St Winefride's, Sandbach facts for kids

St Winefride's Church is a Catholic church found in Sandbach, a town in Cheshire, England. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury. This church is an important part of the Catholic community in Sandbach and works with other local churches.

A Look at the Church's History

Building the Church

The current St Winefride's Church was finished in July 1914. This was just before the start of the First World War. Before this church was built, Catholic church services, called Mass, were held in a Methodist chapel on what is now Chapel Street.

Catholics in Sandbach's Past

The story of St Winefride's is closely connected to the history of Catholic people in Sandbach. The town's first parish church was St Mary's Church, Sandbach. However, after a big change in religion called the Reformation, this church became part of the Church of England. For many years after that, there isn't much recorded history about Catholics in Sandbach.

But some families quietly helped Catholic priests. For example, the family who owned the Old Hall Hotel, Sandbach had secret hiding places called "Priest holes" in their home. These were used to keep priests safe during times when they were not allowed to practice their faith openly.

A New Need for a Church

Later, during the Industrial Revolution, many new jobs appeared. The LMS railway company built a large depot in Crewe, a nearby town. This brought many railway workers to the area. Some of these workers were Irish Catholics. Because more Catholic families were moving to Sandbach, there was a clear need for a permanent church building.

The Earl of Crewe, a local landowner, generously gave land on Middlewich Road for the new church. This is where St Winefride's stands today. The house where the priest lives, called the presbytery, was built later in 1933. Father Mulcahy was the first priest to live there. A church hall was also added in the 1980s. This hall is used by the church community and by other groups in the local area.