St Catherine of Siena Church, Birmingham
| St Catherine's Church | |
|---|---|
| St Catherine of Siena Church, Bristol Street | |
Front entrance
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| Coordinates: 52°28′20″N 1°54′01″W / 52.472254°N 1.900385°W | |
| OS grid reference | SP 06863 86040 |
| Location | Birmingham |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | StCatherinesBirmingham.org |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Bishop William Ullathorne |
| Dedication | St Catherine of Siena |
| Consecrated | June 1918 |
| Events | Replaced 1964 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Active |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Completed | 1965 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Birmingham (Cathedral) |
| Archdiocese | Birmingham |
| Province | Birmingham |
St Catherine of Siena Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church situated on Bristol Street in Birmingham. It was founded in 1874, and demolished and replaced in 1964. The church is within the Archdiocese of Birmingham and was run by the Missionary Society of St. Columban from 2005 to 2013.
With the Roman Catholic population in Birmingham increasing in the 19th century, a Catholic school was built on Windmill Street in 1869 to provide an education for the new families in the area. Later, a new church had to be built to accommodate their needs. So on 30 April 1874, the foundation stone for a new Gothic revival church, St Catherine of Siena's, was laid in the Horse Fair part of the city by Bishop William Ullathorne of Birmingham. He also presided at the opening ceremony of the church on 28 September 1875. Originally, only the nave and sanctuary was built. By October 1893, the chancel, lady chapel and sacristy were ready and by 1909 the tower was completed. By 1918 the church was free of debt and consecrated in June that year. It was located where the Holloway Circus roundabout is situated on Bristol Street, Birmingham.
On 1 June 1964, the church in Horse Fair was de-consecrated by Archbishop Francis Grimshaw of Birmingham, as the building was bought by the local council under a compulsory purchase order so that it could be demolished and a road system could be made in the area. This was part of the Inner Ring Road project. As well as the church, the surrounding old terraced housing was also demolished and replaced with council flats.
While a new church was being built, Masses were held in the nearby school. On 20 December 1964, the new church was opened. It is a circular domed building, with the altar in the centre of the church, making it compliant with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council. It was built on the corner of Irving Street and is made of brick and concrete. Inside the church, the Stations of the Cross are a memento from the old building.
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