St. Edward Church, Darwen

Introduction

St Edward's Parish officially came into being on January 20th, 1878, under Father Lathouwers.

History

On August 19th, 1882, the Foundation Stone of the New Church of the Sacred Heart was laid by Bishop Vaughan. The Church of the Sacred Heart was opened on April 11th, 1883, in the presence of Bishop Vaughan of Salford. In 1885, the Sisters of the Cross and Passion were invited to the parish, and a convent was built in 1906 from designs by Mr. Oswald Hill of Manchester. The amalgamation of the two Catholic Parishes was formalised in September 2017, with the parish re-named as The Catholic Parish of the Sacred Heart Darwen, with St Joseph's Church and St Edward's Church.

Architecture and furnishings

The new church was designed by Mr. Simpson from Bradford, with an interior of 72 feet by 36 feet, a vestry at the north end, and a baptistry at the west end. In 1961, a parish priest was responsible for a £17,000 extension to the church, necessitated by an increase in parishioners due to the opening out of the Birch Hall estate. The church was planned to seat 400 people and to be heated by hot air apparatus, with the probable cost put at £2,000. During a later period, extensive oak panelling was installed, along with new electric light fittings and an efficient heating system.

In a subsequent renovation, the church roof was repaired, the seating was reorganised to create centre aisles, and the aisles were carpeted. On June 22nd, 1884, Mr. Richard Holden gave the first statue for the church, a gift accepted by the parish priest. During a later period, the altar was moved forward so that the Celebrant faces the congregation, and the Font was moved to the front of the church.

Parish life

Two houses near the church were made into an Institute for Boys. The Catholic Secondary School of Saint Thomas Aquinas was opened on March 7th, 1963. The convent built in 1906 contained a private oratory and two special rooms to receive children and adults for instruction. Weekday mass and Benediction for school children catered for their spiritual needs. In 2011 the rear of the Church was opened up and a glass partition installed.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Couples must give at least six months notice before a proposed wedding date, and a course of preparation is arranged. Parents requesting baptism for their children are invited to share an information session organised by the Baptism Team.