St Mary

Introduction

St Mary in Leek, in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, was opened on 13th May 1887. The church was designed by Albert Vicars of London. In 1926 a new pipe organ was installed by Jardines of Old Trafford, Manchester.

Architecture and furnishings

The church has a high nave with two aisles and a sanctuary of the same height, and a southeast tower and spire. One of the windows was dedicated to Reverend (by then Monsignor) Alfred Sperling after his death in 1923. The current pipe organ came from Ball Haye Methodist Church when it closed in 2002.

The church is a Grade II listed building, first listed on 17-Dec-1992. The tower has clasping buttresses, a moulded arched doorway in the south elevation, and a statue with canopy over carried on an angel corbel in the east wall. The tower has arcaded triple lancets in its upper stage, a rose window above, and a brooch spire with tall pinnacles each side. The spire has louvred lucarnes between the pinnacles and a second tier of lucarnes above.

The south-west gabled porch has a deeply moulded arch carried on short engaged shafts. The south aisle has two bays, its eastern extent obscured by projecting gabled vestries and confessional. The north aisle is uninterrupted, continuing as a side chapel to the east, divided by buttresses with a 3-light Decorated window in each bay. The clerestory has paired foiled windows.

The east front has a 5-light Decorated window set high up and blind arcading in the apex of the gable. The west front has a rose window and small lower windows. The interior has a nave arcade of five bays with octagonal sandstone columns with heavy foliate capitals and double chamfered arches. Wall posts on corbels carry cusped principal trusses of the roof.

The west gallery occupies the westernmost bay, with a pitch pine spiral staircase towards the rear. High sandstone shafts flank the sanctuary arch, with a 2-bay arcade on each side of the chancel separating the side chapels. A low stone screen to the sanctuary has a cast-iron and wood rail, and wood panels with cast-iron traceried scrollwork inset. There is a stone reredos to the main altar and also in the side chapels.

Central and flanking statues with low-reliefs each side are set beneath traceried canopies. The altar piece in the north chapel is dated 1884. The pulpit is of stone and marble, with a cast-iron and wood rail. Other windows are by Daniels and Fricker of London. The parish holds a Family Mass once a month in term time on a Saturday for the Sunday Vigil Mass.

Parish life

The parish maintains a church library at the back of the church, open to all parishioners to borrow books without registering or checking them out. The parish celebrates Mass to encourage the students who attend Painsley Catholic College.

Sacraments and pastoral care

For marriage, an initial appointment with the parish priest is vital and the wedding must be planned at least six months in advance. For funerals, the Funeral Director contacts the Church to make arrangements, and the parish priest provides spiritual support. The parish provides guidance for preparing a Catholic funeral.