St Peter’s Church | About | St Thomas More’s Church

St Thomas More’s Church

On 1st May 1959 Fr Joseph Benedict Knight left the Cathedral at the behest of Bishop George Beck with a commission to start a new parish in Alkrington.  He was provided with accommodation initially at St Margaret Mary’s presbytery by the parish priest, Fr George Richardson, who also provided him with a bicycle to help him canvass his new mission area.

The District was handed over by Fr Fairclough, parish priest of St Peter’s (our ‘mother church’) and extended from Mount Road southwards.  This area consisted of about 80 houses with a total population  of 288.  Two months later, Fr Fairclough also handed over the Brookside Estate and the parish then had about 130 families.

The diocese then purchased the site at the top of Mainway/corner of Kirkway from Whelmar, which Middleton Council had scheduled as ‘church land’, and the new parish had its first debt.

Bishop Beck gave permission for a temporary church building to be erected on the site and, after a fruitless search for a suitable existing building, Fr Knight decided on a new temporary building which  proved to be a very wise decision, with the same building still providing excellent service as our church hall.

This temporary structure was begun on 2nd January 1960 and was officially opened on Ascension Day 26th May 1960 by the Vicar General, Mgr Anthony McNulty. (The cost of the property was £13,000)

On the feast of St Thomas More, 10th July 1960, His Lordship Bishop Beck celebrated Mass and approved the church for reservation of the Blessed Sacrament.

Just prior to this date on 14th March 1960 a priest’s house was bought at 139 Kirkway and Miss Annie Quinn, sacristan at the Cathedral, came as housekeeper and she proved to be a stalwart supporter for Fr Knight.

It soon became apparent that a school would be needed and it was proposed to start an infants school housed within the Church/Hall.  This involved a group of men each Sunday evening removing benches, chairs and kneelers and preparing the premises for the school and restoring to a church each Friday afternoon.   It was known that this arrangement was not suitable but by happy coincidence Her Majesty’s Inspector who came to assess was a Miss Margaret Roper Rishworth, a direct descendant of St Thomas More, and the school was approved.

In 1966 application was made  to build a church.  This was refused but permission was granted for a presbytery. Building began in August 1966 and was completed in August 1967.

Fr Willie Davitt, newly ordained was appointed assistant priest on 5th August 1967.

On 30th April 1969 the Diocesan Finance Board approved plans for a church at a cost, excluding furnishings, of £55,000.  Building began in May 1970 and on Wednesday 1st March 1972 the new church was opened by his Lordship Bishop Thomas Holland.  The church seats 430 and the all inclusive cost was £66,000.

The church was consecrated by Rt Rev Geoffrey Burke, Auxiliary Bishop of Salford on Friday 20th June 1980.

In 1973 Fr John Mackie succeeded Fr Davitt and was later followed by Fr Francis Waterworth and thereafter Fr Barry O’Sullivan.

Fr Knight retired in 1991 after 32 years devoted service to the parish and he died on the 7th February 1994 in the 54th year of his priesthood. He was succeeded by Fr (later Canon) Tony McBride, then        Fr Peter McGiveron in 2003 and by our present parish priest, Fr Peter Hopkinson, Vicar General, assisted by Fr Paul Blackburn in 2018.

The parish was amalgamated with St Peter’s on 28th May 2019 to form the new parish of St Peter & St Thomas More.