Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa, Preston

The Syro-Malabar Cathedral of St Alphonsa stands in Preston, Lancashire, on Meadow Street near the city centre. It began in 1836 as St Ignatius Church, designed in early Gothic style by Joseph John Scoles. The building is one of the oldest surviving Roman Catholic churches in Preston and once belonged to the Jesuits. In 1858 Joseph Hansom added five new bays, a chancel and side chapels. Later changes in the 1880s by Hadfield and Webster raised the altar and added Hopton Wood stonework. Since January 2015 the church has served as a cathedral for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. In 2016 Pope Francis elevated it to cathedral status and appointed Monsignor Joseph Benny Mathew Srampickal as the first bishop. The interior still shows original Hardman stained-glass designs and carvings by Frank Tory. Outside, St Ignatius Square is a local conservation area, protecting the historic setting. The church’s past includes the baptism of the poet Francis Thompson in 1859 and a curacy by Gerard Manley Hopkins in the 1880s. Visitors find a Gothic interior with pointed arches, carved altars and side chapels. The raised chancel and Hopton Wood stone super-altar remain from the 1880s remodelling. Original confessionals were removed to create extra chapels, and a Sacred Heart chapel was added at the north end. The building retains its 1836 spire, the first in Preston. Nearby St Ignatius Square offers a quiet space beside the cathedral. The cathedral continues to host Syro-Malabar liturgy while preserving its 19th-century architectural heritage.