St Mary's, Burnley (Gen Church)

Introduction

St Mary's Church in Burnley was opened in August 1849, with the sermon preached by Cardinal Wiseman. The church replaced a smaller chapel on a different site.

History

The parish was founded in 1819 when Burnley Wood Chapel, or St Mary's Chapel, was built near the entrance lodge to Towneley Hall. In 1879, a north chapel known as the Towneley Chapel was added. The church was designated as a Grade II listed building on 29 September 1977.

Architecture and furnishings

The church is constructed in sandstone with slate roofs, and has a five-bay nave with clerestory, aisles, transepts, chancel, and an uncompleted two-stage west tower. The interior has aisle arcades on alternate round and octagonal piers, and a richly carved altar from the 1860s by E. W. Pugin. The Towneley Chapel contains dark panelling and painting on a gold surround, and has ironwork gates. The nave has a scheme of stained glass windows from the late nineteenth century by Mayer of Munich.

The two-manual pipe organ was built by Gray and Davidson in 1855, and has been awarded a Historic Organ Certificate. Weightman and Hadfield designed this church in Decorated style, built between 1846 and 1849. The church comprises a nave with west tower, aisles, transepts, chancel with north vestry, and south chapel. The west tower has a two-centred arched west doorway with moulded surround and a large five-light west window with Decorated tracery.

The nave arcade has five bays with alternately cylindrical and octagonal columns. The interior features a single hammerbeam roof with arch bracing and three tiers of arched wind-bracing.

The chancel's east window has five lights, above which is a tripartite niche with a crocketed surround containing a statue of the Virgin Mary. The attached railings are cast-iron with needle-eye tops and twisted standards with fleur-de-lys heads. In 1860 Canon Rimmer commissioned Edward Welby Pugin to remodel the sanctuary, paid for by the Townley family.

Music and liturgy

The choir performed at the grand opening of the new church in 1849, and the tradition has continued in various forms to the present day. The music group also sings at weddings and funerals. The music group sings a wide range of old and modern music. Pontifical High Mass was celebrated with music of Haydn's Grand Mass No. 1, with full orchestral accompaniments.

Parish life

The Bethany Group welcomes those attending a funeral, directs them to their places, and helps those needing easier access to use the ramp. The liturgy group is part of the Bethany ministry and supports the bereaved by helping to lead the singing at funerals. The flower arranging team is happy to arrange flowers for those planning to marry at St Mary's. The grounds around the church are maintained by a team of volunteer parishioners who take care of flowers, shrubs, lawns, trees and pathways.

The social group has also arranged Afternoon Teas, Dinner Dances and Photographic competitions from which they created Christmas cards for sale in the parish. The sacristan prepares the sanctuary for services, including preparing sacred vessels, vestments and other artefacts, and opens and locks up the church. The counting team completes financial breakdown sheets, prepares the monies for banking, and one member attends the parish finance committee meetings held every four months. There is a Vocation Prayer Group at St Mary's Church.

The parish arranges for Holy Communion to be brought to those who cannot get to Mass, after asking permission and speaking with the parish priest. A virtual tour of St Mary's church is available online. The church entrance is on Yorkshire Street, just around the corner from Todmorden Road.