A
SHORT HISTORY OF ST CATHERINE’S PARISH
SHEFFIELD
To see the origin of St Catherine’s as a parish we have to
look back to the years following the potato famine in Ireland. This occurred in
1846, and as a result a large number of destitute people came to England, some
of whom settled in Sheffield.
At this time Sheffield started to grow rapidly because of the Industrial Revolution. The Duke of Norfolk, a prominent Roman Catholic, generously gave a plot of land situated on a triangular site bounded by Andover Street; Bramber Street, and Montfort Street for the building of a school and a temporary church in 1876. Shortly afterwards a presbytery was built adjacent to the school. The whole of the cost of both school and presbytery was borne by the Duke and this totalled £6650. One of the upper rooms in the school facing Andover Street was used as a church, and a Father Luke Burke was appointed as parish priest.
The parish quickly developed, and in 1883 the Sisters of Mercy came to the parish to teach in the school, and to visit the poor. Because of the expansion of the parish it became necessary to build a temporary church in 1884 on the same triangular site (the writer’s grandmother related to him memories of the temporary church being built) the cost of which was £1100.
Included in the area of the parish was the Firvale Workhouse, now the Northern General Hospital, and Father Burke (parish priest) endeavoured to persuade the authorities to allow the catholic inmates to attend Sunday Mass in St Catherine’s Church, but the Board of Guardians who controlled the workhouse were very much opposed to Catholics leaving the place to attend Mass. Father Burke’s successor, Father Hickey, proposed that Mass be held in the workhouse, and after a bitter struggle this was allowed. Since that time, at the end of the nineteenth century, Mass has been said there each Sunday and Holyday until a short while ago, whilst Mass is only celebrated on one Sunday each month. The silver chalice used in the chapel of the workhouse was given by a Mr. Benson in 1912.
This chalice was regularly used at Masses celebrated in St Catherine’s school.
Further expansion of the parish made it necessary to build another church in place of the temporary one in Andover Street, the site of the new church to be built was given to the parish by the Duke of Norfolk. Father Hickey was most anxious to clear the debt of the temporary church, and started a house to house collection which not only cleared the debt on the church, but also built up funds for the new church, these amounted to £1800 by which time Father Hickey had died and he was succeeded in 1921 by Father John White who set about doubling this sum. The house to house collection continued until 1961 when it was replaced by a ‘planned giving’ one which became known as the offertory collection taken at Sunday Masses.2.
We must remember that whilst the amounts of money spoken of may be somewhat low, they were, at the time, very substantial. Again, from 1920 there was very severe unemployment and short-time working in the area, and many families in the parish were affected.
The present church was opened in 1926, and the Blessed Sacrament was carried from the old church to the present one. Two thousand men lined the route with lighted torches whilst thousands of people gathered outside the church. Further development took place in 1935 when the altar rails were erected. In 1936 the sanctuary was improved by the building of a new altar with a baldachino above it together with marble panelling to the walls.
By 1950 sufficient funds were available to pay off the debt on the church as well as building a baptistery, and a memorial chapel in memory of those, from the parish who had lost their lives in the 1939 – 1945 war. So that in 1951 the church was consecrated.
By 1970 a new parish priest, Father Loftus, had been appointed in succession to the late Canon White and Father Ward. To conform to the new rite, following Vatican II the sanctuary was re-ordered, the main altar was shortened in length and moved from below the baldechino to a more central point so that Mass could be celebrated facing the congregation.
In 1985 further alterations were made enabling the position of the ‘presidential chair’ to be in conformity with the liturgical requirements.
For many years up until the 1970’s the parish enjoyed the benefit of both a men’s and boy’s choir who occupied the four choir stalls on either side of the altar.
At one time the parish had no less than 3500 parishioners; during the week there were three Masses each day, two in the church and one in the Convent of Mercy. (Now St Catherine’s Nursing home). On Sunday’s there were four masses in church and one at the Firvale Workhouse, and also one at the chapel of ease at Shirecliffe; making six in all. The parish also had the benefit of three priests.
In the late 1920’s St Catherine’s also catered for Catholics in the Firth park area, and Mass was celebrated in the Co-op in Bellhouse Road. With the building of the new housing estates at Shiregreen and Southey Green Father White, parish priest of St Catherine’s then built a new school at Sheffield Lane Top which also served as a church until 1939. So that in 1930 this became a new parish known as St Patrick’s, and a large number of St Catherine’s parishioners were then catered for by their own church and school. By 1937 a new housing development had been started at Shirecliffe, and to cater for Catholics Sunday Mass was celebrated in a local School, and subsequently by the creation of a chapel of ease.
The parish of St Catherine has always been a very active one, it can be proud that its presbytery has been the only one in Sheffield to be host for a cardinal - Cardinal Griffin who celebrated Mass in the church in 1948.
From the time the first temporary church was built in Andover Street until mid 1970 there was also a catholic men’s club on the site for the men of the parish. In 1942 a private house next door to the church in Burngreave Road was bought for the use of the parish, and also for some social events. In 1962 this house was demolished and a new parish hall was built in memory of the late Canon White who had done so much to build the parish up. The parish has benefited, both practically and spiritually, through the various societies that have served it, these being the Catholic Mens Society; the Third order of St Francis; the Guild of St Agnes; the children of Mary, the Union of Catholic Mothers; the former parish committee, and the parish council.
It was once said that the parish was the jewel in the crown of the Leeds diocese before the formation of the present Hallam diocese.
The parish has always been proud of its school from the time it was founded in Andover Street to the present day in Firshill. Originally the full cost of maintaining the school fell on the parish, but in later years the parish had only to pay 20% of the cost, and now the burden has been considerably eased through the introduction of Bishop John’s School Building Scheme.
The present school only came about through tireless effort and unstintingly determination by a nucleus of parishioners who achieved their objective through difficult and hard negotiations, and the finding of 15% of the total cost. The school can be proud of its academic success’s. At one time, proportionally, more children won scholarships to grammar schools than any other school in Sheffield. Many of its past pupils have been highly successful in their careers.
By the year 2003 the Church needed a lot of repairs. The fabric of the Church in many places was deteriorating, both inside and out. The heating was very poor as was the lighting.
For the first time we had a priest who came from abroad, Father Albert Savaille who is from India but now incardinated in the Diocese of Hallam.
Fr Albert approached the Bishop (John Rawsthorne) and the Trustees of the Diocese with a proposal to carry out a programme of remedial work. The Bishop and his Trustees kindly consented to the proposal made by the Parish. After lengthy planning and much discussion the work finally began in April 2008.
The Parish secured a loan from the Diocese to carry out this mammoth task. The Parish Hall, which had been under used for a number of years, was sold and the proceeds given to the Diocese as part payment for the loan procured.
Repairs were made to the outer fabric of the building and the interior re-plastered and painted.
The entire lighting system was changed. New chandelier lights were put up in the main body of the Church. The switch system is now computerised.
The old heating system was upgraded. The Church now has under floor heating. This has made the Church more comfortable than before.
As Health and Safety Regulations decreed that we could not use our Church while repair and renovation work was taking place, we were kindly given permission to celebrate Mass in the nearby Pitsmoor Methodist Church.
In October 2008, Bishop John along with Father Albert and some of the Parish Priests who had served here before gathered here in St Catherine's for a Special Concelebrated Mass. It was indeed a very joyous occasion to get back into Church and the congregation attended in large numbers.
The entire cost of the Project amounted to £750,000. The sale of the Hall and subsequent loan repayments has now brought down this figure to £350,000.
The people of the Parish have been very generous and supportive in helping St Catherine’s reduce the debt. The Finance Committee decided that a second collection be made at each weekend Mass and this has helped enormously. Quite a few parishioners have been paying by Direct Debit and this too has assisted the Parish.
The numbers at Mass had been dwindling over the years especially as : 2 Parishes viz. St Patrick's and St Thomas More Parishes were established from St Catherine's. But then, as the Lord willed it a lot of people have come in from overseas, leading to an increase in numbers.
The List of the Parish Priests who worked at St Catherine's Church is as follows:
Rev. Fr. Luke Burke 1876-1902
Rev. Fr. Patrick Hickey 1902-1921
Rev. Fr. John White 1921-1958
Rev. Fr. Edward Ward 1958-1968
Rev. Fr. Patrick Loftus 1968-1973
Rev. Fr. John Quirke 1973-1979
Rev. Fr. Peter Moran 1979-1981
Rev. Fr. Reginald Bessler 1980-1989
Rev. Fr. Donald Stoker 1989-2003
Rev. Fr. Albert Savaille 2003-
At this time Sheffield started to grow rapidly because of the Industrial Revolution. The Duke of Norfolk, a prominent Roman Catholic, generously gave a plot of land situated on a triangular site bounded by Andover Street; Bramber Street, and Montfort Street for the building of a school and a temporary church in 1876. Shortly afterwards a presbytery was built adjacent to the school. The whole of the cost of both school and presbytery was borne by the Duke and this totalled £6650. One of the upper rooms in the school facing Andover Street was used as a church, and a Father Luke Burke was appointed as parish priest.
The parish quickly developed, and in 1883 the Sisters of Mercy came to the parish to teach in the school, and to visit the poor. Because of the expansion of the parish it became necessary to build a temporary church in 1884 on the same triangular site (the writer’s grandmother related to him memories of the temporary church being built) the cost of which was £1100.
Included in the area of the parish was the Firvale Workhouse, now the Northern General Hospital, and Father Burke (parish priest) endeavoured to persuade the authorities to allow the catholic inmates to attend Sunday Mass in St Catherine’s Church, but the Board of Guardians who controlled the workhouse were very much opposed to Catholics leaving the place to attend Mass. Father Burke’s successor, Father Hickey, proposed that Mass be held in the workhouse, and after a bitter struggle this was allowed. Since that time, at the end of the nineteenth century, Mass has been said there each Sunday and Holyday until a short while ago, whilst Mass is only celebrated on one Sunday each month. The silver chalice used in the chapel of the workhouse was given by a Mr. Benson in 1912.
This chalice was regularly used at Masses celebrated in St Catherine’s school.
Further expansion of the parish made it necessary to build another church in place of the temporary one in Andover Street, the site of the new church to be built was given to the parish by the Duke of Norfolk. Father Hickey was most anxious to clear the debt of the temporary church, and started a house to house collection which not only cleared the debt on the church, but also built up funds for the new church, these amounted to £1800 by which time Father Hickey had died and he was succeeded in 1921 by Father John White who set about doubling this sum. The house to house collection continued until 1961 when it was replaced by a ‘planned giving’ one which became known as the offertory collection taken at Sunday Masses.2.
We must remember that whilst the amounts of money spoken of may be somewhat low, they were, at the time, very substantial. Again, from 1920 there was very severe unemployment and short-time working in the area, and many families in the parish were affected.
The present church was opened in 1926, and the Blessed Sacrament was carried from the old church to the present one. Two thousand men lined the route with lighted torches whilst thousands of people gathered outside the church. Further development took place in 1935 when the altar rails were erected. In 1936 the sanctuary was improved by the building of a new altar with a baldachino above it together with marble panelling to the walls.
By 1950 sufficient funds were available to pay off the debt on the church as well as building a baptistery, and a memorial chapel in memory of those, from the parish who had lost their lives in the 1939 – 1945 war. So that in 1951 the church was consecrated.
By 1970 a new parish priest, Father Loftus, had been appointed in succession to the late Canon White and Father Ward. To conform to the new rite, following Vatican II the sanctuary was re-ordered, the main altar was shortened in length and moved from below the baldechino to a more central point so that Mass could be celebrated facing the congregation.
In 1985 further alterations were made enabling the position of the ‘presidential chair’ to be in conformity with the liturgical requirements.
For many years up until the 1970’s the parish enjoyed the benefit of both a men’s and boy’s choir who occupied the four choir stalls on either side of the altar.
At one time the parish had no less than 3500 parishioners; during the week there were three Masses each day, two in the church and one in the Convent of Mercy. (Now St Catherine’s Nursing home). On Sunday’s there were four masses in church and one at the Firvale Workhouse, and also one at the chapel of ease at Shirecliffe; making six in all. The parish also had the benefit of three priests.
In the late 1920’s St Catherine’s also catered for Catholics in the Firth park area, and Mass was celebrated in the Co-op in Bellhouse Road. With the building of the new housing estates at Shiregreen and Southey Green Father White, parish priest of St Catherine’s then built a new school at Sheffield Lane Top which also served as a church until 1939. So that in 1930 this became a new parish known as St Patrick’s, and a large number of St Catherine’s parishioners were then catered for by their own church and school. By 1937 a new housing development had been started at Shirecliffe, and to cater for Catholics Sunday Mass was celebrated in a local School, and subsequently by the creation of a chapel of ease.
The parish of St Catherine has always been a very active one, it can be proud that its presbytery has been the only one in Sheffield to be host for a cardinal - Cardinal Griffin who celebrated Mass in the church in 1948.
From the time the first temporary church was built in Andover Street until mid 1970 there was also a catholic men’s club on the site for the men of the parish. In 1942 a private house next door to the church in Burngreave Road was bought for the use of the parish, and also for some social events. In 1962 this house was demolished and a new parish hall was built in memory of the late Canon White who had done so much to build the parish up. The parish has benefited, both practically and spiritually, through the various societies that have served it, these being the Catholic Mens Society; the Third order of St Francis; the Guild of St Agnes; the children of Mary, the Union of Catholic Mothers; the former parish committee, and the parish council.
It was once said that the parish was the jewel in the crown of the Leeds diocese before the formation of the present Hallam diocese.
The parish has always been proud of its school from the time it was founded in Andover Street to the present day in Firshill. Originally the full cost of maintaining the school fell on the parish, but in later years the parish had only to pay 20% of the cost, and now the burden has been considerably eased through the introduction of Bishop John’s School Building Scheme.
The present school only came about through tireless effort and unstintingly determination by a nucleus of parishioners who achieved their objective through difficult and hard negotiations, and the finding of 15% of the total cost. The school can be proud of its academic success’s. At one time, proportionally, more children won scholarships to grammar schools than any other school in Sheffield. Many of its past pupils have been highly successful in their careers.
By the year 2003 the Church needed a lot of repairs. The fabric of the Church in many places was deteriorating, both inside and out. The heating was very poor as was the lighting.
For the first time we had a priest who came from abroad, Father Albert Savaille who is from India but now incardinated in the Diocese of Hallam.
Fr Albert approached the Bishop (John Rawsthorne) and the Trustees of the Diocese with a proposal to carry out a programme of remedial work. The Bishop and his Trustees kindly consented to the proposal made by the Parish. After lengthy planning and much discussion the work finally began in April 2008.
The Parish secured a loan from the Diocese to carry out this mammoth task. The Parish Hall, which had been under used for a number of years, was sold and the proceeds given to the Diocese as part payment for the loan procured.
Repairs were made to the outer fabric of the building and the interior re-plastered and painted.
The entire lighting system was changed. New chandelier lights were put up in the main body of the Church. The switch system is now computerised.
The old heating system was upgraded. The Church now has under floor heating. This has made the Church more comfortable than before.
As Health and Safety Regulations decreed that we could not use our Church while repair and renovation work was taking place, we were kindly given permission to celebrate Mass in the nearby Pitsmoor Methodist Church.
In October 2008, Bishop John along with Father Albert and some of the Parish Priests who had served here before gathered here in St Catherine's for a Special Concelebrated Mass. It was indeed a very joyous occasion to get back into Church and the congregation attended in large numbers.
The entire cost of the Project amounted to £750,000. The sale of the Hall and subsequent loan repayments has now brought down this figure to £350,000.
The people of the Parish have been very generous and supportive in helping St Catherine’s reduce the debt. The Finance Committee decided that a second collection be made at each weekend Mass and this has helped enormously. Quite a few parishioners have been paying by Direct Debit and this too has assisted the Parish.
The numbers at Mass had been dwindling over the years especially as : 2 Parishes viz. St Patrick's and St Thomas More Parishes were established from St Catherine's. But then, as the Lord willed it a lot of people have come in from overseas, leading to an increase in numbers.
The List of the Parish Priests who worked at St Catherine's Church is as follows:
Rev. Fr. Luke Burke 1876-1902
Rev. Fr. Patrick Hickey 1902-1921
Rev. Fr. John White 1921-1958
Rev. Fr. Edward Ward 1958-1968
Rev. Fr. Patrick Loftus 1968-1973
Rev. Fr. John Quirke 1973-1979
Rev. Fr. Peter Moran 1979-1981
Rev. Fr. Reginald Bessler 1980-1989
Rev. Fr. Donald Stoker 1989-2003
Rev. Fr. Albert Savaille 2003-
