Foundation of the parish. As one journeys along Green Lane, Tuebrook, today and looks upon the dignified Romanesque church with its west doorway surmounted by a carved statue of St. Cecilia, one can’t help but admire the beauty of this House of God. It was on the 29th September 1905, that Archbishop Thomas Whiteside appointed Fr. John Casey to take charge of the newly created mission of St. Cecilia’s, Tuebrook. The new parish included within its boundaries not only Tuebrook but also the Clubmoor area and the site which the church of St. Matthew’s now stands. in that wide area were less than six hundred Catholics whose spiritual needs were attended to by the clergy of the neighbouring parishes of St. Oswald, St. Michael, St. Paul and All Saints. The enormous estates of Larkhill and Norris Green had not even been considered and, indeed, were not developed until after the First World War.
The chapel in the loft. With instructions from the Archbishop, Fr. Casey set about finding a suitable place for the new community to meet and celebrate the Eucharist. Through the kind cooperation of Mr Andrew Morris, a non-Catholic, a loft was rented at 1a, New Road and on the 23rd October, 1905, Mass was celebrated for the first time – the parish had been formed! Mr Morris always boasted that the parish was formed, just like the Christian Church had been formed, in an Upper Room!
The Temporary Church. It became obvious that only after a few months, the loft was unsuitable for the growing number of parishioners, which soon numbered one thousand. A temporary church was needed and the foundation stone for this was laid in August 1906, on a site at the corner of Bradden and Snaefell Avenues. Mr Matthew Honan was the architect and the church was solemnly blessed on the 3rd February, 1907. This was to be the home of the community for twenty-three years. The cost of building the church came to £1,500. The architect was killed during the First World War and in his will he donated funds which helped towards the building of St. Matthew’s. This remained only a temporary church until another site could be found and funds raised for a more suitable place.
The Permanent Church. On the 10th December 1928, Archbishop Richard Downey appointed Fr. Casey as the area Dean. On the 22nd September 1929, the Archbishop blessed the foundation stone of the new church and then returned on the 21st December 1930 for the official opening. The architect was Mr. E Bowes Norris who produced an adaptation of the Early Christian or Lombard Romanesque School. Externally, St. Cecilia’s is a noble building by any standards but it is the interior of the church that most comments are made. Within the church form and colour are blended, everything was designed to lead the eyes to the High Altar. Lying below the altar lies the traditional figure of St. Cecilia, an exact copy of Maderno’s masterpiece in Rome. The stark, white figure is thrown into relief by a background of black marble. The reredos is over twenty feet high and is flanked by two large columns of Sweedish green marble supporting a decorative cornice of rich, white marble. Centrally beneath the cornice, the traditional throne for the monstrance is arranged in a large niche surrounded by panels of Mexican onyx. The arch above the reredos contains a beautiful coloured depiction of the Crucifixion, itself the culminating point of the mosaic work of the sanctuary. Side chapels dedicated to the Sacred Heart and Our Lady complement the High Altar.
The Consecration. Sadly Fr. Casey had died before the church was consecrated. His successor, Fr. Richard Tobin, had also died. It was left to Fr. Bernard Catterall to see the church finally consecrated on the 6th October 1972 by Archbishop George Andrew Beck.
The Future. It is nearly one hundred years of the founding of St. Cecilia’s. We give thanks to God for all that has happened in this community. Through the blessings and work of many priests and people, the parish is strong, and because of that, we give thanks to God and look to the future with hope.
A story....a poem.... frequently updated.... |