Catholic Church of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith

Coordinates: 53°29′06″N 2°38′28″W / 53.485°N 2.641°W / 53.485; -2.641 The Catholic Church of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith is located on Liverpool Road in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England.

Building

The present church was constructed in the Romanesque style in 1930, with the architect being J. K. Brocklesby.[1] The bell tower, on the right of the facade is a notable landmark with its green copper pyramid roof that can be seen on the drive into Ashton from Stubshaw Cross. The interior has two saucer domes and an apse. The altar itself has marble flooring and four red carpets. It has four seats either side for the Altar servers to be seated. At the back of the altar is the Tabernacle, and eight candles. Above the altar are stained glass windows of saints designed by Harry Clarke. Nikolaus Pevsner described the church as "totally outdated" but "ambitious" and "impressive".[1]

Rooms

There are two sacristies. The Boy's sacristy, for the altar servers, has a table, and tapers, and 'candle snuffers', the hymn numbers, incense, and cassocks and cottas in the far cupboard, the present albs in the cupboard before that, and the near cupboard, the rest are things for the mass.

In the priest's sacristy, are two crucifixes, the priests garments, and a safe. This safe holds relics.

The doors on the left of the church are storage, except for the last two. These two are a confessional booth, and a door leading to a door on the right, which is a meeting room, a toilet ahead, and the Priest, Father B.A. Newns' house

Canon's hall

The canons hall was opened by Father Francis J. Ripley. It holds events and the Girl guides, and children's liturgy. It has a kitchen, a piano, and a storage cupboard.

Relic

The church houses a holy relic, the hand of St Edmund Arrowsmith, who was one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. It holds also a piece of a cross.

References

  1. 1 2 Nikolaus Pevsner (1969). South Lancashire: The Industrial and Commercial South. Penguin. p. 66. Retrieved 2014-03-30.


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