St Benedict's Church, Warrington

St Benedict’s Church stands in the Orford district of Warrington, Cheshire. It is an active Roman Catholic church founded by Benedictine monks from Ampleforth Abbey. The parish began with Mass said in a school building in 1881. Fr Wilfred Baines took charge in 1896 and moved into a cottage beside the school in 1902. The parish became independent in 1902, making it Warrington’s third Benedictine parish after St Alban’s and St Mary’s. The church’s history includes a tin mission church built in the school playground in 1904. Fr Oswald Swarbreck became rector in 1907 and oversaw the building of a new priory in 1912. A larger church opened in 1915, with the High Altar consecrated in 1927 by Archbishop Frederick Keating. The Bell Hall was added in 1931, named after the local martyr Blessed James Bell. The church was consecrated in 1943 after clearing its debt. Visitors find a church built by Italian craftsmen, with a consecrated High Altar and a priory on Rhodes Street. The Bell Hall, once used for social gatherings, remains nearby. The school building was replaced in 1991, and the former school and hall were demolished by 1993. The church is now part of a combined parish with St Mary’s and St Oswald’s.