150th Anniversary

In 2025, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the building of our current church building. We will be organising a number if celebratory events, and have resolved to raise £1500 in aid of the Hospice.

“The foundation stone of the new church was laid on October 15th, 1873, and through the hard work of the contractor, Mr. Hughes of Aldford, it was ready for use by the end of 1875. It was on Christmas Day, 1875, that the first Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Manning. No details of the occasion seem to have survived, and the Parish Notice Book for this year is missing. There is, however, a full account, both in the Chester Chronicle and in the Cheshire Observer of the solemn opening, which took place on Thursday, July l3th, 1876, from which it is possible to reconstruct this event. 

No pains were spared to make the opening as solemn and as splendid as possible. Pontifical High Mass - the first in Chester for three hundred years - was sung by Bishop O'Reilly of Liverpool, in the presence of Bishop Brown of Shrewsbury and a large gathering of canons and priests of the diocese. These were the days of elaborate church music, and we are told that "Haydn's Mass No. 1 was beautifully rendered by a selected band of fifteen performers and about twenty vocalists", and that 

"The cost of the band and extra chorus was defrayed by Thomas Wallington, Esq., of Latchford,25 Miss Wallington singing very sweetly and with much expression, the soprano solos in the service".

From: Catholicism in Chester- A double centenary 1875-1975

150th Anniversary Hospice Fundraising Progress