The Roman Catholic Church of St Chad, Cheetham in the County of -- Lancashire --

St Chad, Cheetham

St Chad interior

When the first Catholic chapel was built in Manchester after the Reformation in the 18th century it was dedicated to St Chad, the 7th century bishop of Mercia. In 1774, a small chapel was erected in Rook Street, which stood at the northern end of what is now Fountain Street and West Mosley Street.

The first Rector in 1778 was Fr Roland Broomhead. He also built the chapels of St Mary, Mulberry Street and St Augustine, Granby Row.

Due to the needs of an increasing number of Catholic families moving to find work in Manchester, a larger church was needed. The architects were the firm Weightman and Hadfield, who also designed Salford Cathedral. Building work began on the new church on Cheetham Hill Road, just outside the city centre, in 1846. It was opened on 4th August 1847 by Bishop George Hilary Brown.

The Rook Street chapel was sold in 1846 to be converted into a warehouse, which was completely destroyed in a fire.

For a short time St Chad's also had a chapel-of-ease in Angel Meadow (1865-1905), St William's on Simpson Street.

More recently the church has been served by clergy from St Anne, Crumpsall, then the Premonstratensians (following the closure of Corpus Christi Priory, Miles Platting), and then as the residence for the Strangeways Prison chaplain. In 2013, the Oratorian community from the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Manchester took over St Chad's and established the Manchester Oratory of St Philip Neri.