St Mary's

Introduction

The first church in Cleator was built in 1853, dedicated to Saint Bega. The church was opened on 23 June 1872.

History

The church was built to accommodate 1,000 people, costing £6000. In 1918, marble altar rails were installed in the church, dedicated on 1 and 2 June. In 2010, the parishes of Saint Mary's Cleator and Saint Joseph's Frizington were merged. The parish priest at the time was responsible for the building of the church. The original church was taken over for use as part of Saint Mary's school, which adjoined it.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of rock-faced coursed dressed red sandstone with red sandstone ashlar dressings. The church has a nave and chancel under a single slate roof, with aisles and transepts. The chancel has a circular window with six circular lights around a central circle. The interior includes an ornate reredos with niches, statues, spirelets and similar features behind the altar.

The altar rail is in marble with gilded metal gates. The roof is arched and ribbed with painted stylised roses within square panels. The nave arcades have pointed arches springing from plain columns with individually carved capitals.

The Lady Altar is part of the original design of the church. The church has a bellcote with three lancet niches and an exposed bell. The church has a late 20th-century entrance porch in glass and steel on the south transept. The aisles have side chapels at the altar end and a ribbed roof with pointed arches sprung from arcade columns.

The nave and aisles have bench pews arranged around the altar in the centre. The ritual west end has a single-storey porch with lean-to roof, central doorway and flanking lancet windows. The doorway has a pointed arch, drip moulding, ashlar jambs and double wooden plank doors with large elaborate hinges. The entrance porch has arched double doors in glazed wood, flanked by glazed wooden screens in lancet form.

A west-end stairs to the left of the entrance leads to a choir and organ loft. The south transept has three elongated lancet windows on the gable end. The north transept has a rose window in the gable end and a single-storey vestry below with two paired lights. The south transept has stained glass in three end windows and double doors to a C20 porch.

A brass plaque, inscribed with the names of the fallen, was unveiled on 23 October 1920. The church was re-ordered in the 1970s, when the original pulpit was removed. Music is one of the serving teams at St Mary's and St Joseph's, involving singing in the choir or playing an instrument.

Parish life

The parish has a Men's Group for Catholic men of working age to grow in faith. The parish has a Parish Pastoral Council, a consultative body evaluating pastoral needs and developing a pastoral plan. The parish aims to fully support the development of a Youth Ministry. The parish aims to continue to develop the confirmation programme.

The parish aims to engage parents in the life of the church through baptism, confirmation and First Holy Communion programmes. The parish aims to grow the children's liturgy and encourage more people to help. The parish aims to continue to grow the number of people involved in music in its masses. The parish aims to create a programme of attractive and simple liturgies outside of mass.

The parish has a serving team for adult faith formation, helping with occasional courses. The parish has altar servers. The parish runs baptismal preparation courses for parents of children to be baptised. The parish has a Caritas team raising money for those in need.

The parish has catechists who prepare young people for the sacraments of confession, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. The parish has a Children's Liturgy team leading the youngest members in worship on Sunday mornings. The parish has a cleaning team keeping the buildings looking their best. The parish has Eucharistic ministers.

The parish has a gardening and grounds maintenance team helping to maintain the grounds around the two churches. The parish has readers at Mass.

Regular events

In early September the diocesan pilgrimage brings several hundred people together. The tradition of pilgrimage continues with a number of groups coming each year. Groups of young people have joined a walking pilgrimage from Borrowdale to Cleator organised by the Lancaster Diocese Youth Centre at Castlerigg.

Visiting

A 67 mile pilgrimage walk links Lancaster Cathedral to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Cleator. The walk can be done over six days.

The Grotto was opened on 30th October 1927 and rapidly became a focus for pilgrimage from all parts of the diocese. Visitors can park in the car park or on the road in front of the church.