St Milburga - Church Streetton

Introduction

A church building in Church Stretton was completed and blessed on 19th May 1929. Mrs. Dutton of Shrewsbury alone paid for both the land and the building, and the project was completed in three years.

Music and liturgy

Canon Langdon, a retired priest from Plymouth and former professor at the English College in Lisbon, bought Hope Villa in 1907 and began offering Mass there. During the First World War, a Redemptorist priest served the religious needs of Belgian refugees in Church Stretton, with local Catholics invited to share in the Mass. The regular congregation was about thirty and grew slowly due to wide parish boundaries, poor roads, and almost non-existent public transport. Since the second Vatican Council, hostility towards Catholics has disappeared, partly due to priests' visible roles in local and ecumenical affairs.

Successive teams of professionally trained ladies prepared the few local children for the reception of the Sacraments, as a Catholic school was never needed. A weekly study group on The Word has increased understanding of scripture readings and enjoyment of the Liturgy.

Parish life

The scattered nature of the parish makes social events difficult to organise. Saint Milburga's forms part of a Local Pastoral Area that includes Saint Peter's, Ludlow, St Elizabeth's, Cleobury Mortimer and St Walburga's, Plowden. The church has a kitchen, toilet and library.