St Mary of the Immaculate Conception - Crewe

Introduction

St Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Crewe, within the Diocese of Shrewsbury, was built in 1890-1 by Pugin & Pugin in Free Gothic style.

Architecture and furnishings

The tower features reducing angle buttresses, geometrical windows at lower level, lancets flanking niches with statues at clerestorey level, lancets in pairs at nave roof level, and large louvred lancets at the bell stage. The roof is pyramidal with overhanging eaves and mid-slope equilateral lucarnes. The nave entrance is a narthex with a ledged and battened door in a stone dressed gothic headed gabled porch with kneelers, copings, and a cross finial. Windows include geometrical windows to the nave gable and chancel, perpendicular windows to the aisles, and quatrefoil windows to the clerestorey, all in stone frames.

The interior has octagonal stone columns supporting the aisle arcades. The church has panelled ceilings throughout with arched chancel and nave trusses carried by carved stone corbels. The mainly gilded stone reredos has gothic features such as daggers, crockets, and brattishing, and a baldacchino on marble shafts covering the tabernacle. Stone side altars flank the main altar and front the aisles, all separated from the nave by a marble communion rail with religious motifs.

The stations of the cross are moulded plaster. The church is built of red brick with a slate roof, and has a south-west tower, a five-bay nave with side aisles, and an apsidal chancel. The exterior has half-brick-thick inter-window piers, a stone sill band, moulded eaves cornices, gable coping, lead hips to the chancel, a crested tile ridge, and cross finials.

Parish life

The parish supports a Scripture Group, Mothers Prayers, R.C.I.C, Parish Pastoral Team, Catenian Association, Catholic Women's League, Saint Vincent De Paul, and Rainbows & Brownies. The parish's mission to the homeless is carried out by two groups: Looking After The Homeless and the SVP.

Sacraments and pastoral care

The parish runs an RCIA/RCiC group for those seeking to become Catholic. The parish celebrated over 90 First Holy Communions last year and the same number in 2022. The parish has a strong group of volunteers of all ages and abilities.

The Catenian Association is an international body of Catholic laymen who meet at least once a month in local units called Circles. The Parish Pastoral Team is made up of elected representatives who meet monthly.