St. Patrick's

...In 1949 on the appointment of Fr. Hill as Parish Priest of Our Lady and St.Patrick's a Mass Centre had been set up in the grandstand of the Stadium in Parker Drive and land acquired in Beaumont Leys Lane for a Church, Presbytery and Parish Hall. Approximately 50 people were attending Mass at the Stadium and the numbers steadily grew. The nucleus of the future parish, with support from the parishioners of Our Lady's, worked hard to raise funds and on St.Patrick's Day 1957 the Ceremony of Cutting the First Turf took place. The first turf was dug by Mr John Maloney, the oldest parishioner of St.Patricks and Fr. Hill blessed the site assisted by Canon Merrigan and Fr Cullen. Other members of the various parochial societies continued the cutting to make the form of a cross on the site of the High Altar. The two presidents of the UCM cut turf on the site of the future Lady Chapel. On 4th October that year the foundation stone was blessed and laid by Bishop Ellis.

The Church was blessed and officially opened by Bishop Ellis on St.Patrick's Day 1959.

The Church continued to be served from Our Lady's until Fr. Sullivan was appointed Parish Priest in October 1961.

Fr. Sullivan built the Parish Hall which was blessed and opened by Bishop Ellis in January 1964 and took an active part in establishing the English Martyrs School which was opened in 1964. Fr. Sullivan was also responsible for the completion of the interior of the Church by the addition of the Stations of the Cross, the statues of the Sacred Heart and St.Joseph the Worker, together with the Cross of Christ Triumphant and the two stained glass windows in the Sanctuary.

After Fr Sullivan the Church was served by the Blessed Sacrament Fathers until Fr Neary was appointed Parish Priest. Fr Neary was responsible for the church redecoration and establishing a Mass Centre at the Old Hare and Hounds in Anstey through the good offices of the Late Mr Partridge and his widow. On her retirement the Parish Council kindly offered the facilities of the Memorial Hall for Sunday Mass.

Fr Neary was succeeded by Fr Tutto who continued with the plans for further improvements. In 1980 an extension to the Church, in the form of a utility room and cloakroom was completed and the Sanctuary was elevated and carpeted and re-ordered to meet the requirements of the liturgy. During 1982 and 1983, thanks to the generosity of benefactors, the St.Patrick's Chapel was completed by the addition of St.Patrick's statue of carved wood and parish banner.

The land around Beaumont Leys has been developed and built on since then giving an increased catholic population and under the guidance of successive Parish Priests the Parish has grown and thrived. Fr Tutto was succeeded by Fr Stephen Lennon in 1986 and in 1996 Fr Michael Lynch was appointed Parish Priest. Fr Lynch re-furbished both the Parish Centre and the Presbytery and also organised the re-paving around the Church.

We are prayerfully confident that the Holy Spirit will continue to work among us as we look forward to our Golden Jubilee in 2009 and that God will continue to bless our efforts in what is required of us in the future.