St Winefride's, Sandbach facts for kids

St Winefride's Church is a Catholic church found in Sandbach, Cheshire, England. It belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury. This church is also part of a group called Churches Together in Sandbach. This group helps different churches in the area work together.

History of St Winefride's

Building the Church

The church building you see today was finished in July 1914. This was just before the start of the First World War. Before this church was built, Catholic Mass was held in a Methodist chapel. That chapel was on what is now Chapel Street.

Catholics in Sandbach

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

Interestingly, the family who owned the Old Hall Hotel, Sandbach helped Catholic priests. They had secret hiding places called "Priest holes" in their home. These were used to keep priests safe during difficult times.

A New Church for New Residents

Later, during the Industrial Revolution, many people moved to the area. This was because of the new LMS railway depot in Crewe. A lot of these new workers were Irish Catholics. Because so many Catholic families were moving in, a permanent church building was needed.

The Earl of Crewe at that time gave land on Middlewich Road. This is where the current St Winefride's Church was built. 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 built in the 1980s. This hall is used by the church community and by other local groups.

Find Out More

• St. Winefride's Roman Catholic Church, Sandbach Homepage