons from Belfast created them.
One of the most amazing parts of the church is its stained glass. This special glass is called dalle de verre. It means "slab glass" in French. The glass is very thick and colorful. Robin Riley designed the abstract, swirling patterns. They are mostly in shades of blue, red, yellow, and green. These windows were made in France.
The St Jude's Church Community
St Jude's Church became even bigger in 1995 when it joined with St Joseph's parish. In 2017, St Jude's parish also joined with St Aidan's parish in Winstanley.
Now, the parish has two Sunday masses:
- 9:00 am at St Aidan's
- 10:30 am at St Jude's
The church community is also connected to local schools and sports. These include St Jude's Catholic Primary School, St Aidan's Catholic Primary School, and the Wigan St Judes Rugby League club.
See also
- Listed buildings in Wigan
