St Mary's Church, Halifax facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
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| St Marie's Church | |
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| 53°43′24″N 1°52′06″W / 53.723256°N 1.868257°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE0879125214 |
| Location | Halifax |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | StMarysHalifax.com |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Events | Rebuilt in 1864 Enlarged in 1924 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Ralph Nicholson and Clement Williams |
| Groundbreaking | 20 September 1836 |
| Completed | 27 November 1839 |
| Construction cost | Rebuild: £2,000 Extension: £11,000 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Halifax |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | Liverpool |
St Mary's Church, also known as St Marie's Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Halifax, West Yorkshire. It was built between 1836 and 1839. You can find it at the corner of Gibbet Street and Clarence Street, right next to Burdock Way. This church was the first Roman Catholic church built in Halifax after the Reformation, a time when the Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church.
Contents
The History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church has an interesting past, including being damaged by a storm and then rebuilt.
How Was St Mary's Church Built?
In 1831, people started making plans to build a new church. They also began raising money for the project. On September 20, 1836, the first stone was laid, marking the start of construction. The church officially opened its doors on November 27, 1839. However, on October 18, 1863, a big storm hit, causing part of the church to collapse.
When Was the Church Rebuilt?
After the storm, everyone agreed that the church needed to be repaired and made bigger. On October 8, 1864, a new foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction. An architect named Ralph Nicholson led the work. The project included rebuilding the roof, the arcades (rows of arches), some walls, and adding a tower. This repair work cost about £2,000. The reconstruction was finished by November 11, 1865.
How Was the Church Extended?
In 1923, work began again to make the church even larger. Architect Clement Williams designed this extension. He helped increase the church's seating from 380 people to 900. The total cost for this big extension was £11,000. The newly extended church reopened on November 9, 1924, but work continued until 1926.
The Parish of St Mary's
St Mary's Church is part of a larger parish (a church district). Another church in this parish is St Alban's Church. Clement Williams, the same architect who extended St Mary's, also designed St Alban's. It was built between 1953 and 1954 and then updated in 1970.
St Mary's Church holds two Sunday Masses (church services): one at 11:00 AM and another at 12:45 PM, which is held in Polish. St Alban's Church also has two Sunday Masses: at 9:30 AM and 6:00 PM.
Images for kids
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St Alban's Church
See Also
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds
