St Michael and St John Church, Clitheroe Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Michael and St John Church
St Michael and St John the Evangelist Church, Clitheroe
Front entrance
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OS grid reference	SD7441341746
Location	Clitheroe
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	OLOTV.org.uk
History
Status	Active
Founded	1799; 226 years ago (1799)
Founder(s)	Fr John Laurenson SJ
Dedication	St Michael, John the Evangelist
Events	Church rebuilt 1850
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II
Administration
Parish	Our Lady of the Valley
Deanery	St John Southworth
Diocese	Salford
Province	Liverpool

St Michael and St John the Evangelist Church is a Roman Catholic church in Clitheroe, England. It is located on Lowergate road, near the town centre. A kind Catholic person named Thomas Weld (of Lulworth) helped pay for the church in 1799. It was looked after by members of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits.

The first church building became St Michael and St John's Catholic Primary School in 1850. At that time, a new church was built right next door. This church is considered an important historical building. It is officially listed as a Grade II listed building.

Church History
- How it Started
- Growing Bigger
About the Parish
Inside the Church
See also

Church History

How it Started

A priest named Father John Laurenson SJ first arrived in Clitheroe in 1794. He started a special mission to help the local Catholic people. Father Laurenson lived at Stonyhurst College nearby. This college was a big gift from Thomas Weld to the English Jesuits. They had recently returned to England after being away in Europe for 200 years.

In 1798, Thomas Weld gave the Jesuits land on Lowergate. This land was for them to build a church and a school. So, in 1799, a small chapel was built there. Years later, a letter was found from Thomas Weld. In it, he asked the priest in Clitheroe to say a special Mass every year for him and his wife, Mary.

Growing Bigger

As time went on, more and more Catholic people moved to the area. This meant the small chapel needed to be made bigger. A school building was also added next to the chapel.

In 1850, a much larger church was built right next door. This was to fit the growing number of people attending services. The original chapel building was then used only for the school. Twenty years later, both the school and the new church were made even bigger.

In 1897, a brand new school was built on the same site. It was placed next to the older school building. This allowed the original 1799 chapel and school building to become a social centre for the church community. The very first church building from 1799 is now part of St Michael's Primary School. It is still a Grade II listed building today.

About the Parish

St Mary's Church, Sabden

In September 2008, the Jesuits passed the church to the Diocese of Salford. This group continues to look after the church and its community. Two years later, in 2010, St Michael and St John Church joined with St Mary Queen of Peace Church in Sabden. Together, they formed a new, larger church community called Our Lady of the Valley.

St Mary's Church was built in 1877. It became its own parish in 1909. This meant people in Sabden did not have to travel a long way to Clitheroe for Mass.

The church community works closely with two local schools. These are St. Mary's R.C. Primary School in Sabden and St. Michael and St. John's R.C. Primary School in Clitheroe. Both schools believe that a good Catholic education comes from a partnership. This partnership includes the home, the school, and the church community.

The church has two Sunday Masses at St Michael and St John Church. One is on Saturday evening at 6:00pm. The other is on Sunday morning at 9:30am. St Mary's Church has one Sunday Mass at 11:00am.