St Mary's Church, Warrington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Shrine, Warrington
Buttermarket Street, Warrington, with St Mary's Church
53°23′23″N 2°35′20″W / 53.38969°N 2.58882°W / 53.38969; -2.58882
OS grid reference	SJ 609 882
Location	Warrington, Cheshire, England
Country	England
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	https://fssp.org.uk/warrington/
History
Status	Shrine
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	4 April 1975
Architect(s)	E. W. Pugin, Peter Paul Pugin
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1875
Completed	1923
Specifications
Materials	Pale Pierpoint stone and Runcorn sandstone
Administration
Deanery	St Gregory's, Warrington
Diocese	Liverpool

St Mary's Church, also known as St Mary's Priory, is a historic Catholic church located in the heart of Warrington, Cheshire, England. It is a very special building because it is listed as a Grade II building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is an important historical and architectural site.

The church was first started and looked after by Benedictine monks from Ampleforth Abbey. In 2012, the monks left, and for a while, a priest from St Benedict's Church, Warrington took care of it. Since November 2015, priests from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) have owned and run the church. It is now a shrine church. This means it is a special place for celebrating Catholic services in the older style, before the Vatican II changes. Many people know St Mary's for its beautiful and respectful services.

Since 2017, you can watch Sunday Sung Mass and daily Low Mass live from St Mary's online. You can find these services at LiveMass.net and through the iMass app.

History of St Mary's Church

How the Church Began

The idea for St Mary's Church came from Benedictine priests at St Alban's Church, Warrington. Father John Placid Hall, a Benedictine monk, is given credit for thinking of building the church and choosing its location. The land where the church now stands used to be a cotton mill. It was bought on May 5, 1870, for £4,000.

Building the Church

The church was designed by a famous architect named E. W. Pugin. Construction started in 1875, just before Pugin passed away. Bishop O'Reilly of Liverpool laid the foundation stone on Sunday, May 9, 1875. The church was finished in 1877 by Peter Paul Pugin, another architect. A historian named Nikolaus Pevsner thought it was one of their best church designs.

The church officially opened on Thursday, August 30, 1877. The beautiful altar screen (reredos) and the large round window (rose window) were blessed on November 1, 1885. The very tall and thin southwest tower was added later in 1907. It was designed by Pugin & Pugin. A chapel for World War I memories was added in 1923. It was designed by Frederick Walters.

Changes Over Time

St Mary's parish used to have a school and a hall called Ashton Hall, but these have since been closed down. In the 1930s, many old houses in the area were removed. This caused the number of people living in the parish to drop by half in just four years.

Another church, St Oswald's Church, Padgate, was started from St Mary's in 1929 by Father Thomas Austin Hind. He became its first priest.

A New Chapter for St Mary's

On January 15, 2012, Father Paul William Wright announced that Ampleforth Abbey could no longer provide a priest for St Mary's. This was because they didn't have enough monks. This meant the Benedictine presence in Warrington, which had lasted 250 years, was coming to an end. Father William Wright's last Mass was on September 9, 2012.

There were talks in 2012 about the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) taking over the church. However, these talks didn't lead to a decision at first. The Archdiocese of Liverpool then took care of the church's needs. Monsignor John Devine, from St Benedict's Church, Warrington, helped the congregation. He later also took charge of St Oswald's Church, Padgate.

On July 4, 2015, the Archbishop of Liverpool, Malcolm McMahon, announced that the FSSP would take responsibility for St Mary's Church. He said it would become a center for celebrating the older form of the Roman Rite. However, the FSSP priests would not be in charge of St Mary's parish itself. That responsibility went to Father David Heywood.

The first public Mass by the FSSP at the church was held on November 15, 2015. The official opening Mass, attended by Archbishop McMahon and Abbot Cuthbert Madden, happened on November 21, 2015.

In a special event, priestly ordinations (when men become priests) in the traditional style were held at St Mary's on June 17, 2017. Deacons Alex Stewart and Krzysztof Sanetra were ordained as priests by Archbishop McMahon.

After the FSSP took over, St Mary's is no longer a regular parish church. Instead, it is a special "shrine" within a larger parish. The original St Mary's parish was combined with two others: St Benedict's Church, Warrington and St Oswald's Church, Padgate. In April 2018, the new combined parish was named Blessed James Bell Parish.

Architecture and Design

St Mary's Church is built using light-colored Pierpoint stone and red Runcorn sandstone. Its style is called Decorated Gothic, which is known for its detailed decorations.

Church Layout

The church has a tall, slender tower on its southwest side. It has a main area called a nave with six sections, and a high row of windows called a clerestory. There are also side areas called aisles on the north and south. The church has a short chancel (the area around the altar) and short transepts (parts that stick out like arms). The tower is very thin, and its top spells out "AVE MARIA" (Hail Mary). There is also a porch at the west entrance.

To the north of the chancel is the Sacred Heart Chapel, added in 1890. To the south is the English Martyrs Chapel, which used to be called the Lady Chapel. The inside of the church feels "airy and spacious." The confessionals (small rooms for confession) are built into the north wall.

Interior Details and Art

Above the arches inside the church, you can see carvings of angels. These angels hold small statues (busts) of English saints. On one side are St Augustine of Canterbury, St Hilda, St Thomas of Canterbury, St Walpurga, and St Bede. On the other side are St Gregory the Great, St Winefride, St Cuthbert, Saint Mildred, and St Wilfrid.

All the church's furniture and decorations were designed by Peter Paul Pugin. The carvings were done by Richard Lockwood Boulton. The main altar, built in 1885, and the chapel altars are made of Portland stone and Bath stone. The pulpit (where sermons are given), built in 1884, and the communion rail are made of marble. The choir stalls, built in 1891, are made of oak. The pews are benches with cast iron frames.

The Stations of the Cross, created in 1894, are set into the walls and made of Caen stone. There are sculptures of St Benedict and St Scholastica (1891) near the chancel arch. You can also see a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes by Philip Lindsey Clark. In the north aisle, there is a statue of St Joseph designed by Geoffrey Webb and carved by Harold Youngman.

On the south wall, there is a special container called a reliquary. It holds relics (holy objects) of Dominic Barberi and was put in place in 1965. In the chancel, the floor has Minton tiles with a lily design. Above the altar screen (reredos) is a beautiful rose window. The reredos itself is very detailed. It shows scenes of the kings adoring Jesus and shepherds adoring Jesus. It also has flowers and symbols related to Mary. On top of the reredos are four statues of saints known for their devotion to Mary: St Anselm, St Bernard of Clairvaux, St Dominic, and St Alphonsus Liguori.

The church also has many stained glass windows made by Hardman & Co. and Harry Clarke. These windows show various saints, including Warrington's own martyr, Blessed James Bell (priest).

Sacred Music at St Mary's

Music is a very important part of the church's services. The Catholic Church believes that sacred music is a valuable treasure, even more so than other art forms. This is because sacred songs, combined with words, are a key part of the church's worship.

Since it was founded in 1877, St Mary's choir has been known for its excellent sacred music. At the church's opening Mass, a large choir and orchestra performed music by famous composers like Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Rossini. Father J E Turner, a Benedictine monk, was a curate at St Mary's from 1891-1893. He was a talented organist, singer, and composer. He wrote four Masses and many motets, which are still used today. His Mass in honor of St. Cecilia was first performed at St Mary's in 1892.

Unlike many churches at the time, St Mary's kept the tradition of performing Plainchant (old church chants) and Renaissance polyphony (music with many voices). Father Turner, along with Sir Richard Terry, helped bring back these traditional chants and the music of masters like Palestrina.

On August 4, 1935, St Mary's hosted the first religious broadcast from Warrington on the BBC. The church has broadcast several times since then. It also made the first televised religious service on Granada television in December 1974.

At its 60th anniversary, the choir had 22 boy trebles (high voices) and 18 men, led by Mr. Aaron Kilburn. Until recently, St Mary's was known for having one of the best church choirs in the North West of England. The church had choirs for boys and girls, an adult group, and was home to the Warrington Choral Society. Many former choir members went on to study music at famous schools like The Royal Academy of Music.

On November 4, 2018, it was announced that the Director of Music would be stepping down. The following week, Father Ian Verrier became the new organist and choirmaster. After this change, most of the Shrine choir members left, and the boy and girl chorister programs ended. Father Verrier studied Music at The University of Birmingham and continued his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Bells of St Mary's

The church has a set of eight bells. They were made by Gillett & Johnston in Croydon in 1906. The bells were blessed on October 7, 1906. They were fully repaired in 1962 and had more work done in 2005. The largest bell, called the tenor bell, can be rung.

Images for kids

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  Chancel towards the South

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  Nave looking towards the narthex

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  The Chancel towards the North

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  The Nave

See also

• Listed buildings in Warrington (unparished area)