St Mary, Euxton

Introduction

St Mary, Euxton, in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, was built in 1864-5 by architect Edward Welby Pugin. The church was opened on 29th October 1865.

History

The church was designed by Edward Welby Pugin, with strong input from a local priest. William Ince Anderton contributed £1000 towards the cost of the church building and funded the Anderton Chapel. The church underwent a major reordering in 1991, with the altar moved forward and altar rails removed.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is built of rock-faced red sandstone with a slate roof, and has a nave with high aisles, transepts and a 3-sided apse. The nave arcade has alternately round and octagonal polished columns supporting moulded 2-centred arches. Beneath the floor at the west end is the family vault of the Andertons of Euxton Hall, which is sealed.

All the stained glass in the church was installed in 1925-26 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of St Mary's. The original altar was replaced in 1888 by the current altar made of Italian marble depicting the Lamb of God. The Sanctuary mural 'The Murder of St Thomas à Becket' was painted in 1942. The original 1865 organ remains in the gallery in fine working order.

The War Memorial Cross was erected after the First World War and extended after World War II, then re-dedicated on 3rd November 1996. A wagon roof and an east gallery carried on three two-centred arches on small columns are features of the church.

The nave ceiling represents an upturned boat, a favoured design of Pugin, with a fleur-de-lis motif painted on the ceiling in 1991. The church is a Grade II listed building, first listed on 21-Feb-1984.

The main entrance porch has a stained glass window depicting 'The Dowry of England' showing Our Lady and the Child Jesus enthroned on England. The original Stations of the Cross were replaced by the current Stations in the 1960s. The westernmost window of the north aisle contains a stained glass depiction of Blessed Robert Anderton. At the east end of the south aisle is the 'Good Shepherd' window, depicting Christ with the Red Rose of Lancashire and a building resembling Rivington Pike tower.

The six lancet windows at the back of the nave contain the coats-of-arms of four Popes and two Bishops of Liverpool, including Alexander Goss. Electric lighting was installed throughout the church in 1939, replacing the old gas lighting. In 1956 confessionals were installed in an extension built alongside the Sanctuary, with access through the former Anderton Chapel, and the foundation stone was moved. The original chancel rail was replaced by a carved oak rail in the 1940s, a gift from US servicemen at Washington Hall, who also donated an oak pulpit.

The original altar reredos was moved from the old Anderton Family Chapel at Euxton Hall and installed as a temporary measure, replaced in 1887 by a reredos of ecclesiastical design. In the 1940s the reredos was replaced by the current oak-panelling reredos, depicting the Wedding Feast at Canaan and the Feeding of the Five Thousand. The Tabernacle is of the purest white marble, with columns of onyx supporting a carved cornice. The nine stained glass windows in the Sanctuary commemorate the nine parishioners who died in the First World War.

The south transept was originally designated as the Anderton Chapel, separated from the rest of the building by an ornamental gothic screen shortly after the church was built. The south transept was reordered into a Lady Chapel in 2004. Etched glass panels were installed in the choir gallery rails in 2014, commemorating the parish's war dead of World War 2. In the west porch, the stained glass window depicts Euxton Hall, with an inscription about Mass being said there during Penal Times until the chapel was built in 1817.

Music and liturgy

At the opening, a full and effective choir sang with organ and band accompaniments, performing Haydn's Mass No. 1 and pieces by Mazzinghi. At the opening, James Ball of Chorley presided at the organ, and John Walker of Brownedge served as general conductor. The afternoon music at the opening included Lauda Jerusalem by Dr. Crookhall, O Salutaris and Litany by Dr. Newsham, Tantum Ergo by Rev. T. White, and Dona nobis from Haydn's No. 1.

Parish life

The Parish Pastoral Council is a consultative body that works with and supports the Parish Priest in running the parish. Canon Worthy was the driving force behind the erection of the church and old primary school in 1865 and subsequent improvements and school extensions in 1888. The parish circulates a weekly Parish Newsletter to email subscribers.