ABOUT US
PARISH HISTORY
St Mary Magdalen's
St Mary Magdalen's was originally part of St Wilfrid's in Chapel Street, Preston. In 1911, sketch plans for a "chapel of ease" at Penwortham were completed.
An anonymous lady donor provided sufficient land to build a school and a church; she also contributed £1,000 for the building of the church. It was her wish that the church be called St Mary Magdalen.
The first sod was cut in November 1911. By April of the following year, the Church had been entirely roofed and the plastering had commenced. The building of the porch had been delayed because of a coal strike, the railway unable to bring any bricks.
The total cost of the land and buildings was approximately £2,500.
On Sunday, 29 September 1912, the Church of St Mary Magdalen was opened by His Grace, Archbishop Bourne of Liverpool. The altar of Caen Stone formerly stood in the private chapel of Alston Hall. The blessing took place at 10.30am and he celebrated mass at 11.00am. It was the first time mass had been offered in Penwortham since the Reformation. In the afternoon, a sermon was preached by Fr O'Hare SJ.
The Parish was established on 28 November 1933.
The first mass in the new church was celebrated on Palm Sunday in 1987 at 10.30am. The Most Reverend Derek Worlock, the Archbishop of Liverpool, solemnly opened and consecrated the church at a concelebrated mass at 7.30pm on 9 July 1987.
Information provided by Eamon Macken
St Teresa's
To be provided.
Information provided by
PRIESTS ROLL OF HONOUR
| St MARY MAGDALEN'S | |
| Fr McKillen | 1960-1970 |
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| Fr Brady | 1970-1982 |
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| Fr Trevor Cotter | 1982-2002 |
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| Fr Austin Griffin | 2002- |
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| St TERESA'S | |
| Fr George Houghton | 1956-1973 |
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| Fr Michael O'Callaghan | 1973-1983 |
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| Fr Bernard Growney | 1983-1995 |
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| Fr Philip Inch | |
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| Fr Austin Griffin | 1996- |
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PARISH ARCHITECTS
St Mary Magdalen's
The architect of the new church of St Mary Magdalen was Frank Roberts. It was completed in 1988 at a cost of £250,000.
The church was reviewed at length in Church Building and featured in Country Life as the "Best Church of the Decade".
This combination of fine architecture, good craftsmanship and the use of sensitive artist craftsmen has not been seen since the Arts and Crafts ideals were swamped by the Modern movement.
For this reason alone, St Mary Magdalen, Penwortham, is without doubt the most important church to have been built since Goodhart-Rendel died in the 1950s.
The church was also featured by Lucinda Lambton in her television programme "Hurrah for Today" in 1990 and included in the 20th Century Church Exhibition RIBA Heinz gallery, London 1997.
Source : http://www.francisroberts.com
St Teresa's
St Teresa's Roman Catholic Church was designed in 1959 by Preston Architects, Cassidy and Ashton Partnership, based at East Cliff, Preston.
The Architect was Gerald Cassidy who was assisted in the detailing by Fred Shorrock.
Gerald continued to worship at the Church throughout his life and Cassidy and Ashton dedicated a Pascal Candle Stand, a Mobile Font and two Ciborium bowls in his memory.
The Church is modern in its appearance, having a very high interior created by a series of concrete portal frames with high level glazing producing a well lit and spacious environment for worship; a Parish Meeting Room was added in 2003.
The Church is rectangular, has a simplicity in its choice of materials, with a hexagonal Sanctuary, allowing good visibility from within the Church. The internal metalwork of the Baptistery and the sculpture of the Crucifixion over the Sanctuary are both very striking and effective.
The Church is much admired and has received acclaim from the Art and Architecture Department of the Liverpool Archdiocese. St Teresa's is a simple and homely building creating a most attractive and welcoming Church.
Source : http://www.cassidyashton.co.uk
St Teresa's Social Centre was opened on 17 October 1970 in what used to be the old scout hut - roughly on the site of today's tennis pavilion. In the early 1970s this was knocked down and a new centre was built which has been extended and upgraded over the years. Originally a members' club run by an elected committee, it is now a proprietary club.
Information provided by Peter Reed
