St. Oswald and St. Edmund Arrowsmith, Ashton-in-Markerfield

Introduction

Saint Oswald and Saint Edmund Arrowsmith in Ashton-in-Markerfield, Wigan, is considered the masterwork of J Sydney Brocklesby, built 1925-1930 in French Romanesque style. The church houses the shrine of the Holy Hand of St Edmund Arrowsmith, a relic of the martyr canonised in 1970.

History

The church was built partly using supervised labour of local miners during the General Strike. The church replaced an 1822 church dedicated to St Oswald, given by Lord Gerard. The church was designed by JS Brocklesby at the request of parish priest Fr J O'Meara. The martyr's hand was donated to the parish by the Gerards in 1929.

FX Velarde designed the shrine for the relic, built in 1934. Stained glass by Harry Clarke was installed between 1930 and 1937. Four windows in the Lady Chapel by the Harry Clarke Studio were added in 1970 after the canonisation of the Forty Martyrs. In 2000 Design Lights added a Millennium window at the south-west end of the ambulatory. John Aloysius Dickinson was organist from 1935 until his death in 1978, and was awarded the Pope's Benemerenti Medal in 1975.

Architecture and furnishings

The church retains its original high altar, communion rails, nave pulpit, confessionals and western baptistery with font. The church has a fine collection of windows by Harry Clarke of Dublin. The high altar is of Pietrasanta marble with arcaded front incorporating mosaics, all by Brocklesby. The bow-fronted pulpit by Brocklesby and carved by the Howes has a Byzantine panel with peacocks.

The baptistery retains a font from the earlier church, octagonal with clustered-shaft plinth. The church has a large marble statue of St Edmund Arrowsmith by G.Adani of Correggio, Italy. The church seated 700 and cost approximately £30,000. The church was built to house the shrine of the holy hand of St Edmund Arrowsmith.

The church is listed at Grade II*. The stonemasonry was carried out in a traditional manner, with master masons Percy Howe and his brother supervising ordinary masons and tool marks being left with no fine dressing attempted. The church is noted for its excellent carving of corbels, arches, columns and fixtures by the Howe brothers. The tympanum over the entrance has a relief of the coronation of the Virgin and the original carved doors with bronze handles slide to open.

The alabaster altar is from the 1822 church, remodelled by Brocklesby. In a shafted arched recess above the alabaster altar is a fine painted timber reredos of 1935 by William G Simmonds, with a relief of St Joseph. The west window by Harry Clarke depicts the Ascension of Christ, King and Priest. The mosaic tesserae in the apsidal vault were supplied for Gordon Forsyth by Boris Anrep, known for his mosaics in Westminster Cathedral, and Forsyth probably designed the two small windows.

The organ was built by Stalhuth of Aachen in Germany and was once housed in the previous church building on this site. The organ was further refurbished around 2010.

Music and liturgy

In earlier years, the choir regularly sang old-style four-part Latin Masses. The choir provided music for Solemn High Mass according to the Latin Tridentine Rite at Corpus Christi Basilica in Manchester. The Arrowsmith Singers went on singing trips to Germany in 1998, 1999 and 2001. John Walton, who became organist after Dickinson's death, was a graduate of the RNCM and later earned FLCM and FRCO qualifications.

Parish life

The choir has a long tradition of choral music from well before the present church was opened in 1930. In 1987 and 1996 the choir provided music for live radio broadcasts of Sunday morning Mass.

The church welcomes pilgrimage groups to visit by arrangement. The parish and school hold a reception mass for Y7. The parish and school hold an inset day Mass. The parish and school hold a Christmas Carol Service. Private blessings on request are offered at the church.

Regular events

The Arrowsmith Singers, an inter-denominational group set up by John Walton in the 1980s, performed many concerts over the years. First Holy Communion services take place in June each year. The parish and high school hold Lenten masses the week before Easter.

Sacraments and pastoral care

Children in Year 4 at primary school receive the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation for the first time, with preparation coordinated by a team of sacramental catechists.