St. Mary's, Brownedge

Introduction

In 1780, Father Oswald Eaves OSB bought three acres of land at Brownedge, built a chapel and house, and said the first Mass on 23 December 1780.

History

In 1826, Father Anselm Brewer OSB built a new chapel with a small tower at a cost of £1,652, which opened for divine service on 21 January 1827. In 1915, poor foundations caused subsidence and dry rot caused a problem; remedial work costing £1,600 was completed by June 1916, involving flying buttresses and removal of coffins to create a dry area. In 1918, St Mary's, Brownedge formally became a parish in the care of a parish priest, having previously been a 'Mission' in the care of a Rector. In 1927, the peal of six bells was replaced by a peal of eight smaller bells and a new clock was installed in the tower, the clock being exactly the same as Big Ben in all but size.

In 1953, an organ from a Preston Congregational Church was purchased to replace the old pipe organ which was believed to date, in part, from 1688. In 1970, the steps behind the High Altar were removed, allowing the Priest to face the congregation, and the church was completely re-wired. During 1949, the spire was re-pointed, the clock faces re-painted and the grounds improved. In 1996, the Tabernacle was moved to the Ambulatory.

During the 1970s, a partition was erected to separate the Sacred Heart Chapel from the main body of the church. In 2017, a live-streaming facility was installed in the church. In November 2016, the parish welcomed its first Diocesan Parish Priest. In 2018, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, a Blessed Sacrament Procession followed by Benediction took place in the grounds of the church, the first such procession since 1996.

In late March 2020, the church closed for several months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Parish Priest was also appointed Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Gerard Majella, Lostock Hall, with effect from 1 January 2019. In 1912, Father Anselm Turner OSB arrived as Rector.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is in Early English style with a south tower with splay-footed spire, nave with double transepts, and polygonal apsidal chancel embraced by a lower ambulatory. The interior has a hammerbeam roof with tie-rods and arch-braced collars, wall posts supported on slim shafts, double transept arches, and transverse arches in the transepts supported by polygonal columns with hoodmoulds with figured stops.

In 1918, ten stained glass windows were fitted to the Nave, and in 1920, five fitted to the upper level of the Sanctuary. In 1919, the present Stations of the Cross were unveiled at a cost of £260, paid for by fourteen members of the parish. In 1958, stained glass windows in the Sacred Heart Chapel were installed, which had previously been part of the old Abbey Church at Ampleforth.

The chancel has a ribbed tunnel vault roof and very ornate canopied reredos to each of the three altars. In 1912, a new Lady Altar was unveiled. Richard Billington served as organist for sixty-four years between 1889 and 1953.

Parish life

Fr Basil Clarkson established the Sacred Heart Guild and the Guild of St Agnes during his tenure as Rector between 1900 and 1912. In May 1929 a Council of the Knights of St Columba was founded and continues to thrive. 1935 saw the establishment of the St Anne's Guild for Married Ladies and a Conference of St Vincent de Paul which still exists today. The parish hosts a Parish Dinner.

Sacraments and pastoral care

If people have not been in the practice of attending church regularly, they are asked to attend Mass for a period of six weeks prior to the Baptism. If you, a family member or someone you know is suffering serious illness, you can inform the parish so that a priest can visit and offer them the Sacrament of the Sick. If someone is in danger of death, you can contact the parish so that the priest can visit and offer the prayers of commendation for someone close to death. St Mary's Brownedge has a cemetery behind the church, and only people who have lived in the Parish or have a close family connection can be buried in it.

The parish cannot reserve burial plots in advance. Services can be viewed live or on playback at any time on the parish website or churchservices.tv. During lockdown, the parish broadcast Masses from the church and held other initiatives such as a weekly Songs of Praise and daily recitation of the Holy Rosary.

Notable people and events

Father Eaves remained as Rector until his death in 1793, succeeded by Father John Atkinson OSB, Rector between 1793 and 1822. Between 1847 and 1883, Father Anselm Walker OSB served as Rector, and he converted the original chapel into a house and built a cloister at a cost of £80. In 1940, Father Dominic Wilson OSB succeeded his brother Father Philip Wilson OSB as Parish Priest, two of four brothers, all priests, all of whom served at Brownedge during the first half of the twentieth century.