Sacred Heart & St Teresa

Introduction

The Catholic Church in Wilmslow dates from 1873. The present church was built between 1911 and 1914 to the design of William Gillow. Sacred Heart & St Teresa stands on a prime site in the centre of Wilmslow.

History

The first church was in Alma Lane, near the present fire station. In 1900 the Diocese was given land by the Trustees of the De Trafford family for church, presbytery, parish hall and parish school. The builders were Browns of Wilmslow. Gillow died shortly after the church's completion, and the presbytery was delayed until the mid 1920s.

A tablet in the narthex commemorates the first Rector of the Mission. Gillow's interior was modified twice, in the 1980s and in 2008-9. Another tablet below it commemorates early benefactors.

Architecture and furnishings

The organ by Hardy of Stockport was built in 1894 and placed in Saint Teresa's in 1914. The Shrine of Our Lady dates from 1957. A separate Baptistery was designed as part of the recent changes. The separate statue of Our Lady of Wilmslow, recalling a medieval devotion, has been placed in the narthex. The plinths of the font and of the tabernacle are identical in design.

Parish life

The S.V.P. is a worldwide lay organisation founded by Blessed Frederick Ozanam in 1833, whose core activity is to visit and befriend the elderly, the housebound, the lonely, the sick, and families in need. The Saint Teresa's group, known as a Conference, meets fortnightly to review the previous weeks' work and plan the coming two weeks, with members dedicating approximately one to two hours per week in active work. Since October 1991, a small group of daily Mass-goers has prayed five decades of the Rosary every day after Mass.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Saint Teresa's belongs to Local Pastoral Area Number Six, and is linked with the parishes of Saint Pius, Alderley Edge, Saint Benedict's, Handforth and Saint Vincent's, Knutsford. The parish is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury, which serves the population of New Cheshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin with parts of Derbyshire, Halton, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Warrington. The Shrewsbury Catholic Voice is the Diocesan Newspaper, available in parishes across the Diocese quarterly. Catholic Marriage Care provides marriage preparation, relationship counselling, relationship education, and a telephone helpline, offering support to those who want to marry or enter long-term relationships.

The Catholic Children's Society Shrewsbury Diocese works with children and families to help build stronger supportive communities wherever there is current disadvantage. The parish provides a leaflet with a prayer for the household.

Visiting

Saint Teresa's has for many years had a local project well supported by parishioners, collecting over the last 5 years the sum of £23,000; at the beginning of 2011 it was decided that a new project would commence concentrating on Cambodia.