Our Lady and the Apostles Church, Stockport

Our Lady and the Apostles Church
View from Shaw Heath
53°24′10″N2°09′40″W / 53.4027°N 2.1612°W / 53.4027; -2.1612
OS grid reference	SJ8937889550
Location	Stockport, Greater Manchester
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	ourladyandtheapostles.co.uk
History
Former name(s)	St Philip and St James Church
Status	Active
Dedication	Blessed Virgin Mary, Apostles
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	10 July 2009 [1]
Architect(s)	Edmund Kirby
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1903
Completed	1905
Administration
Province	Birmingham
Diocese	Shrewsbury
Deanery	Stockport & Tameside [2]

Our Lady and the Apostles Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Edgeley area of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. It was built from 1903 to 1905 and replaced St Philip and St James Church, built in 1803, which was the first permanent Catholic church to be built in Stockport after the English Reformation. It is situated on the corner of Shaw Heath and Greek Street, south west of Stockport College and south of Stockport railway station. It was built in the Gothic Revival style by the architect Edmund Kirby and is a Grade II listed building. ^[3]

History

Foundation

In 1776, St Chad's Chapel was opened on Rock Street in Manchester. The priest would travel from Manchester to Sutton to serve the Catholic congregations in Macclesfield and Stockport. In 1794, St Mary's Church, Mulberry Street was opened in Manchester and it became the centre from which priests would serve the Catholics in and around the city. Funds were collected to start a mission in Stockport by the priests at St Mary's Church. On 1 May 1798, a house was rented on Windmill Street in Stockport. It was opened for the saying of Mass on 22 July 1798. From 1801, the priest of the mission, a Fr James Blundell started to raise money for a permanent church to be built. ^[4]

St Philip and St James Church

In 1802, the foundation stone of St Philip and St James Church was laid by Fr Richard Thompson, the curate of St Mary's Church, Mulberry Street. On 1 May 1803, the church was opened and Mass was said by Fr Rowland Broomhead, the parish priest of St Mary's Church. The bricks used in its construction were made on site. In the 1830s, with the increasing size of the congregation, the church was enlarged. A tower, side galleries and a larger vestry were added. On 23 September 1832, the church was reopened. ^[4] From 1845, priests from St Philip and St James Church started a mission in the centre of the town, which became St Joseph's Church. ^[5]

Construction

With the increasing Catholic population a larger church was needed. Our Lady of the Apostles Church replaced St Philip and St James Church. In 1905, the church was built. It was designed by Edmund Kirby. The front of the church is similar to Sacred Heart Church in Chorley which Kirby designed in 1894. The stained-glass windows in the church was attributed to Margaret Agnes Rope. In 1925, the sanctuary was redesigned to become a First World War memorial. ^{[1] [3]}

The sanctuary was re-ordered in 1989 to bring it into line with post Vatican-Two requirements.

Organ

The church contains a three manual pipe organ with 49 speaking stops and 2,088 pipes. The organ was originally built by the local organ builders Hardy & Son as a two manual instrument. The organ was rebuilt and considerably enlarged by the Manchester company of Jardine & Co in 1955. In 1985 George Sixsmith, organ builders, carried out further changes including the rebuild of the choir organ as well as adding new pipes and other minor changes. Apart from the changes to the choir section, the instrument remains largely similar to the rebuild of 1955.^{[ citation needed ]}

Parish

Mass times are Saturday (Vigil) 6.30pm, Sunday 11am, Tuesday 9.30am, Thursday 7pm, Saturday 9.30am. Check newsletter : ourladyandtheapostles.co.uk

See also

• Greater Manchester portal

• Listed buildings in Stockport
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury
• The Hidden Gem

References

1. Church of Our Lady and the Apostles, Stockport from British Listed Buildings, retrieved 4 February 2016
2. Pastoral areas from Diocese of Shrewsbury, retrieved 4 February 2016
3. Stockport - Our Lady and the Apostles from English Heritage, retrieved 4 February 2016
4. Beginnings from OurLadyandtheApostles.co.uk, retrieved 4 February 2016
5. Stockport - St Joseph from English Heritage, retrieved 5 February 2016

External links

• Our Lady and the Apostles Parish site
• Our Lady and the Apostles Church from Diocese of Shrewsbury