St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester
Parish History
A Roman Catholic Church of St Werburgh was opened in Queen Street, Chester, in 1799, and classes were probably held before a school was built in 1854.
A new church was built in Grosvenor Park Road in the 1870s. St Werburgh's has been a much loved church of the Catholic community in Chester. Built by Edmund Kirby, it has soaring gothic arches and tall lancet windows, giving a wonderful sense of style and space. Cardinal Manning celebrated Mass here on Christmas Day 1875 before the church was completed. The solemn opening took place on 13th July 1876 with a Pontifical High Mass, the first in Chester for three hundred years.
Our church has seen many alterations over the years, the most recent being the re-ordering, celebrated by the re-dedication of the church by Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor in May 2002, the first time a Cardinal had visited the city for more than 100 years.